As the night wore on, the anticipation in the ballroom was noticeable. At this time Kiera felt the need to address the occasion.Leaving Jace’s side, Kiera stepped onto the stage and the hum of conversations gradually quieted.She looked out at the sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces, took a deep breath, and began, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd first like to address—"Suddenly, a brash voice broke through the hushed atmosphere. "Miss Kiera!”Ears perked up at the unfamiliar voice and rude intrusion but the owner did not pay heed as he proceeded with his words, “Care to address some old rumours?"Everyone's attention turned to the back of the room where a tall, lean man with a microphone in his left hand, stood.He was flanked by a camera crew. It was Leon, a notorious gossip reporter known for his intrusive questions and salacious headlines.Ignoring the attention he brought to himself, Leon continued, his voice dripping with feigned sweetness, "Isn't it true that there was a love trian
“Hmm… noo.”The night was quiet, but Kiera was awakened by a sound.“I… oh…someone… who… he…argh…”“What the…” Her brows knitted as she tried to make out what or who was speaking and disturbing their sleep.It took her a moment to realize it was Jace. He was mumbling in his sleep, his face contorted in distress.Her furrowed brows relaxed, replaced by deep worry etched in her eyes and on her face.Sitting up, she tried to make out what he voiced but failed at it. Wrinkled lines formed on her forehead as she leaned in close, trying once more to figure out what exactly was wrong."Jace?" she whispered, concern evident in her voice. “Jace?”Still, no response from him.“Jace?” Left with no choice, Kiera gently shook him, trying to pull him out of whatever nightmare had its grip on him.His brows creased, beads of sweating appearing on his face whilst his body shook slightly.Her eyes widened. The realization that even the strong, unflappable Jace had his own demons to battle was a soberi
Jace’s chest rose and fell as he took in a deep breath. "Kiera, do you remember... when we were kids... the kidnapping?"Her eyes widened, the memory flooding back. "Yes, I remember. Why bring that up all of a sudden?"Jace took a deep breath, the implications of the memory settling in. "That's the nightmare I had. But why now? Why after all these years?"Kiera sat up, her mind working quickly. "There has to be a reason, Jace, but know this... We'll figure it out. Together."Jace's eyes held a glimmer as they teared up just like back in the past. She had always been there for him even though circumstances drove them apart and she fell in love with someone else.But one thing he was sure of, he did not know if she was the one here.If really the Kiera his heart had always longed for since day one was the girl who stayed by his side now and wasn't taken away.His heartbeat sped up at the thought of what could have happened between then and now.He knew how much time passed before their
As the morning sun began to paint the room in soft hues of gold and pink, the two lovers lay tangled in the sheets, spent and content.The emotions of the night, the rawness of Jace's nightmare, and the depth of their connection had brought them closer than ever.Prying his eyes open, Jace was immediately greeted with the beautiful face of his partner. He trailed his fingers down Kiera's spine, feeling her shiver under his touch."I love you," he murmured, the weight of the words evident in his voice. To him, he’d say those words a million times over, if it could best convey their meaning to her and the spot only she held in his life.To his surprise, Kiera opened her eyes, staring into his. "And I, you," she replied, her voice thick with emotion. "Always."They held each other close, finding comfort in their shared warmth.“Got much plans for the day?” Jace inquired after some time. For her, he could push his schedule and just cuddle her in bed all day but he did not wish to be a stu
The subdued hum of electronics and the soft rustle of paper mingled in the air, creating an ambience of purposeful activity.In this controlled environment, all eyes were drawn to the doorway and the figure standing there.Kiera stood, poised and powerful, her presence commanding the very atmosphere around her. Draped in a dark purple formal jumpsuit that clung to her figure in all the right places, she gave off an aura of authority and vision.Silver-strapped heels adorned her feet and as she walked in every step resonated with confidence.Her head turned ever so slightly to the right, and a cascade of hair, bright and luxurious, tumbled over her shoulders like a silken waterfall.The contrast between her dark attire and the faint glow of her skin seemed almost otherworldly. With deliberate steps, Kiera advanced into the room, her presence akin to a shadow slipping through the cracks of light.Cat-like glasses adorned her face, their sleek frames glinting as if touched by moonlight.
Kiera was in her office, engrossed in the latest sales report when her phone buzzed with a new email notification. It was an anonymous sender, but the subject line caught her attention: "The Truth About Peter."Not sparing another second, her fingers worked on her phone to unlock it and open the email.She opened it, finding a file attached. It was a video. Her breathing changed, coming in slow and heavy.Cautiously, Kiera clicked on the video file. It loaded quickly, her brows arching as she stared at the screen, waiting for what was to happen.Just then she saw Peter and a heavily pregnant woman — presumably his wife — walking into a private clinic. The audio was crisp and every word was discernible.Peter's tone was icy, dripping with disdain. "Hurry up! You're always so slow."Kiera’s brows knitted at his time and use of words. He wasn’t blind to see the lady was heavily pregnant and to be taken care of.The lady, clearly exhausted, tried to keep up with him but struggled. "Peter,
The lavish penthouse of Relish Group’s CEO overlooked the sprawling city. The room was filled with expensive art, the walls lined with books, and the air thick with tension.The soft hum of the city below did nothing to soothe the escalating emotions inside.Standing by the window, Nichola’s gaze trailed off into the distance, his mind a white canvas of possibilities and thoughts.The chaos inside him was something that was beginning to ring a bell, of Nos and Yes and Whys.Dressed in cream-coloured trousers and a pair of black collared t-shirts to match, removed his hand from the wall beside the big glass and sluggishly made his way to the living room.He sat on the couch, engrossed in his iPad, scrolling through files sent to him until he paused at one – which had more files and pictures of Kiera in it.Without further ado, Nicholas clicked on it, going through the picture and headlines about what she’s been involved in.From there he found himself on social media, checking every ch
The sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows upon the expansive plot of land that stretched as far as the eye could see. Greenery was sparse, with only a few trees dotted across the landscape, but the presence of small houses indicated life and activity.Having thought of expanding Campbell and taking it to a bigger level, Kiera sought Jace’s help on the matter. She was sure of one thing, to beat Ray, she would put him to good use while also ensuring her power remains.For decades, Campbell Group’s expansion hadn’t been so great. Nevertheless, she planned on proving to the board, not just by words but by actions and results that she was capable of leading the company to its next big future.And when this land was sent to her, with a project in mind, Kiera’s vision shone.***Flashback***In the conference room, the board members all lowered their heads when Jennifer hit the nail on the head.Quizzically, Kiera raised a brow at Ray, waiting to get his response on his thought of her
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