LEONShe was being a hard-headed person. How could she have gone through all that but still insists on staying? I would only bring her more harm and she knew that trying to convince her was just like speaking to a wall she doesn't want to listen.Ryan threatened her to leave or die. They feel she is the reason why I decided to come out to the public eye. They think taking her away would make me return to my shell, as much as they were woefully wrong. I still couldn't let Naya stay around me, I just didn't want to press further before her body needed rest.Seeing her wounded and bruised broke me in many ways I never thought, I felt like ripping my heart out. It hurt so bad that I couldn't hold back my tears which felt very foreign even to me.I soft knock came on the door before it opened up slightly revealing Nick. He didn't say a word before I rolled out to meet him.“Did they find fingerprints on the gun?” I asked him. A gun was found on the scene which Nick carefully hid before the
RYAN I was in my office, the silence heavy around me. The usual buzz of phone calls and business meetings was gone, replaced by an unsettling stillness. I was used to chaos, but today felt different. It was as though the weight of my mistakes had finally caught up with me. I had spent the last few hours trying to calm myself, but all I could think about was how I had failed. Naya had slipped away again, and the cops had ruined everything. I had the perfect plan, but it was all for nothing. How could things go so wrong? The frustration built inside me, a seething pit of anger that I couldn't escape. I had underestimated Leon. And now, I had to face the consequences of my incompetence. As I stared out the window, trying to shake off the sinking feeling in my chest, I heard the soft click of my office door. "Mr. Valois, you have a delivery," my secretary said, her voice tentative, as though she knew something was off. I didn't respond right away. I just glanced ove
NAYAI woke up panicked after having another nightmare, it felt so real that I was sweating profusely when I got up, it was intense. I looked around me and I was still in the room where I was being administered treatment. Leon was in his wheelchair dozing off.“Leon” I called“Huh” he jumped“Do you need anything?” he asked “No,” I said“Come lay down here, you will hurt your neck,” I told him“No I'm fine thank you,” he said“Come on” I whined before he agreedI tried to help him get off his chair but he refused “Don't worry I got it” he said then he got on the bed“Do you feel better?” he asked after a long awkward silence “Yes,” I said staring at the ceiling “Thank you” I whispered “I didn't do anything Naya,” he said with his voice lowHe did a lot. More than I could ever imagine “You-” I started to say then I turned to see he was fast asleep. He had a rough day.Even in his sleep, he looked disturbed, his brows furrowed together. My hands reached out to his face and smoothe
NAYAThe sharp ache in my body was impossible to ignore, but it was nothing compared to the weight pressing on my chest. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the faint scent of antiseptic in the air reminding me I was safe now. But the word “safe” felt hollow.Every inch of me hurt, my face throbbed, my wrists stung from the ropes that had bitten into my skin, and the bruises on my ribs made breathing a slow, painful chore. Yet through all of it, one thought refused to leave me. I couldn’t let this stop me.It had been the same routine for me every day, I ate, laid in bed all day, and slept. Leon was very strict with me, he didn't let me do any damn thing and I was tired of arguing with him.Leon sat by the window, his silhouette illuminated by the faint glow of the moonlight. His gaze was distant, his body tense as if he were bracing himself for another fight. The sight of him like that rigid, lost in thought made my chest ache differently.“Leon,” I called softly, my voice hoarse.
Ryan Everything with me seemed slow, I kept thinking and thinking of ways I could get back at Leon or even sabotage him before he came for me but there was nothing. He didn't have any business or property that I could mess with. He didn't care about his image with the press. The only thing was Naya, which I failed when I had a chance. Now his guard would be high and I wouldn't be able to get another chance. I'm sure my mother was waiting to hear some type of good news from me but I had nothing. No goddamn thing.I was angry thinking about it, I felt so powerless and I hated it so much. The worst of it was that I felt powerless against Leon. The number person I hated most in the whole fucking world. How was I being shaken up by a bastard?It should be that way around, not the way it was. But thanks to Father for making the son of a bitch feel included, now he was trying to contend with me.Growing up, I didn't get my father's attention and that messed with me. Leon proved himself to
LEONI have got to learn multiple times that Naya is not someone to back down from a fight no matter how tough it could be. As admirable as that is, it is also worrisome but I have decided to just let it be, I guess the best I could do for her is to protect her. Which was something that scared the shit out of me.What if I'm not about to do it? I have already failed once what if it happens again?It was just a lot, the more I thought about the more nervous I get about the whole thing.I was surprised when she asked that we continue the therapy session, I didn't get how she was not out of bed yet. Her treatment was still ongoing but she cared about the session. I couldn't even tell if the ordeal hurt her or not. Other than the pain she talked about, she didn't talk about anything else almost as if she put this shield in front of her to cover up how she was feeling. I wanted her to be vulnerable with me but she cared more about trying to make me okay than herself and that got me worried
NAYAIt has been a while since the incident but it still doesn't seem to be going away. I am still shaken up. I would get flashbacks of the scenario and fear would grip me like I was relieving the whole thing. My nightmares weren't going away, instead, it felt more vivid and scary. Ryan was laughing psychotically in my dreams haunting me, no matter how I ran or how I begged it all ended the same way. It ended with him putting a bullet through my skull. I was scared of stepping outside the house, I have never tried to but the thought of it scared me.I tried all my best to hide everything from Leon so he wouldn't worry about me, which was almost impossible because he was breathing down my neck twenty-four-seven, watching and monitoring my every move like a hawk. Before I was done with my treatment he insisted on staying by my side every night and now I was done with it he still checks up on me in my room. If he noticed something was wrong with me he would just worry too much and I didn
NAYAThe car ride back home was quiet, almost painfully so. Leon sat beside me in the passenger seat while Nick drove, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. He hadn’t said much since we left the hospital, and neither had I. But it wasn’t the kind of silence I was used to. This one was heavy, thick with unspoken words that hung in the air like a weight on my chest.My mind raced, piecing together everything I’d overheard at the hospital. I paid attention to Ryan’s and Leon’s conversation, but I didn't grasp the whole thing that was said. But the parts I did hear were enough to unravel the rest. The way Leon spoke to Ryan, the icy calmness in his voice, the way Ryan had reacted to him. He was sure that Leon was the one behind it and Leon never denied it or accepted it. Leon had orchestrated Ryan’s accident.At first, I tried to tell myself I was wrong. Maybe I had misunderstood, maybe I didn’t hear things clearly. But the more I thought about it, the clearer it became. The way Leon had cho
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
RYANIt felt like I was in a trance state not only did I watch Leon walk in and destabilize everything I also watched him get elected as CEO out of fifty board members forty-nine of them all voted for him while I got one, just one fucking vote and that person was my mother. All my plotting and trying to protect my position and he just came out of nowhere and took it away from me like it was nothing.I had questions How long has he been planning for?He had a whole secret company and now an investment company? He was out to get us for good and he won. he fucking won.More than anything I felt like a failure, the smirk he had on his face kept replaying in my head. I wanted nothing more than to bury my nose in cocaine and do whatever came to mind. I wanted to strangle him with my bare hands and watch his life slip out of him.“Can you fucking answer me?!” I heard my mom shout. We were in the basement parking lot of the company waiting for the reporters to clear out before we left, the
LEON“Let me fucking go” I hissed at the doctor trying to clean up my wounds“But sir you are bleeding,” he said“I don’t fucking care!” I roared “I want every doctor in this hospital to attend to her, she must wake up or I would burn this place to the fucking ground!!” I shouted, there was a banging in my head as I spoke but I ignored it. I had to make sure Naya was fine“We have been able to stabilize her, we can only hope that she wakes up,” he said slowly like he was scared of the words as they came out of his mouth“Don’t tell me that! I would pay any damn amount just make sure she is fine and she wakes up please” my voice cracked as tears filled my eyes, it was unbearable to keep watching her lay still like that“What is going on? What happened?” Nick rushed in looking between me and Naya“We will try our best you have my word,” the doctor said I crashed on the couch holding my head tightly trying to stop the banging that refused to stop“Why hasn’t this been covered up?” Nick