After a mysterious pregnancy, nineteen years old Leona found herself entangled with a web of ruthless criminals and the boss Lando, had his hawk-like eyes set on her. Totally abandoned by her family, she ran to hide under the wings of a billionaire after her escape from Lando. With an unknown connection between the two men, Leona had to fight for her freedom and uncover the father of her son.
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👩🎓LEONA 👩🎓
"And our Valedictorian for this year 2019 goes to.." the emcee paused as he smiled mockingly at us.
He has us, especially me right where he wanted. In between his tight gripping suspense.
My heart hammered furiously against my ribcage as I exchanged looks with my best friend. She smiled nervously at me then her gaze goes back to the man at the podium who in no time will be declaring the hero of this year.
It's the best student award. Valedictory, to be precise. At the end of the day, a student with the highest rank of the entire graduating class will leave here with a price and bragging rights.
Rhoda and I are anxious because we happen to just be one of the nerds who worked hard just to acquire the title.
For all the things, I need it mostly for the money and the juicy offer that comes with it but for my friend, she seems to have the silver spoon already glistening in her mouth so surely, it's for the bragging rights. Whatever reason we both have, it's certainly going to make us happy.
Clearly, It was the day of graduation, and I'm just excited as everyone here. After years of schooling, I can finally say bye to college.
Though I have come out with a first-class degree, my family and I will be done a great favor if my name should be called as it's going to open many possibilities for us. It will go a long way.
For someone who comes from a lower-class family, I surely need this greatly. After I lost my mom, my dad remarried and had three more children who are all girls with Tasha.
I'm Leona Grande the second child and the only daughter my mom gave birth to before passing on. My dad got remarried to Tasha and they had three kids, all girls. I have a brother, Raymond who has made it out of high school only.
My dad is a fashion designer who manages a small shop which wasn't doing too well as my education ate deep into it.
Having a jobless stepmom made it worse because the burden was on dad alone which as a result, my step-siblings had to drop out of middle school.
As if that wasn't enough, my stepmom, Tasha was quite a headache and her three girls are also something else. Especially the eldest who's called Elsie.
Now here's the deal, I have to shoulder my family's financial burdens once I am out of college since the family's greater wealth got invested into my education. It's now time to pay back every single dime and more.
I'd have to get a good job, send my siblings back to school, and take care of the family. This is why this award is very important to me because it comes with a job and a fixed salary. Which means I won't have to go searching for a job once I'm done. I've worked and sacrificed a lot for four years and almost all my life.
Only if my elder brother had agreed to this but he hates to be controlled. Not that I like it but I was my dad's only option.
At the early stage of sixteen, I was out of high school and now at the age of twenty, I made it out of college. My life was simple yet intense.
I was really serious with my books, they had me indoors most of the time. I earned the nerd title very easily way back in high school only that I didn't put on huge glasses.
I wanted to keep a low profile but my grades kept me popular.
Since my dad didn't make me work part-time, I had to really make it worth it. Friends will be a distraction so I entertained none until I met Rhoda at NYU.
Being the daughter of a wealthy family, I was shocked that she chose to befriend a church mouse like me.
I was not the normal teenage girl who chats and gossip about boys goes to parties and has sex. I lived my life differently, mentally, psychologically, physically, and emotionally.
My red platinum hair was overgrown because I had no time to attend to it and even if I had the time, there was no money for that. The length of my hair is almost below my butt anytime I lose it. Other than that, it was always wrapped on my head.
I had no time to apply makeup or wear beautiful clothes. I was always cladded in faded denim trousers and hoodies.
Well, let's say all the few clothes I have are all faded out of excess use. It didn't bother me because I had nowhere to go or someone to impress.
I'm under the no-boyfriend policy and my dad always makes sure that I wasn't seen around the opposite sex even now that I am 20. He's very protective over me.
Being a future breadwinner or should I say, caretaker or heir? Whichever way, it wasn't an easy task.
The way I lived my life should make it difficult for us to get along but Rhoda and I clicked perfectly.
I looked around and admired the beautiful academic gowns we were wearing.
I can't wait to throw my cap out into the air with Rhoda. We have...
"As you are all aware, the student with the highest grades in all the subjects is the one considered as a Valedictorian and that is none other but our very own miss Leona Grande. She deserves.."
My heart leaped into the pit of my stomach just hearing my name. I can't breathe. I tried to process what I heard. But my heart was beating loudly and the noise from the students was also loud. I can't tell which one is louder.
I fan my face with my hand.
The whole graduate cheered and chanted my name wildly. I was overwhelmed. Now if I didn't hear the emcee correctly, the chanting of my mates cleared the doubts.
Rhoda's smile and the crushing of her body against mine as she screamed congratulations registered it in my mind.
My eyes darted to the gold medal and the sight teared me up.
Oh my God! I made it! I made it! I made it! I chanted in my head.
The cheering was so loud that I can imagine my father doing a victory dance back home, my stepmom's relief smile, her children's happy faces, and my brother's proud smile.
I jumped up happily and muttered a YES! Meanwhile, I couldn't stop my tears.
With this award, I don't need to go searching for work because the government is gonna employ me instantly.
"Kindly come forward miss Grande." The emcee called.
I glance at Rhoda as if to ask for permission. She urged me on by pushing me off towards the podium. I take in deep breaths before beginning to walk towards the big stage but suddenly, everything began to spin around me and I felt oddly dizzy.
I tried to keep my eyes open as I walk and even though it was difficult, I somehow managed to get closer to the stage.
Finally, up there, I didn't know what happened and everything suddenly went blank. I felt my knees go weak beneath me and slowly let loose.
The gasps of my lectures and my colleagues were the last thing I heard as I succumb to the pain from my fall and eventually darkness.
After Amelia's arranged marriage, she single handedly tried to make it work but all her efforts were thrown out of the window by her husband whose behavior got worse by the day. Little did he know that he was throwing her into the arms of another man. When he finally decided to accept her, Amelia was also stuck between keeping her Vows or breaking them all to pieces. But when deadly secrets from her family and about her husband began to slap her from every angle, even FOR BETTER OR WORSE might not be capable of holding her chivalry for long. And with the identity of her new lover out to the open, will the SINFUL MATRIMONY end or thrive?
Kiara Collins has a curse. A curse that goes by the name of clumsiness. Despite being confident and bold, she tumbles over anything and everything; whether it's furniture or air, Kiara is almost positive that no one can beat her when it comes to her eternal embarrassment of being a klutz. So, when her so-called 'curse' causes her to trip onto Connor Blake, the academy's richest student, and end up locking lips with him, Kiara is absolutely mortified and is sure that the rest of her life will end up with her digging herself into a hole and never coming out. After all, a boy like him is sure to take every chance he can get to embarrass her over the incident, right? Wrong. Instead of doing what most people would do, Connor decides to befriend the clumsy yet confident girl. And somewhere along the way, he realizes that maybe a kiss with her won't be so bad. •-•-•
Warning: Mature contents 🔞 Tracy Lyn-Tyler is a beautiful model who is struggling for fame but the little opportunity that comes by only get snatched by fellow models who would do anything to prove that she's incapable of being a model to belittle her. It came out as a shock when Jake Langford, the famous billionaire celebrity specifically recruited her to feature in his video which was by popular demand. The ticket to fame is finally here but Tracy is reluctant to take the golden offer. She eventually agrees only for her past which she was hiding from the world to exhume, putting Jake's years of sweat at stake. Jake's BFF who didn't like the affection Jake gave Tracy in the first place vowed to bring hell to her, using the effect of Tracy's past as an excuse to cover her devious motive. Will Jake sit and watch Tracy suffer because of what she caused him or come through for her?
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."