As Grandpa’s health began to recover, Kiera found herself in a new routine after getting discharged herself.Each day, she would arrive at the hospital, in sync with the slow ticks of the clock on the wall, for the precious fifteen minutes allowed for visits making sure she utilized it completely.Each day those fifteen minutes felt short yet long whenever she was with him.At other times, Jace would accompany her, their combined presence bringing a sense of tranquillity to the sterile hospital room.It did not take long for Kiera to notice the increasing joy on her grandfather’s face whenever Jace came with her. Surprisingly, he and Grandpa seemed to share a camaraderie far deeper than Kiera had anticipated.They conversed with an ease that transcended their age difference.Their shared laughs and thoughtful silences painted the image of old friends rather than businessmen who once knew each other.Her suspicions began to grow with every meeting. And watching them together brought a
~Jace's POV~As I stood there, gazing at Kiera under the moonlit sky, her eyes sparkling like they once did and suddenly memories of our first meeting flooded my mind.The image of a young girl, sitting by the pool, delicate hands caressing the floating petals, was etched in my heart forever. She had captured my attention from the very start, her beauty akin to a champagne rose adorned with dewdrops.At that time, I was a teenager at a dinner party hosted by the prestigious Campbell family. It was a grand affair, filled with adults elegantly dressed, their laughter and conversations filling the air with a drone of mundane banter that held little of my interest.I often found myself stranded at these events, a pawn in the adult world of social networking, my presence serving as a bridge for my parents to engage with other like-minded elites.Seeking solace from the clamour, I made my way towards the pool, drawn to its tranquillity. The water was adorned with a kaleidoscope of floating
The morning sunlight streamed through Kiera's bedroom window, bathing everything present and welcoming all to the start of a new day.Amidst the lovely sight, Kiera sat on her bed, her back arched slightly as she widened her hands, a silent yawn escaping her lips."Hmm." She blinked, clearing the sleep from her eyes as she picked up her phone and gazed at the screen.A clear reminder shone back in her face, “Product Launch Day!” as she had set up on her reminder. Without further ado, she rose from her bed and walked into her restroom.The second the dor closed, she turned in the direction of the mirror. Kiera cast a penetrating gaze at her reflection in the mirror and released a determined huff. Leaning forward, she cupped her hands, filling them with cold water from the running tap that shocked her senses into a heightened state of alertness.“Aish!” she voiced, trembling slightly.As the icy liquid made contact with her skin, it seemed to wash away remnants of the grogginess that ha
The words Nicholas had uttered rang out loud in Kiera’s mind over and over again.‘Did she sell their wedding house?’The wedding house was a symbol of their marital bliss, one that Kiera had lovingly prepared, pouring her heart into every corner, every detail, for their life together.A life that lasted only six months.Nicholas had been an elusive presence, barely visiting the house after those months and thereafter he abandoned it completely.Left with nothing, Kiera too left it be.However, thanks to the financial problems the Campbell Group faced due to him pulling away his investment, the house was finally put to some good use.Its prime location had been a saving grace. Thanks to the fair price she put on it for sale, it was quickly sold out and the money it fetched was a godsend.Blinking back, Kiera tried once more to yank her hand free for him but when she noticed he won’t budge, she glared daggers at Nicholas.“Remind me again who put Campbell Group in such a financial cris
~Nicholas’ POV~Watching Kiera leave made my heart hurt but she was determined and there was nothing I can do. Especially having seen the look in her eyes.Once those eyes held adoration and awe for me, but now they were filled with disdain, anger and coldness.I had to admit, my marriage to Kiera did cause me immense pain but things hadn’t always been like that.I knew Kiera back then in our high school. She was a star that shone with unparalleled brilliance during our high school years.Just like pretty much every other guy, I, Nicholas, harboured a secret fascination for her – an unexpressed admiration wrapped delicately in the shroud of adolescent curiosity.Honestly, I couldn’t claim it was love, not then. It was a distant interest, nothing more but before that could build into something else, Cristal entered.The lady who saved my life. We had met under the most extraordinary circumstances - at our graduation ball where an unfortunate blend of over-indulgence and miscalculated s
With the new product site being set up, Kiera strode over to where the host stood close to backstage with a programme of event book in her hand while scanning the content and explaining things to the young lady standing in front of her.“Ah, Ms. Annabel,” Kiera called out, pulling Annabel’s attention from what she was doing.“Oh, Ms. Campbell. How are things on your end?” Annabell inquired. She lifted her head, her eyes settling on Kiera. “Are you ready?”“Everything is fine. You just need to go over the programme of events with me and that would be all,” Annabell informed her.“Alright. Where do we stay while we do this?”“Here is alright.” she looked over her shoulder to the young lady standing close by. “You may leave us now. I will send for you later when I am done,” Annabel informed her.“Yes, madam.”Walking past Kiera, Annabel ordered calmly, “Come.”Together, Annabel and Kiera went through the programme of events making sure Kiera knew and understood how things were arranged.
As Kiera stepped onto the stage, the sea of faces - a medley of media correspondents and eager attendees - met her gaze.It was an intimidating sight, one that could instil fear in even the bravest of hearts but Kiera was different. She drew strength from the encouraging words of Jace and held her own. The pressure was immense, yet she remained steadfast.With a composed demeanour, she began, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here.”The hall fell completely silent. Everyone had their attention and eyes glued to her, not wanting to miss a moment of this glorious event.For Jace, watching Kiera take the big step forward and seize the moment, pride welled up in him like never before. The lady on that stage was none other than his woman.“Today, we unveil a product that embodies the spirit of innovation and hard work. Right behind me, is a slide show of the blueprint of the new product line. I would love your utmost attention as I walk you through it.”Following her words, she pr
A hush fell over the crowd, hanging heavily in the air, as Kiera locked eyes with Cristal.“Say what you want to say in hopes of convincing the audience, Kiera but I know who you are. You are a boyfriend thief,” she instigated accusingly again.Murmuring ensued amongst the crowd. Indeed whatever it was Cristal was planning was definitely yielding the right effect and Kiera did not like it.It was either she shut her up or allow this distrust to build and in turn ruin all her hard work for Campbell Group’s new product launch.At once, Kiera’s gaze turned dark, her eyes narrowing on the blabbermouth running her mouth wrongly."Cristal," she began, her voice carrying an undertone of pity, "I didn't steal your boyfriend back then neither did I threaten him to make his decision. I gave a proposition. I thought you two had broken up already."Cristal bit down on her lower lip. Deep down she knew it was true. Besides, she could not blame anyone for Kiera’s actions considering she left Nichol
The Island was a paradise in the truest sense. Something Kiera did not think she would have the pleasure of enjoying.Each moment spent, every second, minute, hour—was like a lifetime compensation for the pain and sad times she experienced in life, both past and present.By the time they returned to the island, the day was already far gone and Kiera wanted nothing more than a good sleep.At dawn, they walked hand in hand along the shore, their footprints getting washed away by the gentle caress of the waves.White sand beaches stretched along the coastline, contrasting the deep blue of the ocean.During their stay, they discovered a hidden lagoon nestled behind the lush green canopy on the island.Slowly, they made their way towards the place while inspecting their surroundings. Once it felt safe enough, Kiera gasped now being in the centre of nature’s beauty."Oh my goodness," she uttered in disbelief.Every place they had been to was different in its way, stealing her breath away an
Taking her by her words, Jace inserted a finger into her wetness. Kiera threw her head back, a loud moan escaping her mouth as she shut her eyes, welcoming the invading feeling of his finger.“Aah, Jace.” Her body trembled underneath him, feeling his dick poke her stomach.“Yes love?”“Faster, please,” Kiera pleaded while stoking his dick faster.Jace obliged but he ignored his need and tried his best to delay his release just so he could bring Kiera over the edge, making her extremely wet and ready to accept his dick.He was painfully erect and knew she might not be ready.He added a finger back in, keeping up the pace and watched as she bucked against his finger, before lowering his body and adding his mouth to bite and suck on her clit then went back down to lap at her entrance.In no time he felt that familiar feeling of her walls tightening again and knew she was ready to come.Rather than stopping, Jace attacked Kiera with punishing speed till he felt her thrash wildly on the be
The pristine beach stretched for miles, but the sight that captivated Kiera the most was the luxurious white yacht anchored a little distance away.Its majestic form cast a striking silhouette against the orange-hued horizon. Up till that moment, her experience at the beach had been nothing short of a surreal time.And now, staring at the yacht face to face, Kiera could only wonder what Jace had planned for her."You know," Jace uttered, drawing her out of her reverie, his hand finding hers, "when I first bought the island, this yacht was the first thing I got. It was the place where I'd imagined sharing some of our most intimate memories,” he hinted.Curious, Kiera gazed up at him, her sapphire eyes shining as she awaited more explanations. "Why the yacht when you have the entire island?"Jace shrugged, the mischievous glint in his eyes revealing more than his words."There’s something incredibly freeing about being out on the open sea. No land in sight, just the two of us and the va
After spending some time outside, Jace led Kiera back into the house for breakfast.Quickly Kiera excused herself to brush her teeth and get prepared for breakfast.By the time she was done, she met Jace in the kitchen and headed over to assist him in carrying their meal to the dining table.“There you go.” She smiled softly. Her gaze locked with his, sharing a moment before they burst into laughter and took their seats.“I made three different types of eggs. Classic French Omelette, fried eggs with veggies, hotdog, foolproof poached eggs and soft-scrambled eggs.”“Huh…” Kiera counted with her fingers. She looked at him, her confusion slowly morphing into a smile. “I think that’s four different kinds of eggs. That is excluding the boiled eggs of course.”Jace let out a laugh at being caught. “I’m sorry love. I did not know which you would want,” Jace explained.“You should know, anything is cool with me. It’s the thought that counts mostly, Jace.” She swept her gaze across the dishes
Carlos and Iris's engagement party was in full swing, a celebration of love that radiated throughout the room. Glistening champagne flutes clinked, laughter and animated conversations filled the air, and the dance floor beckoned to those who wanted to lose themselves in the music.Kiera had bid Cristal a quiet goodbye, their brief encounter filled with unspoken emotions.She knew that healing was a journey that Cristal needed to embark on alone, and as much as she wished to be a source of solace, Kiera understood that some wounds needed to be tended to in solitude.It was time the latter accepted it and moved on just like Nicholas did.Returning to the party, Kiera scanned the room for Jace, her heart buoyed by the love and happiness that enveloped the guests.The swirl of emotions from her earlier conversation with Cristal still lingered, but Kiera was determined to immerse herself in the joy of the evening.Finally, she spotted Jace engaged in a lively conversation with a business p
After the initial shock, Iris and Carlos's parents began to show their support and love.Unlike her father, Maria could not say she did not suspect something was up between the two of them. Before when they were much younger, they’d spend so much time together, even down to sleeping on the same bed in some days, acting all caring and loving but suddenly that union and closeness stopped.She had believed it was a phase in their life and decided to let them be thinking they had outgrown such because of adolescence.Turns out they were struggling with their feelings for each other instead. She was both proud and happy that Carlos was the one Iris chose.Whether or not they had taken things further and became intimate, she did not know but as protective as she should be as a parent, she found it giddy and cute that they would be intimate with each other.In all, her support was massively sensed and appreciated.It was a heartwarming moment, and the tension that had filled the room dissipa
~Iris’ Family House~Standing hand in hand outside the living room, Carlos and Iris’ hearts pounded with a mix of excitement and trepidation.Ever since that day on the street when they shared their feelings, they had taken their relationship to heart.Iris felt they did not need to spend more time getting to know each other considering they have known each other all their lives and practically lived together.Although Carlos tried to make her understand that living as siblings was much different now that they were seeing each other as romantic couples, Iris dissed it.To her, it was one and the same and she loved him equally. There was no need to wait.And when he proposed to her, she eagerly accepted his proposal. Now, their parent's blessings was all they needed.The warm hues of the setting sun streamed into the living room, casting a golden glow over the room.Iris took a deep breath, her fingers intertwined with Carlos's. "Are you ready for this?" she whispered with a soft smile
By the time Kiera managed to resolve all the issues in the company concerning the new eco-park, she realized how wrong she had been and needed to reach out to Nicholas and tender her promised apology.Walking towards his office from hers, Kiera took in a deep breath, trying her best to keep her head up as she prepared her mind for the whole experience.‘Deep breaths, Kiera. It is going to be alright.’ She assured herself inwardly.With that, she placed her hand on the doorknob and opened it.To her surprise, rather than meeting Nicholas in his office, it was empty and cleared out, leaving nothing of his belongings nor work documents behind save for a white envelope sitting on his desk with her name on it.“You have got to be…”She shut her eyes, unclenching her fists as her mind raced to find the right words to use at that moment.When she couldn’t get the best of it, she closed the gap between her and his desk, picking up the letter.“To Kiera,” she read out before scanning around as
In the grand boardroom of Campbell Group, the atmosphere was charged. Massive windows gave a view of the cityscape while the sleek, wooden table reflected the state-of-the-art design of the room.Ever since Nicholas joined the board meeting, Kiera could not hide the fact that she had always been on edge one way or another.Staring at her intently, Nicholas as well as the other members watched as she kick-started the meeting.As Kiera presented her new eco-park idea, murmurs of approval echoed. She had decided to build an eco-park on the land they acquired last time. The concept was groundbreaking—an immersive experience where customers could witness the entire production process of Campbell's products.Several board members were in sync with the whole idea and saw it as an opportunity to do something greater and better.However, Nicholas remained silent all through and when the murmuring had died down, he leaned back in his chair with a sceptical arch to his brow.“Ahem!”Several head