"I'm rather competent," I seemed to be caught up in a fantasy world of my own. I didn't realize what I had said until it was too late. I would love to see it." He said "Competent..." and let out a deep chuckle. "Check her document and revise them." I peered at the angle that which the word came. His gut twisted as raw emotions crossed my face to his glare. Innocent Leslie is terminally ill, she knows she will die soon, she decided to work and earn money for her family at the same time she wants to experience romantic love with her boss. Xander Blake is her boss, cold and heartless, he picked interest in Leslie. She is the man she had wished to be with. What will happen when they both find each other's true nature? Can Xander handle the light? Can Leslie handle his kind of hell? *Warning: Mature content. Enter at your own risk.*
Chapter one
It all started when I saw his face on the news. I realized a small feeling developed. They say people are greedy. There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed... And I am one of them. I become impatient and additive to his beauty. I want this person to be mine. I am talking to Xander Blake, a son of the well known Blake family.
But to be with him is like touching a star. It's almost impossible.
His house is rich while my mum and I are struggling every single day.
My father died when I was five, the reason our life has become miserable. My mum did a great job of taking care of me as a single mother. Her heart is still bloody and raw from his demise. I had a relationship with him. I must be honest, I miss my dad.
I know all the basic information about him, everything, even the name of his current girlfriend.
I heaved a sigh, an imaginary heart consuming me, leaving me in goosebumps.
"Don't Leslie," I mumbled to myself.
Even though we have nothing in common, he lives a porch life, signed several modelling contracts, and manages the largest business that's expanding. I'd say this is his fifteenth-time award since this year. I've dedicated a lot of time to check him out. My crush on him is super immense to blurt.
It could be traced back to when I met him at a concert that was held in the lobby. He was dressed in a suit, of course, a black suit that suits his oval face and that described his cold personality. I would say? I was turning eighteen that month. He came with the bands that performed. I realized he wanted to be an artist instead of modelling.
But years later my feelings for him naturally diminished over the years because I had this inferiority complex. Plus the things his mother always looked down on us, especially my mother, she doesn't know how to acknowledge her employees' efforts.
So Arrogant!
However, today is going to be a big turnout for me and everyone. As I set foot in the Blake company. Dreams do come true. After hundreds of applications, I'm being sarcastic. It's the fourth, and it turns out it's not only capable of achieving my dreams but connecting and bridging the different worlds.
Imagine being overwhelmed with joy, and nervous as I stepped out of the zebra printed cab, rushed through the entrance, and dashed through the open doors, my arms were loaded with files, and it was not possible to do the right-hand etiquette. It probably wasn't the right thing to rush, since everyone was at odds, which could make for an awkward elevator ride. My arms ached and I didn't want to wait, time was one of my weaknesses at the moment.
The elevator door glides shut slowly as ever but the people who worked at Coastal company weren't the type to rush.
"What floor?" The man on my right asked.
I shifted my burden and managed to slip the files inside my bag. "Fourth. Thanks."
Almost everyone seems to be there upon the email received last week. I took the company's annual interview. First time in the last four years of my simultaneous application, I was finally eligible for the screening. I let out a deep breath, calming my impulses.
You've got this.
My eyes land on posters with positive messages regarding this year's general secretary selection hanging on the walls. I prayed intrinsically to be selected. It's my biggest dream. I was hoping to be selected because costs of living are becoming high and we have pending bills to pay. My mum originally wanted me to work at the embassy. My mother, Diana, will soon retire, without insurance. I mean, what are we going to survive on? I've never been this obsessed with a job.
I sat with my colleagues in the queue waiting for the interview department as they gave points down to your dress code, regardless of whether it was a designer. I felt left out, although my bachelor's degree was from a public university, not competent enough for this high ranked industry, that's my mother's sweat and I'm proud of it. Only if I were given a chance to defend myself would I prove how resilient I am. It was in international relations I had my bachelor's degree. I saw people more desperate than me. Some entered with a powerful aura but came out down spirited, and vice versa. It is my turn. Now my heart wants to jump like a kangaroo.
To my greatest surprise, as I entered for the interview, my eyes met those of the vivacious young aIn-person-person he was twenty-seven seven. I guessed. His eyes separated in-game with a cold aura, Like, what the fuck? I've read every single detail about him, and it doesn't seem to be his department. "What is he doing here?" I questioned. I tried not to look at him, but his seductive eyes tempted my temperature to rise.
"Miss Leslie?" I heard my name faintly on the horizon. I stood in 'awe' observing all the faces and I was like, must everybody here be this incredibly attractive?. I received a benign smile.
"Yes." I sounded polite. All the emotions running through my mind, the one that hurts the most, knew that everyone outside the hell has written me off as a goner. It warred within me.
"It shows in your CV that you are neither from Harvard university nor Stanford university." They eyed me. I wondered how the school mattered to them this much. Mirabelle had told me of their hideous expectations. To wake up from my slumber I have to be strong
"But I passed the initial screening, sir." I tried to back up the terrified me. I pointed to the poster that displayed 'any institution' boldly, trying to rectify their statement. A shiver shot down my spine, and cold sweat trickled down my temple, but my head remained tilted. I desperately need this job.
Looking up, Xander's handsome face stretched in surprise. He gave a sound somewhere between a snort and a scoff. He just looked while his subordinates questioned me.
"Well, we're telling you, you're not qualified."
My heart breaks in my chest. I touched it with my shaking hands, eyes darted around the room, looking for help when I heard that. "I thought I regarded your company as a premium because you don't classify, but employ on merit," I said,
"Believe me, I'd remember a great deal if they had included it in the 'CRITERIA, sir." I retorted, not fearing their decisions. I was dim-witted at home afterwards, distressed and my heart blackened.
Xander didn't even utter a word; he sat and observed the flow. I'd imagined him to be all way talkative, like his mother. Hey, a gentleman. I've been dying to meet him in person, now that I have I can even look him in the eye, but I bet I'm being succinctly scanned by him.
There was only one thing in my brain. 'Does this mean this is how he looks at everyone? I mean, this is intimidating.
"Didn't you hear what they said?" Ian raised his eye curiously. I would have expected this side of me to meet.
I got the courage to reply to him. "I want you to tell me why your company has such poor management, Mr CEO."
" I don't need to be coached or reminded." He said."You're impressive Leslie Dawson." He added a slugger, showing off two rows of perfectly straight teeth and sparkling eyes like daisies. His dentist must be perfect, I thought to myself.
I'm rather competent, sir." I seemed to be caught up in a fantasy world of my own. I didn't realize what I had said until it was too late.
"I love to see." He said. "Competent..." he let out.
"Check her documents and revise them." I peered at the angle that which the word came. His gut twisted as raw emotions crossed my face to his glare.
He said, using his sexy voice like he was on screen doing his normal presentation. Walking out of the room with his half-buttoned white satin shirt. He's known for his rudeness and his keen habit of having the final say. Everyone was amused, including me, but I felt a lot relieved. Hindsight told me that this is not a good omen. That's how my interview went.
"You've got an email but I can't check it, it's for you,". She dragged me from inside the blanket to my PC.
"What is it about?" I asked. A squeak escaped my throat and I felt like I was going to pass out as my heart raced. "Tell me!"
Mistreated by her pack, Emerson was saved by a tyrant of the New Orleans pack as she mistakenly mind-linked with him. She lost her position in her pack and was demoted to an omega. She called Loworth Ryker her mate with her divine cat eyes- ruled out as a curse. She knows little or nothing about the dark side of Alpha Ryker, he is not a saint but her mate. The first time she doubts herself out of her prejudice. Emerson is lost in her situation in New Orleans trying to adapt while her childhood trauma seeped in.
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?