Billionaire Redemption

Chapter 25

Ayra’s POV

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I stood there, frozen—arms limp at my sides, my legs trembling beneath me.

The soft clinking sound of a spoon against porcelain echoed in my ears, but it wasn’t that sound that made my blood run cold. It was the image right in front of me.

The maid, crying silently as she choked down the plate of food Leon had poured a full tin of salt into.

He just kept eating after that. Calm. Unbothered. As if ruining someone’s dignity was as casual as asking for salt.

This wasn’t just discipline.

This was control. Power. Untouchable, unmatched power.

And this was the man I was now living with.

Leon Kael.

My chest tightened again.

I had thought… I had hoped he was different.

I’d believed—maybe foolishly—that he’d saved me. That his face showing up just before I blacked out meant something. That maybe someone out there finally cared.

But now? Seeing how he commanded the room with silence, how fear clung to everyone around him like a second skin… I wasn’t sure anymore.

Was I safe here?

Or had I jumped from fire into an inferno?

A sharp ache burned in my chest, and before I could stop it, a single tear rolled down my cheek.

I turned.

And ran.

I don’t even remember how I made it back to my room..no his room—the one he gave me.

I slammed the door shut, locked it, and backed up until I hit the edge of the bed, collapsing onto it like my knees finally gave out.

My hands trembled. My breathing was shallow.

Was he… like my Dad?

Would he start with harsh words and end with fists and belts too?

Was everything about him—his elegance, his mysterious presence—just a mask for something crueler?

My dad’s voice echoed again in my head, louder this time, crueler:

“You came to life to take, not to give.” H

“Useless girl. A waste of breath.”

My stomach churned. I curled tighter into myself.

Then, like it always did when I felt alone, the thought of my mom surfaced.

Why?

Why did she leave me with him?

Did she ever love me? Or did she just throw me into the world like trash and hoped someone else would take responsibility?

I remembered my father’s words that day when I asked him about her…

“She dumped you on me and vanished. You think she wanted a reminder of her biggest mistake?”

Maybe he was lying. Maybe not.

But it stuck.

It stuck so deeply that now, even in a mansion with expensive sheets, a soft bed, and a man who saved me—I still felt like trash no one wanted.

My chest tightened more. I couldn’t breathe.

The tears came in full force then.

Hot, angry, desperate sobs.

I didn’t know if I was crying for the pain, the confusion, the fear of Leon… or the girl I used to be before the world ruined me.

I clutched the blanket as if it could hold me tighter than anyone ever did.

And then I cried harder.

Until my voice was hoarse.

Until the thoughts slowed.

Until everything blurred…

And sleep dragged me under—not gently, but like a tide pulling me beneath, drowning me in silence.

**

I stirred awake with a deep yawn, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I sat up slowly. The air in the room was still, dim light creeping through the curtains. I stretched lazily, but just as I rose to my feet, a sharp pain sliced through my abdomen.

“Agh…” I gasped, crouching on the cold floor as the cramps tightened around me like a cruel grip.

It was that time of the month.

I waited, breathing in and out until the pain dulled just enough. Then, holding my stomach, I stood and walked to the washroom then began searching the room. There was no pad. No tampon. Nothing. Just skincare, perfumes, fancy soaps—everything but the one thing I needed.

With a sigh, I staggered toward the walk-in closet. Everything in it screamed wealth—rows of designer clothes, limited-edition bags, shoes displayed like treasures. And strangely, everything fit me… like they already knew my size. It creeped me out sometimes.

I opened a drawer with the undergarments. I grabbed two panties, a bralette, a soft pair of shorts, and a long floral gown.

That should hold it down till I get pad or something, right??

After bathing, I changed and stepped out again, but the pain struck once more.

Groaning, I curled up on the bed, hugging my knees as I waited it out. I felt the wetness already seeping into the fabric, and I bit my lip hard.

As I lay there, my mind wandered… and dark memories crept back in.

That woman. The one who slapped me. Who almost burned my skin with whatever chemical was in that vial. The same woman who chased me down the corridor like a nightmare—her words echoing inside me:

“Either you come out and die in my hand or die in Leon’s hand for entering that room.”

I’d been too scared to process it fully back then. But now… in the quiet, it haunted me.

Could Leon really kill me?

He didn’t, though. He found me unconscious in that room. He didn’t lay a hand on me.

I’d even planned to ask him who she was—at dinner last night. But after what I witnessed…

After he made that maid eat food filled with salt… after his voice turned cold and dangerous in just a second… I lost the courage to even speak.

Is he like my father?

The question weighed heavily on my chest. The fear was back. I didn’t know what Leon Kael truly was.

I got up, dragging myself to the window and pulling it slightly open. The wind was cool against my face. It was still dark. 4:00 AM. Yet guards were scattered across the compound, fully alert.

I wondered about Mama Tee. Was she okay? Was she looking for me?

Aurelian too. I had messaged him before everything went dark. He might’ve replied. But I had no phone.

I couldn’t call. Couldn’t text. Couldn’t even check my exam results.

I sighed and rested my head against the window frame.

I need a phone.

But how do I ask for one?

Leon Kael… isn’t someone I want anything from right now.

That I’m sure of.

A mission now.

Mission stay away from any one that act like Dad.

But heck how do I get phone without asking Leon Kael.

Aishhhh.