Billionaire Redemption

Chapter 6

Ayra’s POV

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It had been two days since I woke up in that hospital bed, and not once did my father or Marla show up again.

Not a call. Not a visit. Nothing.

Was I surprised? No. Happy? I don’t know. Hurt? A little more than I wanted to admit.

The discharge papers came that morning, and the nurse helped me get dressed slowly. My leg still ached with every little move, and the bandage wrapped around my thigh felt tight but better than before. The infection was being managed, they said. It would still take time to heal fully, but I was stable.

Mama Tee was the one who came to pick me up.

She brought along a wooden walking stick with tiny carvings on the sides. “I bought this for you,” she said, handing it over gently. “It’ll help with balance till that leg gets stronger again.”

I stared at the stick like it was made of gold. I’d never been given anything with so much thought behind it. I blinked back a tear and took it with a small nod.

“Thank you.”

The ride home was quiet, the only sound being the faint music of an unknown musician playing on her car radio. When we reached the house, I felt my stomach twist with anxiety.

What if they were home?

What if I walked in and it all started again?

But to my luck or maybe God's grace, the house was empty.

“Listen to me,” Mama Tee said firmly, her voice low but serious. “If they ever try anything again, anything at all, you run straight to me. You hear? You have a place with me. Always.”

I nodded, swallowing back emotion. “Thank you, Mama Tee.”

She gave me a final pat on the shoulder and drove off. I stood there, the wooden stick supporting my shaky leg as I opened the front door slowly. Still empty. Quiet. I didn’t waste time.

First thing, I made a pot of noodles and fried some hot dogs, chicken wings, even did French fries. I wasn’t sure when next I’d be free to cook in peace. I packed the foods in small containers and dropped them in my room. Then, I grabbed several sachets of table water, biscuits, and leftover bread. Anything I could carry.

I was preparing for hide and seek or at least another long siege.

Once everything was packed and lined up neatly beside my mattress, I locked the door from the inside and limped to the corner of the room.

There, I took the key and flung it under the bed, far enough that I knew my leg wouldn’t allow me to crawl in and get it anytime soon.

Safe.

At least for now.

I let out a huge yawn as I dropped onto my bed. I pulled out the one thing that made this moment feel surreal, my phone.

Yeah, My phone.

Mama Tee had handed it to me a day before, saying I’d need it more than I thought.

I’d never owned a phone before.

Never even touched one for more than a few seconds.

But somehow… my fingers knew what to do. Like I’d watched enough people use one to know the rhythm.

I downloaded w******p. Stargram. Google Classroom. Canva. PDF readers. Some prep apps recommended in school. Anything I’d need to survive final year.

Then… curiosity took over.

I opened the browser and searched business news.

If I was going to have a future, one beyond this nightmare, I needed to dream bigger. Maybe I could become someone important, someone rich enough to never be trapped again.

And that’s when the name caught my eye.

KaelCorp Global.

KaelCorp Pharmaceuticals.

KaelCorp Restaurants.

KaelCorp Fashion Hub.

KaelCorp Logistics.

KaelCorp Skincare.

KaelCorp Media.

KaelCorp Real Estate.

Everywhere I turned, there it was. The same empire. The same name.

My eyes narrowed. Was it all one person?

I tapped on a random article.

“Leon Kael Expands Kaelcorp Fashion Hub Into Paris Market.”

Leon Kael…

Sound like a mystery person.

**

My eyes remained glued to my phone and everything I saw about Leon Kael makes me want to know him more.

Gross huh? Pardon I’m not a slut just admiring. Haha.

But this Kael guy is a global powerhouse. A mystery. A ghost in a thousand industries.

Still, I kept scrolling, eyes wide, absorbing every headline and every photo. Each one told the story of a man who didn’t just build wealth, he owned power.

And suddenly, for the first time in forever… I wondered,

Would someone like him see me?

I closed my eyes, hugging the phone to my chest.

The world was far bigger than this hellhole I’d grown up in.

And I was going to find my way into it. One limp at a time.

Curious about what people think about this so called KaelCorp Global, I scrolled to the comment section of one article and that’s when things got… interesting.

"Leon, I love the food in your restaurant! Everything tastes like it was kissed by angels!"

"Your drugs heal so fast, Leon. I’m sure your touch on me would heal me even faster..."

I blinked at that one, scrunching my nose in disbelief and disgust.

"KaelCorp is the best! Leon Kael for president!"

"I love you, Leon!"

I let out a dry laugh, murmuring under my breath,

“Now who in the world is this Leon Kael guy himself? What does he look like?”

I tapped his name into the search bar and hit enter. What loaded on my screen made my mouth part slightly.

A man..no, not a man. A work of art.

Sharp jawline, steel-blue eyes, skin kissed by the gods, perfect thin lips that looked like they never smiled.

His face held a coldness that demanded respect. The kind of cold that melted hearts and froze souls. Hair black and neat, his build tall and powerful, like someone who didn’t walk into rooms, he owned them.

I was staring at a living, breathing demigod.

*_Leon Kael.

Founder of KaelCorp Global. A self-made billionaire who started with pharmaceuticals and expanded into everything, from tech to automobiles, real estate, media, restaurants, and fashion._*

I scrolled deeper, soaking in every bit of information. Yet for someone so powerful, he was a mystery. No family details. No drama. No interviews. Just success… and a lot of intimidating silence.

“He’s like my knight in shining Armani,” I whispered, a shy smile tugging at my lips.

Then I chuckled and smacked my forehead.

“Girl, he doesn’t even know you exist.”

Still, something about him… it lingered.

I kept reading until a headline caught my eye;

"KaelCorp Global Expanding More. Leon Kael Buys 70 Acres in Phoenicia for Elite Modeling Hub."

My eyes widened as I clicked it.

“Leon Kael isn’t playing around. The tycoon has bought 70 acres of land in the remote town, Phoenicia, New York, with plans to build a top-tier modeling institute under KaelCorp FashionHub. This will serve as the next global face of fashion. Congratulations, Phoenicia residents, you’ve caught the attention of a giant.”

I gasped.

Phoenicia?

That was here. My forgotten little corner of New York. The place people rarely even found on a map.

I checked the date. Six months ago.

My heart skipped.

“They must still be building it…” I murmured. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

Then I scoffed at myself, already knowing the answer.

“How could you know? All you do is go to school, Mama Tee’s shop, and straight back home.”

Still… this was something. This felt like fate knocking on my broken-down door.

I looked at the screen again, heart fluttering with something I hadn’t felt in a long time, hope.

“What if…” I whispered, a grin forming on my face, “what if I become a model under KaelCorp Global?”

My grin widened.

“Wouldn’t that be the perfect breakthrough?”

For the first time in forever… I started to dream.

“For fxck sake, I’d become popular!!” I scream out and God knows how badly I wanna shake my ass and dance like a crazy nobody but my leg….

Aishhh.

“Don’t make me hate you!”

I frown my face as I stare at my right thigh.