Chapter 5
1445 Words
AUTHORESS POV
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The boardroom was silent, frozen. Even the hum of the ventilation system seemed to hold its breath. Around the gloss‑black mahogany table, the city’s most senior executives shifted in their seats like frightened guests in a haunted house. The skyline behind them, blurred by dusk, reflected their anxious faces.
At the head of the table sat him. The man they all feared. His name alone had power.
Leon Kael.
A figure with sharp, steel‑blue eyes that could cut through steel. His jawline was perfectly chiseled, the kind of geometry sculptors admired. Thin lips pressed into a firm line, back straight, shoulders squared, the posture of a king, or at least someone who expected loyalty without question.
His black shirt clung to his broad chest, unbuttoned two buttons at the top for casual authority. A dark tie hung perfectly from his throat. He carried an aura, not of warmth, but of calculated dominance. The kind of presence that made grown men shrink and whisper.
He had been listening all afternoon to status reports, excuses, charts, slides. Delays in the project. Budgets flexing. Deadlines missed. Ideas watered down. He showed nothing until the final slide faded out. Then he stood. The chair slid back slowly, a single soft scrape on the polished floor echoing like a gunshot.
“Enough.” His voice dropped like ice breaking. Every head snapped up. Every pen froze mid‑note. The air contracted. “The decision is final. I will be going down there to examine things myself.”
Silence stretched. You could hear muffled heartbeats. The kind of quiet that meant fear had settled in.
He continued, voice cold, unwavering: “This project is taking far too long to complete. I did not hire incompetent people, now did I?”
Not a single soul answered. The only sound was the faint hum of the overhead lights.
He stepped away from the table, walked with deliberate pace toward the panoramic windows. The sun had dipped below the skyscrapers, the city lights flickering on like distant stars.
He stood reflecting on the horizon for a moment. Then he turned, letting the shimmer of the city catch his blue eyes. “I will be gone for one week or more. When I return, I do not want to find mistakes. If I do… you will have only yourselves to blame.”
With that final sentence, he left the room. The click of the door behind him sounded like a verdict.
Behind him, his personal assistant, Mia stood frozen, heels barely making a sound on the glossy floor. She hurried after him.
He entered his office and he shed his jacket, tossed it onto the rack. He loosened the tie slightly, then straightened it again. He sat at his sleek, minimalist desk while his assistant eyes remained on him.
He asked quietly, “How many hours is the drive from here?”
She glanced at her tablet. “Approximately two to three hours, sir.”
He nodded once. “Good. Cancel all meetings for today. I’ve got things off my sleeve.”
She swallowed. “Yes, sir.” He continued, his tone soft but lethal: “You’re dismissed.”
Mia remained standing not hearing a word he said after. She devoured him with her eyes. Not a crime, the boss was incredibly good‑looking. But when his gaze met hers, she froze. His brow raised. Calmly, he said: “You’re fired. Get out.”
She faltered. “Sir, please…” He dialed his office security. “Why did you let a stray dog in here? You’re fired”
He hung up. He stared at her with a scowl plastered on his face.
She trembled and scrambled out before becoming his scape goat. Well she is already.
His eyes went back to his computer. Fingers hovered over the keyboard and he began typing. His jaw clenched. His fist tightened. The city lights outside glowed, but inside him burned a storm.
**
Ayra’s POV
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A soft, persistent beep echoed in my ears.
My eyelids fluttered open slowly, dragging with them a heavy weight like they hadn’t been used in days.
Everything around me felt muted, like the world had gone underwater. I tried to move, tried to lift my leg, but a stabbing pain shot through my right thigh, sharp and cold like ice slicing through skin.
That’s when my eyes snapped fully open.
Where… was I?
The scent of antiseptic hit me first, then the harsh white lights above me confirmed what I didn’t want to believe, I was in a hospital.
I heard voices. Low murmurs. Familiar ones.
My gaze moved slowly then locked.
Three faces. All staring at me. And some unfamiliar faces.
My father. Marla. Mama Tee.
My stomach twisted at the sight of my father, standing stiffly at the foot of my bed, his face blank but tense. Marla stood beside him, arms crossed, looking irritated, of course. But Mama Tee… her eyes had this concern, the way she was looking at me.
One thing for sure, it wasn’t pity.
A man in white leaned over me, the doctor. His voice came again, soft but firm. “Miss, are you okay?”
I blinked, trying to focus on him. The words sounded far away, like he was speaking through a tunnel. My lips parted but no sound came out. Confusion clouded my mind.
“I… I don’t…”
I tried to sit up, but the moment I moved, pain exploded from my right thigh, burning through my nerves. I gasped, falling back against the pillow, and that’s when everything came flooding in, like someone had yanked the curtains off my memories.
Marla. The stairs. The nail penetrating my skin. School. The bullies. The blood. Mama Tee’s leading me to a hospital. The dark room. No windows. No air.
A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it. And then someone touched me.
I flinched hard.
Their hand pulled away quickly, and my panicked eyes snapped up to meet his my father's. That same cold stare I’d seen a hundred times before. My entire body trembled, and without thinking, I closed my eyes.
Not again. Not here. Not with him around.
“She’s shivering,” I heard Mama Tee whisper.
“She needs space,” the doctor’s voice came sharper now, more authoritative. “Sir, I need you to leave the room. The patient is showing signs of trauma and mental distress. If we want her to recover, you’ll need to step out immediately.”
My father said nothing at first. I peeked through my lashes and saw him run a hand through his hair, jaw tight.
Without a word, he turned and walked out. Marla gave me one last scoff before clicking her tongue and following him.
Silence fell like a heavy blanket.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
The doctor leaned closer, voice softer again.
“Are you feeling better now?”
I nodded, slowly, eyes still fixed on the now-closed door.
“How long… was I asleep?” I asked, my voice hoarse, almost unrecognizable.
The doctor paused, then replied, “You’ve been unconscious for four days. Since Mama Tee rushed you in.”
My eyes widened. Four days?
“I… I have to go to school…”
A loud hiss snapped me out of my panic. “School?!” Mama Tee said, throwing her hands in the air. “Ayra, you almost died. You had no blood left in your body. You were cold… cold like someone who already passed on. And you’re talking about school?!”
Her voice cracked.
Tears filled my eyes again, not from pain… but from the weight of her words. Someone cared. Even if just one person.
The doctor chuckled lightly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” he said gently.
“If you feel any pain, press the red button. The nurse will be in with something to help. Try not to move the leg too much.” He gave Mama Tee a nod. “Excuse me,” he added before walking out with the nurses.
And just like that, it was just me and her.
Mama Tee sat down slowly beside me, holding my hand in hers. Her touch was warm.
“I thought I lost you,” she whispered, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.
I closed my eyes again, tears slipping down both cheeks now.
“I’m still here…” I said softly.
*But for how long?*
I didn’t say the rest aloud.
- Writer
