Ten million

Control your emotions doesn't mean we have to avoid your emotions. In the process of controlling emotions, people get consumed by them and that is what happened with Leah. She was grieving with guilt for the one mistake which was putting her family life at stake.

But when Leena appeared looking for her, a sense of security loomed in her. She was fretting out of pain since morning with the one phone call from that person. But right now she is not scared when she saw her friend. Leena has appeared like a star in her darker situation.

"I am sorry for yelling at you," Leah whispered. Her guilt blew up when she reflected on her thoughts. She had blasted at Leena for looking secretly into the phone when she was only trying to help her.

"Of course you should be sorry. You criticized your friend when she was making an effort to help you." Leena patted her back trying to ease her thoughts and bring back the cheerful girl. She didn't bother with her earlier scoldings. Anyone would have behaved worst in a helpless situation and combined with Leah's baffled mood, it was no wonder she blazed out on Leena.

"Leave all that now. I am totally out of the depth of your problem. Care to explain what exactly transpired?" Leena asked with intense, releasing her from the hug.

"Let's sit and talk." Her energy was drained with all the crying and it would take some time to make Leena understand her problem. Guiding her to the nearby bench, she showed the message after they got settled there.

Looking at the message, Leena read the full content of the message now.

"Tonight! 1 P.M. Come to my house along with the 10 million I asked for. Otherwise, I will expose everything."

"Are you nuts! 10 million dollars, you are giving it to someone for free! Do you know the worth of 10 million." Leena exclaimed.

"My circumstances urged. Even if it was twenty million, I wouldn't have hesitated." Looking down in shame, Leah confessed. Twenty million was not a small amount. She has to use all her savings and the wedding gift she got from her mom.

"Twenty million? I could buy dresses for years with that money." Leena felt bad thinking about it without knowing what nonsense she has blurted out in the situation.

Someone hiding in the shadows was dumbfounded at Leena's sudden revelation. Did she think about her clothes even when they are in the heated discussion?

"Are you talking about dresses in the dire situation?" Leah implored.

"I am so sorry. I was just hogged away by the amount of money. Who is this person blackmailing you?" Leena thrived serious about the situation.

"Bernard Gibbs." Leah exhaled a loud sigh. "He is my ex-boyfriend. I broke up with him five years back. But still, he is threatening with_"

"Is that your intimate images or videos?" Hesitantly, Leena asked. She has read many cases, in fact, she comes across them every day.

"No!" Leah immediately answered thinking that Leena has misunderstood. "I never went far with him."

"Then what is that he is threatening you with?" Leena asked. Leha never said she had an ex. From the day they have become friends, she has seen Leah was devoted to Austin. Now, who is this intruder?

"Five years back I met Bernard when I went to Starbucks with a friend. He works as an architect in MNC. He comes from a poor family but he worked hard to stand in his company. Although his status did not match our family, I liked his considering and tending nature towards me. I was in love with Austin since high school. But that bastard was dating random women. To make him jealous, I accepted Bernard's proposal. But, after over a month of our relationship, he began asking about dad's business, his partnering companies. Initially, I have confessed everything thinking that he was no threat. Slowly, he started showing his true colors."

"He began asking about my shares in the company. When I started ignoring, he tri_ed to, actually." Leah stammered with her words. She didn't know how to explain that she was almost got assaulted. If not for Austin, she would be molested by Bernard on that day.

"It's ok. Leah. You don't need to." Leena consoled squeezing her hand gently.

"So, he has all the information about Lewis industries now?" She asked. Leena knew what kind of strategies he would have pulled to get a hand on Lewis company. There are only options she could come up with. But how did uncle Mark doesn't know about it?

"It's not only dad's. Even Austin's company secrets he is holding now. I have no idea how he gathered. But if he sells it to the other companies, we will go bankrupt." Leah whined hugging her knees. She is putting everyone's life at stake because of that scum.

"He has hidden all the secrets on his computer and for safer side, he has made hard copies with it. Five years back, he blackmailed five million to start his new company. I tried to hire a professional to hack his computer. But I didn't know, he was following my every move tracking my phone calls. Luckily, he did not expose that time because he was in need of money."

"Now his company is not doing well and he wants ten million dollars to save from the loan sharkers. He has got all the inside information about Austin's transactions. Someone inside Austin's company is helping him. I only came to know about it today. If I warn Austin now, Bernard would surely expose everything."

"Even if you give ten million, he would still trade the information now," Leena said.

Taking her confused look, Leena explained.

"He is setting a trap, Leah. What do you think will happen if that scum makes a deal with Austin's competitors? They would be waiting like sharks to drag him down and they don't hesitate about the little money he would ask. With your money alone, he can not save his bankrupt company. By offering a pact to Austin's competitors, he will. As for you, he is just taking revenge for what happened in the past."

"How to stop him, Leena. I am scared. I don't want Austin to suffer because of me."After Leena revealed Bernard's inner thoughts, the little hope she had to survive has vanished into dust.

"Don't worry. I got your back. I will deal with the system information." Leena reassured. It's a piece of cake for her, for she has threatened the world once.

"But to get the hard copy, we have to enter into his house. I need your help with that."

"I will make a call right now and tell him that I could not adjust the full money."

"Precisely." She pressed.

"Convince him that you would come tomorrow with full money. He would not listen. He will think it's a trap again. But that's your responsibility to convince him."

"Leave that to me," Leah ensured.

"We will buy the time until we destroy the evidence on his computer. Then we attack him. Even if we go after that scum tomorrow for the hard copy, he would pretend to fight but he will lower his guards thinking that he still has a copy of them on his computer which we will be erasing today."

"How do you know to erase." Confused, Leah asked.

"I do magic." Leena winked.

"Leave that to me. How is the plan?" Leena asked proudly. Of course, it is one of your most brilliant plans Leena. She shamelessly patted herself again.

"I have no words. You are genius dar_"

"The worst plan I have ever listened to." A voice like a raising storm echoed into their ears startling them.

Watching the person emerging out of the shadows, both shuddered in fear. Holding each other hands for their lives, they comforted trying to calm down. Despite the cool weather, both started sweating endlessly.

"He must have listened to everything Leah." Leena cried.

"We are done, Leena," Leah whispered.

Stupid idiot. He has a habit of eavesdropping also. Leena wished to strangle him until he cannot get up till tomorrow.