KIRA I love you, Kira Reed!It was all I could think of from our talk this morning. Right after he confessed, Gabriel left. I didn’t know where. He left me confused and agitated. Even the fact that the holidays were coming up in the family didn’t warm me. I knew I couldn’t go back to being the woman he left behind in London. But I also knew it wasn’t my choice to make. It wasn’t. And I needed him to know that. I flinched when my cell phone rang. It was Alana. God, how much I missed her!“Kira, girl, how are you? You haven’t called me since you left here. Are you okay? Rumor has it that the boss came for you? I hope it’s just a rumor... or is it?” I had no choice but to hold an awkward moment of silence that confirmed everything to Alana. “Oh my God! It’s really true!” she exclaimed in shock. “Yes, he came,” I said, exhaling. Another awkward moment of silence. “What the hell is he doing there? Has he come to beg you to come back?” I had so much to tell Alana that I didn’t ev
KIRAAlana’s arrival was the best thing that could have happened to me in this entire ordeal. Now I had to fill her in on everything that was happening. And there was a lot. The ride home was a quiet one. From time to time, Alana was giving me her worried look. But I knew once I walked through the door I had to change this sad face. I didn’t want my mother to know the real reason for my condition. “I hope you can have another guest for Christmas dinner,” Alana said with a wide smile.My brother’s face suddenly brightened. “You know we will.” Mother said and gave her a warm hug. I looked over at my brother who was still looking at me with an odd look in his eye. The smile on his face was gone, replaced by a look of confusion. It was the look that told me he didn’t understand. I didn’t know what to say, and I just shrugged. “Come on, darlings, let’s sit around the table. I guess Alana’s tired. Would you like some hot chocolate?” Mom continued the series of questions.“That’s a w
KIRAMy heart raced as I turned to face him, unsure of what his reaction would be. He looked back at me with a mix of surprise and sorrow, the same emotions that I felt myself. I knew that this was the end of our relationship, and it hurt more than I had expected.The silence between us was deafening, and I wished I could melt away at that moment. I knew I had to face the situation head on, no matter how much I wanted to run away.“Gabriel,” I muttered again. He looked at me with a mixture of confusion and pain, and I couldn’t help but feel my own heart breaking. I knew I had hurt him with my words, and I wished I could take it all back. But I knew it was too late.We both stood there, unable to say anything else. I wanted to apologize and tell him I still cared, but I knew it wouldn’t make a difference. We both realized that this was the end of our relationship, and we both had to accept that.The silence stretched on until he finally broke it.“I think it’s best that I go,” he whisp
KIRA It hurt my heart and my whole body knowing Gabriel had to be part of something like this.“Kira? What happened?” asked Mark trying to pull me away an inch so he could look at me. I could already feel Gabriel’s fierce gaze. “Nothing, just hold me!” I said and jumped back into Mark’s arms. Only this time, Gabriel stepped in. “Who the hell are you?” he screamed. I looked up at him. The man who had just kissed me, who I thought was the love of all of my life, was standing so close I could feel his pain and fury. My eyes fell on his face, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. It was as if he knew I could understand. But I didn’t. “Definitely not the reason she is crying for,” Mark said with a twisted face making a wall around me. Hearing Mark, a wave of anxiety washed over me. Gabriel was quick to anger, and it wasn’t long before his hands were tightening on the collar of Mark’s jacket. Mark looked at me and then looked back at Gabriel. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
GABRIELIt affected me so much to see her in that man’s arms that I felt a mad need to just leave. I got into my car without thinking about the consequences of my actions and drove back to London. Kira must have wondered where I was. But the way she stood up for that idiot really pissed me off. My first stop was John, my lifelong friend. He was a notorious traveler and never stayed too long in one place. If you asked me, he seemed to have a home in every corner of the world. Probably for the holidays he had decided to come to his homeland, and I took advantage of his coming to come and talk to him. As I arrived after midnight, it shocked him to see me on the doorstep.“Gabe? What the hell? What time is it?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.“Man, I’m sorry to barge in like this, but I need to talk to someone.”“Talk… ok… we can talk. Come on in,” he continued yawning.Sleepy as he was, John invited me in. He even made a cup of coffee, hoping he’d be able to wake up more. “You can talk no
KIRADear Kira,I’m sorry for my outburst. I don’t think it was a good idea to come to Hollow Peak, as I don’t fit into your life there. Your family loves you very much and when I said I loved you, I meant it. Maybe it’s better to put some distance between us. I’m sorry you’ll have to explain my leaving. To keep things simple, you can tell them you found out I cheated on you. I’ll take any harsh words that come from your family, especially your brother. I’m sorry,Yours forever,Gabriel.I was sitting in my room with tears streaming down my cheeks. I was reading Gabriel’s goodbye note. It was the last thing he ever wrote to me before he just left, and it made me cry even more. It was like his revenge on my note from a few days ago. And he wrote yours forever. Nonsense. He was never mine.I looked at the clock on my phone and saw that it was almost 8:00 p.m., which meant that I had been sitting here for two hours reading his note over and over again, trying to comprehend what happen
KIRAI literally exploded screaming at Gabriel. But I was tired of everything that was happening to me. He just stood there in front of me saying nothing. I didn’t realize my screams could alert the family.“Don’t just stand there, say something!” I said with a heavy heart.“What do you want me to say? I said I loved you and you think I am playing some kind of game. Kira, I will not give up. Do you hear me?” “Give up on what? I already did, so your attempts to make things better don’t work anymore!” My words stirred something in him because once again he went silent. I spoke painfully, as an attack on him, but Gabriel left me no choice. It annoyed me that he didn't fight more. He never understood that words meant absolutely nothing to me. “I hate you, Gabriel!” I didn’t mean to say it. I just wanted him to be there more. He wasn’t listening to me, so I told him I hated him. And that silence mode he went in left me with no choice but to attack him like this.He didn’t back away, but
GABRIELFIVE YEARS LATERThe day wasn’t great.We had lost a prospective client who I had assumed was a guarantee. I had already planned in my head the actions I would take with the status and money this client would have provided us. After it went down, I remained gazing at a list of development proposals I had no way of implementing now. The next day I called John, who I made my partner.“We have to talk about this. We just can’t lose this client. If we can’t make this work, we’re out.” I said nervously circling the office. “Ok, but do we have some kind of plan?” John asked.To be honest, I didn’t have a plan. I was trying to come up with a solution to save the predicament. I had no doubt it could be done.In the last three years, I did nothing but grow professionally. I’ve closed business after business. And all to forget about… “I mean, I know the guy is important, but is he that important?” John interrupted my thoughts, but not enough to answer him. “Gabe? Are you there?” “I am
GABRIELThis day was going to be an experience that we would be sure to remember for many years to come. I suggested to Kira that it would be a splendid plan if we traveled to Hollow Peak to pay her family a visit. They would be so happy to see us together... all three of us. As the Christmas season drew closer, this time of year was an especially meaningful and joyous time. It was like a circle closing.As I pulled up to Kira’s family home in Hollow Peak, I could see the excitement on their faces from the window. Kira’s mother rushed out of the house to us, extending her open arms and giving us both a warm and loving embrace. Upon seeing us, she expressed great delight and joy and welcomed us warmly into her home.We stepped inside the cozy living room, where a warm fire was burning in the fireplace. The inviting and delectable aroma of freshly baked cookies and holiday treats filled the entire room. Mrs. Reed had a hard time containing her enthusiasm when we sat down on the comforta
KIRAGiven all the excitement, I couldn’t believe I got any sleep at all. I had a premonition that something was going to take place today. It turned out that my assumption was correct. Two knocks at the door brought me with my feet on the ground, as I was still in a dream world. When I opened the door, Gabriel was there, and our daughter, Maddie, was standing beside him. As soon as I saw the delight in her expression, I realized that something amazing was about to happen. As Gabriel spoke, I could feel a sense of anticipation and excitement growing within me as I realized he had something special in store for me.“Hey Kira,” he said with a smile. “I am sorry to barge in like this, but I need your help. I’ve got a business meeting in the afternoon, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to spend the day with Maddie like we planned. So is it alright if I leave her with you for the day?” he asked with a grin on his face.When I initially heard the news, it shocked me. However, upon looking in
KIRAThe following day it filled me with immense joy and happiness. I was so excited when I ordered some Chinese food and asked Alana if she wanted to have a chat. There were no more steps to take. I was so close to my family.Maddie and I were more connected than ever before as she talked to me about the troubles she had faced and the hopes she held for the future. She really missed me. We could finally look at each other and recognize our true selves, and it gave me an overwhelming feeling of contentment and joy that had been absent for such a long time.And then there was Gabriel. The time we spent together last night was a reminder to me that my love for him had not diminished in the slightest. Our relationship had endured a lot of hardship, and there were moments where I thought it might be beyond repair. I sensed that this was meant to happen, and I knew that we were meant for each other as I held him close.“Wow, I love Chinese,” Alana said, diving into the dish.“Bet you do,”
KIRAI couldn’t help but smile to myself as I sat in this spot, the terrace of his house, which had become a favorite spot of mine, and observed the world outside. My joy stemmed from the fact that Gabriel and I had made up, and I was once more his.For so long, I was lost without him. The connections between us had become so strong that when we were apart, I felt like an essential part of me had been taken away. But now, everything felt right again.I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face, and I knew that this was just the beginning. Our lives would merge once again, and we would build a future together.I knew that there would be difficulties since there always were in life, but I had faith that we could get through them. We could withstand everything the world could hurl at us because of our growing love.After feeling suffocated for so long, I could now finally take in a full breath of fresh air. I have been able to free myself from the heavy burden that was weighing me down
KIRAIt’s been a long time since I had such a calm conversation with Gabriel. I missed his warm voice. My heart was aching from the weight of the past as I sat there and watched Gabriel. I knew that in order to put the past behind us and stop hurting one other; we had to bury the hatchet of war. “Gabriel,” I began, my voice hesitant. “I need to talk to you about Maddie.”Gabriel looked up, his eyes meeting mine. “What about her?” he asked, his voice reserved.“I understand now that I made a mistake in hiding the truth about Maddie being your daughter,” I whispered. “I should have told you the truth from the beginning.”Gabriel’s expression softened, and he let out a deep sigh. “I know I didn’t do the right thing either,” he admitted. “When I did the DNA test without your knowledge and filed that lawsuit seeking full custody.”I nodded, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “We both made mistakes, Gabriel. But Maddie needs us to be her parents, to work together for her sake.”
KIRAI couldn’t believe Gabriel’s nerve. He had the audacity to suggest we ignore the court’s decision and both look out for Maddie’s best interests. How far could his recklessness go?That this was happening to me shocked me. I walked all the way to Gabriel’s house, and here I was by myself in this pitch-black alley. I did not know how I got here, but I didn’t like it. My palms were sweating profusely, and my heart was pounding. I could feel my hair standing up on the back of my neck.Gabriel must still be in his house, I was certain. While someone else was coming after me, the coward wouldn’t. I knew it wasn’t him when I heard hasty footsteps behind me.It was someone else, and they were getting closer.My legs felt numb as I tried to keep up with the pace. I was too scared to look back, but I could hear them getting closer and closer. I knew I needed to find a way out of here, but everything looked the same in this alley. There were no lights, no doors, no windows.My mind started r
KIRA The only company I had while I sat alone in my living room was the sound of the clock ticking. The room was still, silent, and heavy with the weight of my thoughts. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Gabriel had won custody of Maddie again. I felt sick to my stomach as I thought about it. How could this be happening? I had done everything in my power to prove to the court that Maddie was better off with me, but it seemed like none of it had mattered. Gabriel had won, and there was nothing I could do about it. I tried to overcome the sense of helplessness that had taken hold of me. For Maddie’s sake, I knew I had to maintain my composure, but it was challenging when all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sob. I reflected on all the occasions I had spent with Maddie, the times we had had together, and our love and respect for one another. Everything seemed very genuine and real. I didn’t know how the court could disregard that. But then again, Gabriel was a skille
KIRA I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I thought about seeing Gabriel again in court. The citation had finally reached him, and we would have face off once more in our never-ending battle for custody of Maddie. It had been a year since I last saw her, and the pain of not being able to be with her on her sixth birthday still stung my heart. But I wouldn’t let that get to me. I would fight tooth and nail to get her back, no matter what it took. This time, with the help of my new lawyer and the additional evidence we had gathered, I was sure we would come out on top. It was not just about winning, though. It was about being reunited with my daughter, about being able to hold her close and tell her how much I loved her. Being a mother to her was what it was about, something he had denied me for a long time. I couldn’t let myself get too emotional, though. I needed to stay focused, to keep my eye on the prize. Gabriel would do everything in his power to keep Maddie away from
GABRIEL As I ventured through the beautiful mountain range of Hollow Peak, I experienced a sensation of great joy and serenity. The cool breeze swept through my hair, and the chirping of birds filled the air, making me feel like I was in a different world altogether. But what made this experience even more special was that I was not alone. By my side was my six-year-old daughter Maddie, and for the next few days, she was all mine. I had planned this trip for a long time, and I knew Maddie would be over the moon to spend time in such a beautiful place. But what she didn’t know was that I had a surprise in store for her, one that would make this trip even more unforgettable. As we approached our destination, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. I knew that Kira's family was also in Hollow Peak and I knew there was a probability of me bumping into them. But that didn’t matter. I had already decided, and nothing was going to change my plans. Finally, we arrived at our destination