LEONARD KISH'S POV,"What an important meeting you're having right in your villa, Mr. Yuka!" I announced. My voice boomed with confidence as I took long strides to the empty couch on the other side of his plush living room,Elsa tugged closely beside me, her arm brushing against mine as she sat beside me just as I had instructed.The tension in the living room was palpable, their gaze fixed on us as if they had just seen a ghost. They clearly weren't expecting my visit, and the shock on their faces was undeniable.A blanket of shame had clothed Mr. Zeus, while Mr Edwin still had his straight face with an unreadable expression on his face.Sitting comfortably on his couch, I turned towards Mr. Yuka and inquired, "Were you talking about me?" His face had a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and I knew he was struggling to keep his cool.Just then, my eyes began to travel from one person to the other, with a smile on my face, although my question was directed to Mr. Yuka, who I was
LEONARD KISH'S POV,"Have you contacted Macpherson." I asked Sam whose attention was focused on the road, as he drove to the company that day.My gaze was fixed intently on the contract with Macpherson, which he had given to me earlier, meticulously tracing every little details. I had taken it upon myself to ensure that every term and clause was error-free, since I knew, signing a contract with Macpherson was going to earn me more ground and increase my chances of becoming the next Chairman of 'KishLee Corporation.'"Yes boss!" He beamed in response, without taking his eyes off the road.With the election for the ceo position scheduled, I knew I had to be meticulous and avoid any mistakes that Richard Yuka could exploit. The stakes were high, and I couldn't afford to leave any openings for him to capitalize on."Their secretary has confirmed that the meeting will proceed as agreed, and the contract will be finalized by two o'clock pm." His words came again, dripping with satisfaction
LEONARD KISH'S POV,"Richard! Macpherson!" He uttered, gasping for air, as he struggled to catch his breath.My eyes flew open immediately when I heard Sam's words, as a great sense of urgency washed over me, making me spring to my feet.Seeing how hard he was trying to catch his breath, I knew instantly that whatever it was he was going to say, was no good. Although, at the mention of Macpherson and Richard together, my mind began to race towards one possibility, and I secretly hoped it wasn't what I was thinking.As I wrestled with my thoughts, I felt a knot of anxiety tightening in my chest, but I pushed my fears aside. I needed to hear the truth from Sam himself before I could accept my fears."What is it about Macpherson? What did Richard Yuka do?" I questioned as calmly as I could, my eyes fixed intently on him, as I urged him on for an answer, even though deep within me I feared my gut."He's... He's... finalizing... the cont... Contract... with Macpherson." His response came
LEONARD KISH'S POV,"Boss!" Sam called out as he drove us back to the company that day. His voice bearing the weight of his remorse, his gloom palpable, hanging over the atmosphere. He couldn't stop blaming himself for what had happened.I gazed into the rearview mirror, my mind racing with ideas on how to handle Richard Yuka, I was too engrossed in my thoughts to utter a word, or respond to Sam's call,Although I had left Richard Yuka with a cold smile on my face, intentionally to unsettle him, deep down I was seething with anger and hurt, but I was determined not to let him see the extent of the blow he had dealt me."About Richard..." Sam hesitated, unsure if he should continue, while I remained silent, not saying a word to him either, and we continued in silence.After a while, his words came again, breaking the silence that had fallen upon us,"How about we report this matter to the board of directors, and let them handle it?" He suggested, his voice heavy with pain as he spoke.
JESSICA ANNA YUKA'S POV,My heart was banging really hard against my ribcage, when I brought up the topic regarding his wedding. Even though I knew Leonard had never picked any interest in any lady, the news of his sudden wedding had rattled my understanding and had filled me with fear.I had rushed down to the state from Chocó with just one goal in mind - I wanted to know if Leonard had really fallen in love with a lady during my years of being away. Just the thought of it made me grit my teeth, as my jaw clenched in anger.Although, my greatest fear was him confirming the news, even though I was never going to sit still and watch another lady have my man. However, his words alleviated my fears, setting my mind at peace and gradually dispelling my initial anxiety.My brows unfurrowed, and I drew in a silent breath, trying to calm my racing heart as I sought to unravel the truth hidden behind his words. I wanted to be certain that there was no emotional connection between the both of
ELSA ELKINS' POV,The hours ticked by, a long and sorrowful day was coming to an end. It was dark outside, but it was nothing compared to the abyss within the room.My day was filled with tears even as I dwelled on that agonizing realization. I was broken and dejected. I had lost every strength to move an inch, cuddled up in my room since I came back from my father's home.The cold air seeped through the window that evening, blowing cruel reality at me. My tears had stopped flowing, leaving me drained and shattered, even as I realized that it was all up to me to fight for my own freedom. Just then, I knew I had to do something, my mind began to ponder on a solution out of my cruel fate.The visit that day to my parents' home, was a stark realization that they had no intention to rescue me from Leonard's grasp, which had shattered my heart like a broken pearl, but I wasn't going to sit still and dwell in misery for the rest of my life.Inspired with the confidence, I felt a renewed ho
ELSA ELKINS' POV,My eyes flew open, even as I jerked up from sleep that morning to the brightness of the day. The ray streamed into my room, a reminder of my goal. Panic set in as I snapped off my grogginess, glancing at the clock in an alarm, which read 7:30am.I had been determined to wake up as early as I could, and strike a deal with Leonard before he left for work, but I had slept off Immediately my back had hit the bed.With a newfound determination, I threw off the covers, and scurried out of my bed, the sorrows of the previous day had gone with the night. I sprang up to my feet, even as my determination propelled me forward, my heart racing with the fear of missing Leonard.I descended the staircase in a fierce intensity. Pounding on them with the same determination that coursed through my veins. The sound from my steps echoed off the walls, but I cared not. I had just one goal - to get to Leonard before he left.I knew I had to start as soon as possible, so that I could pay
LEONARD KISH'S POV,Upon hearing her words, I realized she wasn't as ignorant as I had thought. I had wanted her to pay for the humiliation I had felt that day. I wanted to subject her to everything that would make her anything, but less than my wife, but as I stood right there with her, I realized it wasn't going to be easy, even though there was no way I was going to allow her to go scot-free.She spoke again, steady and resolute, even as she gaze at me defiantly."You had workers paid for those jobs, why must I do them without compensation? What do you think I am? A slave?" Her teeth clenched, and her eyes glinting with a fierce determination to get through with her bargain.My lips curled upwards in a grimace, as I stared into her eyes. Deep within me, I was engrossed in a thorough calculation, my mind reeling with ideas about how to make it advantageous to me, since I had realized she wouldn't give up until she had struck a deal.I was not the type to give in to people's whim, e
ELSA ELKINS' POV,"You went down with a fever, and he took care of you," she continued, but I only twitched my lips and forehead in response.As far as I was concerned he caused it, and it was only courtesy that he took responsibility for his actions. But whether he chose to or not, I didn't really care, nor was I grateful in any way.I was still savoring the soup when Nanny Ruth swiftly continued, "He barely had a good night's sleep in order to monitor the room temperature and adjust it to suit your temperature." She said, snapping me out of the thoughts that had kept me busy.But her words had no effect on my heart, not even did they inflict a scratch to the wall surrounding my heart. They felt like glass against my hardened heart, shattering into pieces as soon as they met."Sounds unlike him!" I managed to say, even without paying attention to what she had just said.But Nanny Ruth's lips spread into a broad smile as she swiftly continued, "You need to see him when he came back la
ELSA ELKINS' POV,My brows scrunched up as I gradually awoke, another day had come. Unlike before, I had lost the usual enthusiasm that had always accompanied my day.The room was shining brightly, but against my heart, which was filled with sorrow and sadness.It was a stark contrast to the gloom that had settled into the depth of my heart, and had overshadowed me. As my eyes gradually adjusted to the brightness of the day, a sharp pain pierced my head, and it banged so hard that I screwed my eyes shut, as though I was trying to shut out the pain.In that instant, the door slowly opened and Nanny Ruth walked in with a bowl of soup in her hands. "You're awake my child," She said, her voice as warm as the morning sun, but then, it lacked the efficacy to affect my heart like it had always done."Good morning Nanny Ruth!" I managed to say, my voice horse as I struggled to sit up, but as I did, a towel fell off my head which startled and surprised me.The surprise I had felt didn't las
LEONARD KISH'S POV,In that instant, something crept into my heart; a feeling I wasn't used to, and for the first time ever, I felt panicked.Determination out of nowhere surged within me, and I hurried down the stairs, my feet pounding with a fierce intensity as I rushed out to the living room,"Butler Joe!" I called, my voice ringing with a fierce determination that bounced off the walls. Immediately, his door swung open, and he dashed out of the room, stopping right in front of me like a bolt. He was panting heavily, and was trying to catch his breath."Young Master, you..." He was about to say when I swiftly interrupted him,"Where's Elsa?" I demanded, my voice firm and heavy as I stared at him. Butler Joe's mouth flew open immediately, and then he tried to say something, but nothing came out, he looked stunned. He was clearly surprised by my question, the look on his face spoke of the confusion in his heart. But then, his hesitation only fueled my growing desperation.I was r
LEONARD KISH'S POV,A renewed sense of exhaustion and weariness seeped into my bones as I arrived home later that evening.As I stood at the entrance of the mansion, scenes from earlier that day replayed in my head, and I recalled the harsh words I had said to Elsa.My brows furrowed immediately, as the weight of it all pressed heavily on my shoulders.As I pondered on it, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, "Well, it's her fault." But then, no matter how hard I tried to believe she was guilty, the heavy pang in my heart kept nudging at me, filling me with guilt.After struggling with myself for a while, I heaved a sigh and admitted, "I'll just try to make it up to her," Shrugging my shoulders as I tried to shove it off my mind, but the pang in my heart didn't lessen a bit, Instead, it grew heavier like a rock in the pool of my heart, even as I pondered on how to face her that evening.After about ten minutes of hesitation, I dragged myself inside and saw Nanny Ruth walking t
MR YUKA LEE'S POV, I recalled how I had always beaten her like the Monster I was, all because she had always stood against me and against my dream."I wish you never told her about your intentions of going into the drug business," those words out of nowhere whispered in my head, crushing my heart further."I never wanted to tell her about it; if she hadn't confronted me... if she hadn't called me greedy and spoken ill against my mother who had introduced it to me, she probably would have been alive by now," I said out loud, replying to the voice of accusation that had risen against me.But as my thoughts and the memories lingered, I realized I was being accused, and I wasn't going to bear the blame all by myself."No! You're accusing me. I didn't tell her. She went through my stuff! Get out of my head! She shouldn't have gone through my stuff; she wouldn't have found out and confronted me about it if she hadn't," I said, as the memories from that day replayed in my head.As it linger
MR YUKA LEE'S POV,"Why must I do what you asked me to do?" Richard's response came, his eyes blazing hot with a rage that was completely new to me, but at that moment, I was already too furious to contain my wrath. "What did you just say?" I snarled as it settled in my heart that he was angry because of a woman."Are you challenging me now?" I growled, my eyes wide open in a matching intensity.The thing I hated the most was being challenged, and that was exactly what he was doing.But the words had barely left my lips when Richard firmly replied, "Or else what?" He challenged, his teeth gritted, his lips quivering.At that moment, the beast in me roared like a wounded lion, struggling to let loose, and as I tried my best to seal it in, Richard's voice came again,"Should I remain silent just like my mother did and end up like her?" He asked, his voice quivering, his lips trembling with rage, fury glinting in his eyes.His question slammed into me like ice to my surging flames, damp
RICHARD YUKA'S POV, As soon as I left Sam, I sank heavily into the couch and filled my glass to the brim, while he sat there without uttering another word to me. I downed my drink, intending to get drunk, but no matter how many bottles I consumed, I remained sober as though I had just drank a jug of caffeine. It was something I had seen as an affliction since I was eight. I had been immune to alcohol after what happened that afternoon, which pushed me into drinking in hopes of getting drunk. At that moment, I wished I could just get drunk for a while and forget about the naggings from my father and the memories it had always left in its wake. After a while, I stood up and started walking towards the exit door, and James quickly followed. I didn't know how long I stayed out, but I stayed until I was ready enough to go back home. As we got to the car he opened the door, but I quickly stopped him. "I'll drive, go back on your own today," I said with a stern voice, and walked towa
RICHARD YUKA'S POV,"Hello!" I answered the phone, my tone cold and deep as I waited for his response,"Get back here immediately!" The angry voice of my father boomed into my ear, dripping with authority.In that instant, the dial went off ruffling my nerves. My lips twitched with a simmering fury as his words settled into my heart. My grip tightened around the phone, and my mind went blank immediately, my eyes locked in space and I seethed.My initial excitement completely disappeared and was replaced with a seething rage, and in that instant, James' voice broke into the fog that had settled around me."Boss!""Boss!!" James' voice nudged at my heart, gradually bringing me back to the present, "Boss are you okay?" He asked, his voice dripping with concern as he stared at me with furrowed brows.I turned to face him, seeing the concern etched on his face, "I am," I responded coldly, my voice tight with a surging rage, but as I stared at him, a thought crossed my mind."Was that yo
RICHARD YUKA'S POV,Although, I knew I got enchanted by her the first day I saw her, I wasn't oblivious to what I needed, and what was more important."So I wanted to kill two birds with a stone," I stated, and James' eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and confusion which made me scoff."Firstly, I wanted to check if it was true and then secondly, I wanted to drive a wedge between them if it was true!" I stated with a nonchalant air, shrugging my shoulders as I spoke, after which I took another sip.James chuckled lightly, the sound of which spoke of the disbelief in his heart as he stared at me in surprise."So, you mean you went through all that trouble just to do that?" He asked, his tone ringing with disbelief.As soon as I heard his words, I couldn't stop the scoff that escaped my lips. What does he know after all?"It's not a trouble at all, James; you just don't know anything," I replied, refusing to allow his words to downplay the effort I had put in."At least I succeeded