LEONRage burned through me, deep and consuming. It clawed at my chest, wrapped around my throat like a vice refusing to let go, the type that settled deep in my bones. It wasn’t the usual kind of fury that came and went in waves. This was colder. Sharper. It was the kind of anger that made me want to destroy everything in my path. My hands clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms, but the pain was nothing compared to the fire inside me.I failed her.I promised to protect Naya, to keep her safe, to be the one thing she could always count on. And yet, tonight, she had suffered the worst kind of betrayal, the kind that shattered something inside her. And I hadn’t been there to stop it.That was what haunted me the most.But the fact that I let this happen. The fact that I hadn’t been able to shield Naya from it. My grip on the armrest of the chair I sat tightened. My jaw locked. The room around me blurred at the edges, my vision darkening with pure fury.Ryan thought he had
NAYAI woke up, surprised that I had even fallen asleep. The last thing I remembered was feeling too drained to even think, and now, somehow, I had slept through the night. It had to be one of the pills Leon gave me, it must have knocked me out completely.Leon had been the one to take off my bloodied clothes. He had been the one to bathe me. I barely remembered any of it. My body had been so weak, my mind so far away, that I couldn’t tell what was happening around me. Everything had felt like a blur like I was trapped in a fog too thick to escape.But now, as I slowly woke up, I noticed something different. My body felt lighter and more relaxed. The soreness I had expected wasn’t there, at least not as much as I thought it would be. And, surprisingly, I hadn’t had any nightmares. It was as if both my body and mind had shut down completely, forcing me into a sleep so deep I couldn’t even dream.I turned my head, looking to the side. Leon wasn’t there. My eyes moved to the clock and it
KAYLAI slowly opened the door carefully so as not to make a sound. The last thing I wanted was to wake my parents or run into them. I was in no mood for questions, especially not tonight. My mind was too messed up to come up with any excuses, and I had no energy to explain where I was coming from. As soon as I stepped inside, I slipped off my shoes, holding them in my hands to avoid making any noise. I took in a deep breath and started tiptoeing toward my room to avoid making any sound.But just as I took my first step, the lights in the living room suddenly flicked on. I froze instantly, my heart raced quickly, and my breath caught in my throat.I was caught.“Oh my God” a yelp escaped from my mouth“Why are you back so late? I have been worried sick. I have been calling you nonstop” my mom said “Really?” I brought out my phone from my pocket to see she had left me fifty missed calls“My phone was on silent I didn’t hear it ring,” I said and continued walking“What have you been u
RYANI specifically went to my mom's house after I dropped Kayla off so I could gloat to her and let her know I didn't need her to take care of rift rats.“Hello Mother,” I said, strolling towards her by the bar where she was helping herself with a bottle of wine. She turned and looked at me then returned to her drink like I was invisible. I took a bottle of whiskey and helped myself with a glass, that was how I was to celebrate not any way else.“Aren't you going to say hello to your son?” I asked emptying the content of the glass into my mouth“What do you want? Why are you here?” she rolled her eyes uninterested“So much for Mother’s love,” I said clicking my tongue playfully “Did you do anything?” she asked looking at me intently like she saw through my eyes“What did you do now?” she asked with her jaw clenched “Did I say I did anything?” I asked“Spare me your nonsense Ryan and start fucking talking” she hissed“You are such a killjoy, I came to share the good news with you bu
I woke up as early as possible to prepare for the day. It was an important day, and even though I had barely gotten any sleep, I didn’t care. Sleep could wait. Today was too significant for me to let exhaustion slow me down. I had spent weeks waiting for this meeting, chasing after these investors like they were gods. They knew exactly how much power they held, and that was why they acted like they could do whatever they pleased. They had the upper hand, and they made sure I knew it.The first time we scheduled a meeting was the night of my accident. I was on my way to meet up with them that night before the accident happened. But the accident changed everything. They must have taken my absence as a sign of disrespect because, after that, they refused to take my calls, ignoring every attempt I made to reach out to them.Until now.Now that they had finally agreed to meet me, I had no choice but to be patient, no matter how much it irritated me. But I wasn’t going to forget how they tr
NAYAAfter staying in bed and being on medication I felt enough energy to be back up again, there was no weakness and for some reason as long as Leon was by my side holding me through the night I didn’t struggle with nightmares, somehow he was my therapy. I got out of bed and willingly took a shower washing everything off my body.“Naya” I heard Leon call while I was in the shower“Where are you?” He asked“I’m right here” I responded, next minute I opened my eyes he was right there in the bathroom“Oh my God” I jumped in fear, wrapping my hand around my naked bodyHis eyes glided through my body with ease, staring me from up to down then he brought his eyes back to my face“Do you need help?” He asked “Help? Get out!” I shouted, flustered by his presence my whole body had turned crimson red at this point and he just kept staring “I just need to make sure you are fine on your own” he shrugged “So you stormed into the shower with my stack naked?” I asked with raised brows“Relax, no
RYANI was in my office, leaning back in my chair with my legs crossed over the table, a glass of whiskey in my hand. The room was quiet except for the sound of pages flipping that filled the air. I was in a meeting with James Genrey who was busy going through the contract that I handed to him. The contract with the investors that was finally signed was a major step forward but the work wasn’t over yet. Now, it was up to me to put everything in place, to make sure every detail was handled properly. This deal was too important to leave anything to chance.“This is going to be completed in no time,” James said as he signed his own contract with our company“It has to be, I would not be hearing any excuses,” I told him“We always deliver, trust me to do the same this time also,” he said smiling from ear to ear. It was a big-budget project so he got a good cut from it definitely his biggest contract yet.Everything was going at my pace and according to plan, I had the project going that
KAYLA I heard from my dad that Ryan was going to be named CEO so I had to quicken my game. My plan to make him mine wasn’t working the way it should. No matter what I did, Ryan didn’t see me the way I wanted him to. He never looked at me with desire, never treated me like I was special. Instead, he made it painfully clear on countless occasions that I was nothing to him. He made it clear that I was disposable, replaceable just another woman. But that wasn’t how this was supposed to go. I was supposed to charm him, make him obsessed with me, and have him so hooked that he wouldn’t even think about another woman. I was supposed to implant myself in his heart, in his mind, in his life so deeply that he wouldn’t know what to do without me. But instead, I was the one losing everything. There was no way I could revive my social status even after deactivating my pages. People found their way to send death threats to me wishing me the worst. I got expelled from college just before I w
RYANThe taste of bitter powder still lingered on my tongue, mixing with the metallic flavor of blood from where I’d bitten the inside of my cheek. I didn’t even know how long I had been lying there, curled up on the same dusty couch in that dark apartment, the air thick with smoke and the stench of liquor. The curtains were drawn shut, blocking out the sun, or maybe it was already night again. Time had stopped meaning anything.My head was spinning. I’d taken too much this time, too many pills, too much alcohol. But I didn’t care. I didn’t want to feel anything not shame, not the loss or the rage that burned deep within me.I tried to stand but a wincing headache rushed through my spine causing me to fall on the couch, I let out a groan and took a big gulp of the bottle of whiskey in my hand before reaching for my phone. The brightness of the phone almost knocked me out, it was past two in the afternoon. I was scrolling through the notifications when I saw something that caught my ey
NAYAWhen I opened my eyes, the room was quiet except for Leon and Nick’s voices. They were speaking in low tones like they didn’t want to disturb me. I didn’t catch everything they were saying at first, but when I listened a little more, I heard them mention something about a video and the press.“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice still a bit weak.Leon quickly rushed to my side. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to wake you,” he said gently.“You didn’t,” I replied, shaking my head slowly.My eyes landed on the laptop screen, and I noticed a video was paused. “What’s that?” I asked, pointing to it.Leon’s eyes followed mine. “I should go get the doctor to check you,” he said quickly, trying to change the subject.“Don’t do that, I am fine” I said firmly. “Just tell me what’s going on this time, Leon,” I told him He hesitated for a moment. “It’s Jennifer,” he said finally, and my eyes widened.“What? Did she try something again?” I asked, suddenly alert“No, nothing like that,” he answe
LEONThe anger in her voice was very loud and clear, I had never seen her like that it was like watching a different person but in a good way. Although it happened at a rough time she had the last laugh and it was so satisfying to watch. Their faces as they watch every word come out of her mouth, they must have forgotten she wasn’t the same girl they taunted and trampled on. They thought her words were just her bluffing because they thought she was weak and there was nothing she could do to them.And she showed them, they didn’t know how much she gave her all into making sure she brings them to their downfall, how persistent she was during that period was what drew me to her. I was so proud of her because she fought that battle against them and she won after they laughed in her face repeatedly, now it was left to them to waste away wishing they could go back in time and not get on her wrong side.She laid in bed and just stared at the ceiling without uttering a word and I sat beside h
I sat on the hospital bed staring into the distance while Leon sat beside me, he looked down and troubled, that it made me feel horrible. He also lost the same way I did but he was only trying to make me feel better while he battled with his own grief internally. I couldn’t even hold him and tell him everything would be fine, my mind wasn’t in the right place, we both needed each other and I couldn’t be there for him.“Have you had anything to eat?” I asked and he turned to me quickly surprised to hear me speak“Don’t worry about me I am fine” he said giving me a little smileHe still had his head wrapped with bandages and he hadn’t had any rest yet, his eyes looked red and heavy.“How could I not? Just look at you we went through the same thing and you are still trying to look after me when you are also hurting” I cried“Naya” he called cupping my face in his hands“Look at me, I am fine as long as you are fine,” he said the tone in his voice breaking my heart even further “But I’m
KAYLAIt was like a dream, one minute I was planning a holiday to escape everything that had been going on around me, and the very next minute everything was taken away from us. It was frustrating when our accounts got frozen but in my head I expected it to get fixed. Dad would take care of it was what I said. But it was like someone was actively working extremely hard to bring us down, I would never forget how Dad got arrested. I was still in bed when I heard a loud bang from downstairs, I was so confused and scared but I ran down the stairs to see what it was about just to see a sea of policemen storm into the house and whisk Dad away before we could react. Mom had to go around taking loans to afford a lawyer, it was embarrassing and unbelievable. I couldn’t wrap my head around how we could fall so fast, it didn’t happen with warning or little but everything happened at once and too fast for me to process. I cried myself to sleep every night because mom kept saying stuff like I ha
NAYA Being in that ward tied to the damn drip and the continuous beeping that filled my ears made me feel like I was being held captive. I wanted to leave the damn environment but they didn't want to let me leave. “I can’t stay here it is suffocating, I need to leave,” I said to Nick “Just a little more while and you will go home” Nick answered his voice laced with pity “I can’t, it feels like I am being held captive. I hate it here” I sobbed “How about we get some air outside” he suggested “Alright” I mumbled He took a wheelchair and tried to get me to sit on it when I stopped him “I can walk” I kicked the chair away as I got on my feet “Careful” he rushed to my side to assist me but the look I sent his way made him know better than to hold me I lost my baby and that was hard enough, staying in bed made me feel more helpless and way worse than I already was “Leon is now the CEO,” Nick said beside me “That’s good” was all I said It was good news but right
I headed back to the hospital so I could be with Naya while Nick could carry on sorting everything out, the evidence was clear and inevitable. The only way Jennifer could avoid getting arrested was if the evidence was destroyed and that would never happen not on my watch. I got down from my car and before I could step in an older-looking man with specks of grey hair scattered over his hair stopped me with his both hands stretched out by his side “Where is my daughter?” he asked a whiff of his alcohol-filled breath hit meI tried to walk around him and leave but he rushed and stood in front of me again asking the same question “Where is my daughter?!” he asked shouting this time“Go find your daughter or whatever else where to leave me and get out of my sight before I punch you in the guts” I threatened through my gritted teeth, I was in no mood to deal with a drunk“If you don't take me to her now I will come back with the press,” he said pausing me in my tracksWhat was the fucked
LEONIt was hard watching Naya devastated and broken and once again it was me who put her in that position. Just after celebrating that we were going to be parents it was taken away from us. It hurt so much but I couldn't show that in front of her, I had to be strong for her but I was moments away from slipping. I wanted to scream and crush them both to crumbs even after being named CEO. That wasn't enough, I need to finish them off for good.She clung to me tightly but didn't say a word after she cried her eyes out and I held onto her not letting her go. I couldn't tell her the good news since the moment had been stolen away and it didn't even sound like good news anymore with what we had going on. Our bundle of joy that we rejoiced over was gone, and I couldn't begin to imagine the pain that Naya was going through.“Congratulations boss you did it” Nick whispered once Naya fell asleep “Doesn't feel like a victory” I breathed out, he was talking about me becoming the new CEO of Valo
NAYAI slowly opened my eyes, my vision blurry at first. Everything around me felt hazy like I was trapped in a dream I couldn’t wake up from. I tried to make sense of where I was, but the steady beeping sound filling my ears told me all I needed to know. I was in a hospital.I felt something strapped to my face and instinctively reached up, pulling down the oxygen mask. My body ached, but I ignored the pain and tried to sit up. The moment I moved, a sharp sting shot through me, making me wince.Before I could push myself any further, I heard hurried footsteps. Nick rushed to my side, his face filled with worry.“You are up,” he said happily “Stay still I will go get the doctor” he whispered“Where is Leon?” I asked but he rushed out to get the doctor I winced at every movement I made every part of me hurt and there was a throbbing in my head that didn't want to go away. Every time I close my eyes I see flashbacks of the car ramming into us, I thought that was it, I genuinely thoug