Who is Leila?

Beginning of Revenge

Mark stood by his office window, watching the city lights flicker to life as the night deepened. He couldn't shake the feeling that had gnawed at him throughout the interview with Leila Simmons. Everything about her was perfect—too perfect, in fact. Her resume was impeccable, her experience aligned perfectly with Techno's needs, and yet, something felt off. That strange coldness behind her words, the brief flickers of emotion she quickly masked.

He turned away from the window and pressed the button on his desk intercom. "Sarah, can you come in for a moment?"

A few moments later, Sarah, his trusted assistant of nearly a decade, walked in with her usual calm efficiency. "You needed something, Mr. Donovan?"

"Yes, Sarah," Mark said, pausing for a moment to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to seem overly paranoid, but he trusted his instincts. "I need you to do a background check on Leila Simmons. Thorough. Every detail. See if you can find anything... unusual."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, surprised by the request but knowing better than to question him directly. "Of course, Mr. Donovan. I'll make it discreet."

"Good," Mark said, turning back to face the city. "Something about her just doesn't sit right with me. Let me know as soon as you find anything."

"Will do," Sarah replied, already making notes. She left the office quietly, leaving Mark alone with his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Leila Simmons walked out of Techno's towering building, her heels clicking against the pavement. The cool night air brushed against her skin, but she barely felt it. She was still savoring the moment, the look on Mark Donovan's face as he tried to decipher her. It amused her how easily she could play the part, how quickly she had gotten under his skin.

As she reached the street, Leila paused and turned around, her blue eyes narrowing as she gazed up at the gleaming glass façade of Techno. The building stood tall and proud, a symbol of wealth and power. But for Leila, it was something else entirely. It was a monument to betrayal, a reminder of everything she had lost.

Her fingers brushed lightly against her shoulder, where the faint outline of an old burn mark marred her otherwise flawless skin. The burn had healed long ago, but the pain? That had never gone away. She could still remember the fire—the heat, the smoke, the chaos.

It had been years ago, but the memory remained vivid. The building, once owned by a tech company before it became Techno, had caught fire under mysterious circumstances. She had been there, a child at the time, hiding with her father as the flames consumed everything around them. Her father had tried to shield her, to save her, but there was no escaping the inferno.

She remembered the screams, the suffocating smoke, and the sight of her father, his arms wrapped around her as he tried to carry her out. But they hadn't made it. Not both of them. She had barely survived, her body scarred, and her father... he was gone, consumed by the flames.

Her gaze hardened as she stared at the building. Techno had risen from the ashes of that fire, and Mark Donovan had inherited the empire built on her family's ruin. She had waited for this moment, biding her time, perfecting her skills, and now, she was finally inside.

Leila's lips curled into a smirk, her eyes gleaming with cold determination. The revenge she had dreamed of for years was now within her grasp.

"The revenge starts now," she whispered, her voice barely audible against the hum of the city.

She turned and walked away, disappearing into the night, her heart burning with the same fire that had once scarred her skin.

And soon, she would burn everything Mark Donovan held dear.