CHAPTER ONE
LEO’S POV
“It was nice doing business with you, Mr. Leonardo, but I must say I cannot just invest in your company for some reasons. I will have to think about it,” Mr. Max Zenin, the largest shareholder of Whites Company, said.
“Okay, you have all the time to think about it. I guarantee you it’s worth it,” I replied, crossing my legs. I was dressed in a black Tom Ford suit with Tom Ford Elian shoes, projecting the image of confidence and success.
Now you might be wondering who I am, Leonardo Lugard is my name. The owner of L&L Building—the most well-known and biggest mall in Las Vegas— and I am here to get Max Zenin to invest in my company. My physical description? - A tall, fair, dark-haired appearance, coupled with piercing eyes that seemed to hold a world of secrets, gave me an air of mystery and intrigue that drew others to me like moths to a flame. But to my dismay, Mr. Max seemed to have trust issues.
“Now, if you will excuse me, I have another meeting to attend,” I said, getting up as my bodyguards followed suit behind me. As I turned to leave, I bumped into someone, and to my greatest surprise, it was none other than her, Rachel Snow.
My greatest ENEMY.
“Oh, look who we have here,” Rachel said in the most sarcastic, happy tone ever. She was dressed in a black Saint Laurent long-sleeve dress with black Gianvito Rossi shoes to complete the outfit. I actually know a thing or two about fashion and styles. Despite her affluent background and bossy demeanor, her cool exterior looks like a facade to me. She was also the owner of Snow Mall, the *second-largest* mall in Las Vegas aiming to defeat me. *scoffs* she can’t.
“From the looks on your face, it seems like your plan did not go well. Now, if you will excuse me,” she said with an evil smirk, pushing me slightly and walking past to sit directly across from Mr. Max Zenin with her bodyguards and secretary standing above her. My bodyguards wanted to react, but I signaled them to stop with my hand.
“Good morning, Mr. Max, it is nice to meet you,” Rachel said, extending her hand for a shake, and the business conversation began.
I rolled my eyes and walked out of the restaurant with my bodyguards behind me. Angry or not, I masked it with an expressionless face.
“The boss is here!” a worker shouted after seeing my car at the entrance of L&L Building. I don’t know if they know or oblivious of the fact that I can actually hear them.
The whole company became chaotic as the workers ran helter-skelter so I wouldn’t catch them off guard.
“Good morning, Sir,” Miss Red, my secretary, known for stylishly dressing in red, greeted me in a professional tone. The whole staff lined up as I picked up a call.
“Miss Red, I would like to see the business plans in my office in the next two minutes and those who came up with the idea,” I said, turning to walk away.
“Oh, well, sorry, Boss, but I—I—I think it will take more than that,” she stammered.
“And what do you mean by that?” I asked, turning to look at her with my icy eyes. She shivered in fear.
“There was a mistake, and it is being fixed now,” Miss Red answered as politely and calmly as possible.
“Who printed it in the first place?” I asked, looking at the workers. The place was silent until an employee slowly raised her hand from the midst of the workers. She had heard a lot about me, but my presence was intimidating.
“I did,” she answered.
I walked towards her and scanned her from head to toe. “You are fired!”
"Wait... what?!” she exclaimed, taking a while to process my words.
"No... please wait," she called out as I made my way to the door. The other workers were too scared to move. "It is indeed my fault for making a mistake while printing the business plan. Please give me one more chance," she pleaded, with tears threatening to run down her cheeks. She was silently wishing everything that had just happened was a dream. I took a few steps closer and bent to her eye level.
I am 6'5" tall, while she is just probably 5’11". I scanned her from head to toe. "I am not sure who hired you in the first place, but I think the employee hiring team has some explanations to do. Not worth hiring. That's what your status is to me,” I said with a disgusted look in my eyes. With that, I walked majestically to my office, calling the Director of the Hiring team to come to my office immediately.
“And how was that employee hired in the first place?” I asked the Director.
“I apologize for the mistake. I think we sent in her application in place of someone else.”
“Mistake? Do you realize that an insider from Snow Mall said they have already started the execution process for their new business plan? A simple delay, and they will take over our title as the best mall. One more mistake, and you are the one to be fired. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” he nodded, shivering in fear. I dismissed him with just a glance.
“This is a new year, but their war has already begun. I just hope it won’t last as long as last time,” Miss Red murmured as soon as the director stepped out of my office with no idea that I could hear them pretty well.
“Tough times do last longer than I expected,” Robert, the Director of the hiring team replied to her words and I scoffed inwardly.
RACHEL’S POV
“Bug, how much profit are we expected to generate this year compared to last year?” I asked while seated in my office, staring directly at Bug, my secretary. I had expected Mr. Max Zenin to side with me since he had turned down Leo’s proposal, but I hadn’t anticipated that he would turn down mine as well.
Now you might wondering who I am.
I am Rachel Snow, the owner of Snow Mall and in as much as I hate to admire it, the second largest Mall in Las Vegas.
My physical identity?- glowing auburn hair, captivating green eyes and just a bit- a commanding presence.
“Compared to last year’s 10% profit, this year is expected to be 20%. I think that is double the profit,” Bug answered, scanning through the documents in his hands, clearly hoping he wouldn’t miss any details.
“Perfect,” I smirked.
“And do you think L&L will surpass that or go lower?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Bug scratched the back of his neck, clearly nervous. He seemed torn between lying and risking my wrath with the truth.
“Just hope they don’t have a perfect plan,” he said finally. That was the best answer he could come up with.
“I don’t like your answer, but I think that’s good enough,” I said, my voice tinged with annoyance. “What’s next on my schedule?”
“You have a meeting with Drew Bross, the producer of the variety show 'Married for 100 Days,'” Bug replied.
“Cancel that. I’m not interested at the moment,” I said dismissively.
“But sources from L&L Building said Mr. Leonard also has an appointment with him immediately after yours,” Bug added hesitantly.
“What?!” I stood up abruptly, causing Bug to step back a little.
“Don’t postpone it. I’m going now. I don’t know what I’ll gain from him, but I’m not letting that DUDE beat me to it,” I said, grabbing my clutch and storming out of the office, with Bug scrambling to keep up.
CHAPTER TWOLEO’S POV“Hello, Mr. Leonardo,” Drew greeted, extending his hand for a shake, but I opted to remain seated, ignoring the gesture.“Wow, I guess the media really did cover your personality accurately,” Drew remarked, a smile stretching across his face as he settled into the seat opposite me.“I’m not sure why you decided to come in before the scheduled time, but it appears to be perfect timing. The offer wasn’t for you alone, actually; it’s for both you and Miss Rachel Snow,” Drew explained, his tone even.Just then, the door swung open, and Rachel entered confidently, her heels clicking against the polished floor. Her eyes scanned the room before landing on us, and she wasted no time in addressing me with a “really” look.“Perfect timing, Miss Rachel. Please have a seat,” Drew interjected smoothly, attempting to diffuse the tension.“Oh, this day can’t get any worse. I can’t believe I am bumping into you for the second time in just a day. Are you stalking me?” Rachel reto
CHAPTER THREERACHEL’S POV“What, Rachel? Are you serious?” Cecilia asked for the 100th time. Cecilia, my best friend, had grown up with me. A striking model and influential social media figure, She was also the ambassador for my jewelry line. With her long, flowing ebony hair, piercing blue eyes, and model-like figure, she had seen the news and rushed over to my house to confirm if it was just a rumor or fake. I assured her I was aware and fully supportive of it.“Are you sure you are okay?” she asked again, concern evident in her voice.“Yes, Cecile, I accept this challenge. I’ve got various plans in my head right now. One is to make him accept the challenge. Two is to get to know more about him—specifically his weaknesses and flaws—and use them to my advantage. Lastly, I will get rid of the other couples in the show, and then I will get rid of him too, making me the only person standing. Max Zenin would have no choice but to invest in my company. And that’s it. I’m going to secure
RACHEL’S POV“What did you do?” Leo asked, his tone platonic but I could sense the underlying annoyance in his voice.“I did what I could. If we both act as a married couple for just 100 days, then Max Zenin will either invest in my company or yours at the end of it,” I said, folding my arms defensively. I had hoped he would understand, but his expression told me otherwise.He came outside to meet me where I stood beside my car, the morning light casting a shadow over his furrowed brow. I could see the frustration in his eyes as he approached. Yesterday, I received a message from Drew, where he told me Leo was warning him that the article should be taken down before 8 am, or he would sue. I had no choice but to step in.His jaw clenched, and I could see the tension in his shoulders. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.“I will make sure he enters the show at whatever cost, and I will put my plans in motion,” I thought, steeling myself for the confrontation.“I am not
RACHEL’S POVBelieve it or not, anxiety is coursing through me as I think about appearing on that variety show with Leo. Yet, despite the nerves, I can't help but feel an undercurrent of excitement. This is my chance to manipulate him, to finally gain the upper hand. “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer” – that will be my mantra. I won’t let him reign at the top forever. He needs to know what it's like to be in second place, to feel the sting of being overshadowed. And I, in turn, will relish what it means to stand on the top rung.As the driver sped through the highway, my mind raced even faster. Numerous thoughts swirled within me, a chaotic storm of strategy. Today marks our first interview as the cast of the variety show, and we’re expected to arrive by 9:00 AM. I’ve always prided myself on punctuality, always being the first to arrive. But this time, I silently prayed that Leo wouldn’t beat me there. Being second to him, even in arrival time, would be a small but bit
LEO’S POVI was not expecting to see Helen here, in a variety show, to sign a contract marriage after disappearing for eight years. Coincidence or not, I don’t know what to call it. My phone rang in my pocket, and I declined the call without bothering to check the caller ID. My father had been furious after realizing I had ignored his advice, and I knew he was already planning his next move.So many thoughts raced through my mind as I saw Helen seated right across from me in an emerald dress. I could sense Rachel’s piercing gaze on both of us, and I quickly snapped out of it to introduce myself. If anyone noticed the tension, it would be just me, Helen, and Rachel.After the interview for the variety show, I went to make a call and heard someone approaching me from behind. I already knew who it was.“Leo, I feel so happy to see you, although I did not expect that we would meet here,” Helen said, plastering a fake smile on her face, the same one Rachel always used while talking to me.
CHAPTER SEVENRachel’s POVMy whole life flashed before my eyes when we were told we were going to stay in the same place together for 100 days."You gotta be kidding me," I said out loud, forgetting the camera was on me."This is all your fault," Leo said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning to face me.Well, can’t he see that I am already regretting this?"Is it too late to get out of the show?" I turned to ask one of the crew members with the camera, and he shook his head, much to my disappointment."Damn," Leo cussed. We are going to be in deep trouble. While we lamented over the fact that we would be sharing the same room, it was ironic compared to the other couples who were jumping and hugging each other happily as though they had won the lottery. Well, except for one person—the girl in the emerald dress whom I saw earlier with Leo. She was staring in our direction. Her eyes seemed to be focused not on Leo this time around, but on me. Why? I couldn’t pinpoint it, but t
LEO’S POV“You dare to go against my orders?” Father bellowed, his voice vibrating in my ear. I stood there, my gaze fixed forward, my palms folded together, my face utterly expressionless. Heaven knows how much longer I’ll have to endure his outbursts, but it won't be much longer.“Nice. That’s the attitude you’re going to display, huh? Well then, I have no choice. Get ready to step down from that company. And one more thing.” He stormed closer until our faces were just inches apart, the cold fury in his eyes sending a shiver down my spine.“After that company is no longer in your possession, I will make your life so miserable that you’ll prefer death, Mr. Leonardo Lugard. Mark my words,” he hissed, his voice dripping with venom. With that, he pushed past me, his shoulder brushing mine with deliberate force as he walked out. His footsteps were heavy and deliberate, each one echoing through the corridor like a countdown to the inevitable. His back was rigid, his fists clenched at hi
RACHEL’S POV"Ahhhhhhh!!" I screamed, throwing everything within reach across the room. The sound of shattering glass and the crash of objects hitting the floor echoed off the walls. My meticulously arranged room descended into chaos. Picture frames toppled, books flew off the shelves, and the vase on the nightstand shattered into a thousand pieces..I didn’t even realize the door had opened until I heard Cecilia’s voice.“Rachel!” she called, rushing over to me. “Oh no! Rachel, you’re going to hurt yourself,” she said, pulling me into a tight hug as I burst into tears.“I’m done for, Cecilia. Everything,” I stuttered through my sobs.“No, Rachel. Everything will be fine. Do not give up, okay?” she said, her voice firm but kind. I continued to sob quietly for a few minutes, the weight of everything bearing down on me.“Excuse me,” I whispered, pulling away from her as I headed toward the bathroom. I caught a glimpse of her worried eyes as I shut the door behind me.Inside the bathroom