CORA
When I was pulled into the elevator and found out it was by Reign Fletcher, I could not believe my eyes. How could I? The Fletchers were the wealthiest family in London. His mother, Paige Fletcher was a music legend and it was no secret that she was spoiled silly by her husband who loved her more than anything else in the world.Tiffany Fletcher, Reign's sister was a popular singer who was just like her mother. She was presently on tour and I was one of her die-hard fans.Reign was the different one who was believed to be enigmatic, avoided the media, and rarely granted interviews. There were no scandals about him and even though people knew a lot about the other Fletchers, he was the exception. What were the odds that someone like him would be kind enough to value a life like mine?When he gave me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and I opened my eyes, it was as though I saw the face of an angel sent to me from above. I was awestruck by his kindness and humility.What I was going through in the elevator was unexpected. I never imagined it and that's why for a moment, I lost it and wished for death. My behavior was in stark contrast with Reign's who seemed calm and in control even at such a time.As though the universe was more interested in my negative speeches, I suddenly found myself on the brink of death. But more than anyone, I wanted to live. I was only twenty-one, in my prime, and still had many more years ahead.I looked up at Reign, begging him not to let go of my hand. He was barely standing on his two feet as a larger part of the elevator had broken off. If he hadn't been standing on the edge and hadn't reached out his hand to me when he did, I would have been dead already.My entire body was surrounded by heat as everything below me had gone up in flames. Reign was sweating when I looked up at him and when I looked below, all I could see was fire. That explosion....this was definitely not an accident.I wondered if Reign knew this too. The more I looked at the fire below, the more I believed I wouldn't make it. It didn't seem like help was arriving since that should have happened a while ago.I didn't know why my life was filled with so much misfortune. I was sweating profusely, both because of fear and the heat, and in no time, this began to affect Reign's hold on my arm.My arm began to slip slowly from his grip and left with no choice, I finally accepted the inevitable; There was no way I was going to survive. I had to make peace with it.I looked up at a distressed Reign and smiled before saying, "Thank you for everything, Reign. I will always remember you."As I closed my eyes, ready to accept my death, my life flashed before me.I remembered how my mum died when I was just two and my dad remarried immediately because he wanted me to have a mother to look after me.I remembered all the maltreatment and injustice I suffered at the hands of my stepmom and how my dad always stood up for me, even ready to divorce her back then.I remembered when Avery was born and how she became the apple of everyone's eye. She was the beauty princess with long legs like my dad's while I had my mom's height.I remembered how Avery always looked down on me and put me down because she was the favorite child. My dad didn't have much but he still used everything he had to send her to one of the best modelling schools in Paris so she could become an international supermodel.I remembered how I struggled for a job after finishing law school. I went to a lot of firms but they wouldn't hire me because I didn't have a strong background. I also went to SUN INDUSTRIES to join their legal department but I wasn't allowed and now I was going to die because of their elevator.I remembered when my best friend, Emily told me about a job opportunity in a firm and I was so happy about it. When I got there, however, the only available job was that of a secretary. In my desperation, I took it and for two years, it paid my bills until my stepmom asked me to resign because I was getting married to Lucas.At first, seeing her being so nice to me, I thought it was because I was getting married into a wealthy family, but it turned out that she just wanted to ensure I had nothing to fall back on.I recalled the first time I saw Lucas, how my heart had fluttered, and how shocked I had been that he wanted to marry me.I remembered our first date and how he made me feel special, the public proposal, professing his love for me in front of the media, and stealing my first kiss at the alter.I remembered how he kicked me out of his bedroom so disrespectfully earlier in the day and I gritted my teeth. It was the most painful of all my memories.The sound of a painful groan made me open my eyes and I realized I was being pulled up by Reign. The pain in my arm was intense and unbearable but I knew he was in even more pain.However, he did not stop pulling me up with only one hand until I was right in front of him."Quickly hug me," he instructed.He let go of my arm and quickly caught my waist with the same arm while I threw myself at him, hugging his body tightly so I wouldn't fall off.He was breathing very hard and I knew he must have exerted a lot of energy. Everything suddenly felt like a dream. Was I still alive?I looked up at him and saw that he was still holding onto the elevator with his other hand. How could a man like him, go to such an extent to save me?He looked down and our eyes met again, drilling into each other's. He did not look away but I did. I buried my face in his chest and closed my eyes. His scent filled my nose and for the first time, I could swear my body secreted pheromones.It didn't change the fact that I was in a lot of pain in many other parts of my body. My vision soon became blurry and a nagging fear began to eat me up; if I lost consciousness again, this time I would certainly die.However, the elevator doors swung open at this point and a renewed sense of joy and hope filled me up. I looked up at him with tears brewing in my eyes and a smile on my face.I could hear the expressions of surprise from those on the other side but our gazes remained fixed on each other until, he said, "We made it, Cora."CORAAs we were rescued out of the elevator, Reign requested a stretcher for me. At this point, Lucas' men in black suit who had been chasing me, all rushed towards me, wanting to take me away even in my condition.Reign lost it and punched the first man who touched me. He landed on his back and lost consciousness. All the other men moved back, shocked by his action.I turned and stared at him, surprised at how strong he was. A small crowd had already gathered and they were all staring in surprise. Reign looked disheveled and his shirt was soaked with sweat, completely different from how he looked when I first saw him.I was so weak that I could barely move my body. I could not understand how he could still act as though nothing happened to him. Right before I was wheeled into the van, I mumbled a 'thank you,' to him and he smiled.I didn't know if I would ever see him again and the chances of our paths crossing again were almost zero. I sadly closed my eyes and waited for the van to m
Paige Summers busied herself as she moved about, trying to ensure that all the guests were well cared for.She had been working since morning to make sure everything was perfect. It was the eighth-anniversary party of her father and stepmother. She wanted to be anywhere but there, but her father had warned that if she did not stay behind to take care of his guests, there would be dire consequences. As she moved around, serving the guests, they kept calling her here and there, and some even mistook her for the maid of the house. When she thought it was finally time for her to rest, her stepsister, Candy came out dressed in a beautiful, red, Valentino gown. One would think that it was her anniversary party judging by how much time she took to doll herself up.Once Candy was out, Paige began to hear different voices saying, "Wow! She looks like an angel!" "She's the daughter of Mr. Summers." "I heard she's a singer; one of the spark girls." "Have you seen her gown? it's from a top
Zachary Fletcher stepped out of his palatial villa which was a stunning testament to his success and refined taste. Nestled in a picturesque location; Zach Estate, Mayfair was one of the most luxurious estates in London. His domestic staff lavished Zach with greetings but he merely nodded curtly and approached his Bugatti without noticing that his housekeeper and chef were staring at him longingly through the windows. His chauffeur, Tony, quickly ran and opened the back of his car, and after Zach sat down, Tony got into the front and began driving to Zachary Fletcher Conglomerate. On his way to the company, Zach made a phone call to his assistant, Luke, and asked, "Are you at the office?""Yes, sir," Luke replied."Good," Zach said and hung up.The moment he stepped out of his car, he began to make his way into the iconic skyscraper building. The CEO's personal office was on the highest floor. It was the only office on that floor and the most spacious in the building; offering pano
"I'm sorry to trouble you, sir," Paige said. "Please, I want to ask for a favor.""What is it?" Zach asked."I will like to see you, please." She replied.Zach stared at all the men who were sitting in front of him and said, "Okay, I'll be right there."Getting up, he continued, "I think we've pretty much said everything that needed to be said at this meeting. I approve of your findings and now, I need implementation and results. Excuse me."After leaving the meeting room, Zach said to Luke, "Let's go back to the hospital."His assistant was surprised; Zach wasn't acting like himself. No one knew why he was being so kind and accommodating towards this girl. When they arrived at the hospital, he went in to see her. The moment Zach entered the room, Paige jumped off the bed in surprise and stared at him as her hands began to tremble. She instantly recognized him and who wouldn't? He was one of the wealthiest men in London and everyone said he was very ruthless. How could it be that th
Paige sang for Zachary while he stood in awe, mesmerized by her performance. As she sang, she became so immersed that she closed her eyes and continued to pour her heart out. Zachary walked over to the bed, sat down, and kept his gaze fixed on her. When she finished singing, he exclaimed, "Wow! That was phenomenal.""Thank you, sir," Paige replied with a smile."I'm curious, how did you become such a talented singer? Don't worry, you can share it with me," he added, noticing her hesitation.Paige sighed and began her story, "Well, my mom was a gifted singer too. When she was young, her dream was to become a pop artist and her voice was perfect. However, her father, who was a billionaire, wanted her to take over the family business instead since she was his only child. She had to make a difficult choice between her passion and her responsibilities. Eventually, she took over my grandfather's company: Blanco Industries, but she never gave up singing. She recorded songs for herself but
For Paige, everything seemed to be happening so fast. Just this morning, she was being called a thief and kicked out of her house. And now, she was going to be performing on a show tonight. She pinched herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming, and Jessica, who was staring at her, smiled, "Come on, let's go change your wardrobe.""Thank you very much, Sir," Paige said, wiping the joyous tears which had formed in her eyes."Don't worry about that. Just get ready to perform." Zach said.As Paige walked out, Zach stared at her, recalling his old days. His story seemed similar to hers as he had also been given a chance by someone he never expected. While they went shopping, Jessica asked Paige, "Are you related to Mr. Zach? I mean, he did say you're someone who belonged to him."Paige didn't know Jessica's relationship with Zach, so she didn't want to speak too much. She only said, "He's just helping me.""Come on, Mr. Zach doesn't help people just like that. I mean, everyone knows who he i
Paige stared at the people in the audience, observing the different expressions on their faces. Some felt pity for her, some laughed at her, while others booed and gestured with their thumbs down. As tears streamed down her face, the other girls continued to sing, and no one waited for her. After Candy; the fourth person, finished singing, the first girl resumed. Paige's microphone had already been rolled away from where she stood. Unable to bear the shame any longer, she turned around and ran away from the stage. Candy smiled, feeling victorious, and said inwardly, "Now let me see how you will be among the top two."Paige did not stop running until she reached outside. Fearing that people might notice her and start pointing fingers at her, she searched for a quiet and hidden spot, finding solace leaning on a pillar. She covered her face with her hands and continued to cry, recalling how she had assured Mr. Zachary that she would not fail him. She felt even more disappointed in he
Seeing that Paige was still crying, Zachary dipped his hand into his pocket, took out his handkerchief, and offered it to her. She stared at his hand, hesitating to take it from him, but he said, "Go ahead, take it.""Thank you, sir," she replied as she accepted the handkerchief and wiped her tears.When she was done wiping, Zach said, "If you break down so easily, how can you get to the top? How can you become a star if it's so easy to turn you into a crying vegetable? And what's up with your dress?""Well, I... I think someone cut off the rope," Paige sniffled."It's your fault," Zachary said, "it's no one else's fault but yours."Paige was surprised; she could not understand how it was her fault that someone plotted against her.Zachary saw the look on her face and knew that she did not understand his words, so he began to explain. "You should know that people try to one-up each other at events like this. That's how the world of showbiz is. So you should always be prepared. I look