"We shouldn't be doing this" "I'll be the one calling the shots honey, bend over." Kiara has never been one to mess around. Being the daughter of the CEO of Lux Empire, she has it all. But, she works hard, lives a silent life, and gets by happily. When Luca Ettore, her father’s best friend, slips into it, she isn’t sure how to go about it. The sexual tension is undeniable, and the way he makes her feel is illicit. It’s a mess, a whirlwind of love and pain, tears and shocking revelations as they travel through a timeline of their own. Will their love rise above societal expectations? Or will it all come crashing down?
View More“They were just so adorable, and seeing the smiles on all their faces made me so happy, Dad.” Kiara rambled on about her previous expedition for a charity project. She was extremely passionate about helping the less privileged. The kids in the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, didn’t have access to any water, so she and her team stayed there for a couple of weeks, making boreholes, wells, and taps for them.
Of course, she was a Lux, but she didn’t misuse her power, or take it for granted. Instead, she put it towards helping others who were in need, endangered, or living in not-so-safe homes. It had become a part of her, one that she could never take away.
She pointed at her phone smiling, “Look at them!” Her father, Damian Lux, watched the video to the end, feeling very proud of his one and only daughter. “And there was this lovely little girl too, she was so intelligent and beautiful, I couldn’t help but admire how strong and resilient she was.”
“She told me she would go to the river every day with her mother to fetch water, and most times she would help her prepare food for the household. Her name is Ronica.” She grinned.
“That’s amazing, cara mia.” He responded, leaning away from his cup of coffee and placing a kiss on her forehead. In Texas, Damian’s company was one of the most reputable, and his daughter was doing a good job upholding and boosting that reputation. He definitely couldn’t ask for more.
Maria, her mother, emerged from the kitchen, with a tray of food in hand for everyone. “It’s time for breakfast, amore,” she warned Kiara with a stern look on her face, “Put the phone down.”
Kiara groaned, placing her phone face-down on the table, before grabbing her plate from the tray. “Why did you cook today? Is Rosa still off?” She inquired, curious as to why their chef wasn’t back yet.
“Family emergency, not that it’s any of your business,” She smiled, biting into her toast. “She will be back by tomorrow.”
“Don’t talk to my precious daughter that way,” Damian teased, pointing at her.
Kiara laughed, taking a sip of her coffee and eating her breakfast. “The video is going viral, you guys! Who would’ve thought? I might end up taking another trip to Jamaica. It’s lovely over there.” She sported a victorious smile on her face, as she wiggled her eyebrows playfully.
“We’re proud of you.” Both parents said in unison. They glanced at each other, trying to stifle laughter. Just then, the doorbell rang signaling an unexpected visitor. Kiara looked at the wall, where the security camera’s monitor was mounted.
It was Luca. Just when she finally had breathing space to talk to her father freely, he had to show up. It’s not as if she hated him, she just didn’t like him. He was weird and was always trying to get with the trends in a cringe way.
The security guard let him in, and after a few minutes, Luca showed up in their dining area, dressed in a fancy suit. He was so ripped that his suit would probably burst at any moment if he tried to flex his muscles. “Good morning everyone.” He greeted with a slight bow of his head as he crossed his arms behind his back. His eyes lingered on Kiara for a couple of seconds, before he turned to face Damian.
“What’s up, L-boy?” Damian cheered, as they shared a brotherly hug, patting each other's backs as if they hadn’t seen one another in forever. “Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family time, but there’s an impromptu meeting with the stakeholders that we have to attend soon.”
Damian started to walk away from the table, when Kiara pulled him back by the arm, “Dad, stay home for goodness sake. You mustn’t go anywhere.” She huffed, angrily.
“Cara mia, I have to. This could be our last chance to sign the contract.” He pleaded with his eyes, rubbing her hand gently. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
Though Kiara knew it was just a fib, he wouldn’t come back early enough for them to have an actual conversation anymore. It usually ended with her fast asleep in bed, and her dad coming to kiss her goodnight once he’d gotten back. She hated the way Luca always had to intrude on their bonding time, and that was majorly the reason why she disliked him most.
Kiara and Maria watched from the table as Damian got ready, shaking their heads. Maria sighed, smacking her lips, as she rolled her eyes. She muttered something barely inaudible that even Kiara didn’t hear.
After Damian and Luca left, Kiara turned to face her mother. “Do you see why I don’t like him?” She complained, her eye twitching as she gripped her cutlery tightly. “DO. YOU. SEE?!” She was immensely frustrated, her voice growing louder by the second. Luca always did this, it was as if he hated seeing Damian with Kiara, cause he just wouldn’t stop.
“Honey, work called. I’m sure your father wouldn’t have left if it wasn’t related to work,” She replied, with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I didn’t want him to go either, hun.” She leaned across the table, placing her hand over Kiara’s and rubbing it gently, in an effort to pacify her.
“Whatever…” Kiara breathed, her eyes meeting her mum’s. “I just want to tw*st his neck and sn*p it, ugh.” She groaned, chewing on her leftover toast. “How do you feel about your husband leaving you for a man?” Kiara held her hand out as if holding a microphone. “Go on-”
Her words were cut off by the doorbell ringing again, but this time she couldn’t see who was there. She pressed the button to talk to the security guard, “Hey. Who’s there? Can’t see anyone, Mabel.”
“It’s a man, Miss. He says he has something you might be looking for.”
Kiara was standing in front of her open box, staring at the mess of clothes she had put inside earlier. Her fingers gripped a particular dress. She hesitated, but she shook her head and threw it aside. 'Does it matter what I pack? I am leaving.' she thought. 'Leaving the only home I have ever known.' Leaving everything behind.Her phone vibrated beside her and the notification read: Flight confirmed: 10 AM tomorrow.She exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of it settle over her."This is it." She said to herself.*********Across from Kiara's city, Donald’s phone buzzed.He picked it up and looked at the screen, expecting nothing important. But when he saw the notification, his heart pounded.GPS Movement Detected – Kiara Lux: Airport Route SetHe tightened his grip on the phone."No," he said in a low tone.He stood up from the chair, running a hand through his hair.'She is leaving. Leaving for good.' And if I let her go now, I might never see her again.' he thought to himself."No
Detective Harrison had been on Luca's case for months now with no positive results, no evidence to link him to the crimes.He sat in his office, flipping through a stack of photos that had been put across his desk earlier that day.Every single one of the photos showed Luca with his men. One photo showed when he took off his mask in the warehouse during Kiara's kidnap, the other showed when he tried to take the documents from Damian. His clothes matched. The photos showed him at different instances of Kiara's murder attempts. All the evidence pointed to one to Luca.The evidence had come from an unexpected source. Harrison glanced up, his gaze narrowing at the man sitting across from him. It was Donald.The same man who saved Kiara multiple times.Harrison tapped the stack of photos together. “You’ve been keeping an eye on him for a while, haven’t you?”Donald leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “Since the day he warned me to stay away from Kiara.”Harrison arched a brow. “You too
After a few days, Kiara was finally discharged. The hospital doors slid open, and Kiara stepped outside, with Maria and Damian closely behind her. Catching her breath in the cool evening air. It felt different. Not the air itself, but how it touched her skin, how it felt against her face. Everything around her felt distant, like she was walking through a world that had moved on while she had been stuck somewhere else. She wrapped her arms around herself, her movements slow and hesitant. Maria stood beside her, watching her closely. She had barely left her side since she woke up. As they approached the car, her concern was evident in the way she kept glancing at her, waiting for her to say something. “ Are you okay baby?” Maria asked. Kiara nodded. Damian, who was putting their belongings in the trunk, stood at the driver's side of the car. "Are you sure amore?But Kiara didn't respond.Damian didn’t push. He opened the car door for her, waiting until she was seated before ge
Flashing red and blue lights filled the night.The party had turned into chaos as the guests murmured in hushed voices as paramedics rushed Kiara towards the exit, her body limp on the stretcher.Damian pushed past security, his expression unreadable as he followed closely. “I’m coming with her.”“Sir, we need space,” a paramedic started, but the warning died when Damian shot him a sharp glare.“She’s my daughter,” he said flatly. “I’m not leaving her side.”The paramedic hesitated but nodded. “Get in.”As the ambulance doors shut, Damian sat beside Kiara, watching as the medics checked her vitals. His hands clenched into fists. Even in her unconscious state, Kiara could still feel his touch lingering. It felt familiar, like she had felt it before.And just like that, her mind slipped into a dream.And then, the past pulled her in.***Laughter surrounded her as she spun in circles, her arms wrapped around Donald’s neck.“Put me down!” she giggled, swatting his shoulder.Donald smirk
Luca, on the other hand, has been going crazy since his kids were taken from him. They were all he had left. His neighbors heard him breaking things so they called the police. Luca was taken to a facility after his tests came positive for PTSD and disruptive behavior. Days passed, and he stayed quiet. Cooperative, pretending to be fine. The doctors bought it. They thought he was getting better. Not until one evening, during a shift change, Luca made his move. A nurse had forgotten to properly secure the door after checking his vitals. Perfect. This was his chance to escape from this hellhole.Luca slipped out, moving down the hall, his heart pounding.He stayed close to the walls, avoiding eye contact with staffs. One wrong move and they’d drag him back. His bare feet barely made a sound against the cold floors; the exit was close. Just a few more steps. Then— “Hey! "What are you doing?” A security guard spotted him. Luca bolted, running with all his might.Alarms sou
It's been three months and Kiara has not had the guts to go out due to the trauma she faced in Luca's hands. Although Luca has been away from the Lux family for months now, Kiara still feels like he's watching her. She still hasn't told her family the truth about her relationship with Luca and his involvement in the kidnap.The Lux home had never been this quiet before. There was no music playing from Kiara’s room, no late-night TV chatter, no laughter echoing through the halls.Maria sighed as she walked past the closed door of her daughter’s bedroom, hesitating for a moment before knocking softly.“Kiara, sweetheart?”She heard nothing.She knocked again. “It’s morning. You should eat something.”There was a long pause before a tired voice. “Not hungry.”Maria pushed the door open, stepping inside. Kiara was curled up on the couch by the window, staring blankly at her phone. The curtains were still drawn, blocking out the sunlight.Maria sat beside her, placing a gentle hand on her
A Few Months Later********************The courtroom was filled with quiet murmurs as lawyers shuffled papers and the judge prepared to begin. It was the final custody hearing for Sam and Katie, and Annie’s heart pounded as she sat at the plaintiff’s table, waiting for the moment that would decide everything. Across from her in the room, was Luca, who sat stiffly, his expression unreadable. He looked calm, but Annie knew better. This wasn’t the Luca she had once known. The man sitting before her had changed. For years, Luca had raised Sam and Katie without her, and for a time, they had been safe. But then, things changed. He became reckless. Cold. Dangerous although he had been that way, which was why Annie left him, she didn't think he would one day show his true colors to the kids.The judge, a woman in her late fifties with gray hair and sharp eyes, cleared her throat. “We are here today to finalize the custody arrangement for Samuel and Katherine Ettore." Ms. Annie, you may p
“Power’s out, completely out,” one of the nurses shouted in the dark hallway of the hospital. The emergency lights flickered off and on for a moment and then came back on, but the sense of unease had not.“Listen, we can’t stay here,” said Damian, his voice low as he looked around the nearly empty corridor. “This hospital isn’t safe anymore.”Maria nodded quickly, clutching Kiara’s hand tighter. “I’m scared for Kiara,” she said softly.Kiara, still shaken, couldn't say a word. She just sat there mopping. Harrison stood near the door, keeping his hand on his radio. “We need to move to a safer hospital. I’m calling for transport. We can't use my car. This place has been compromised, obviously.” Damian frowned. “Compromised? What do you mean?” “Not sure yet,” Harrison replied. “But when power is cut like that, and there are strange sounds in the hall, you can’t trust the security here.” Maria interjected, “So, where do we go?” Harrison sighed shortly. “There’s a private facility on
Kiara barely had time to react before Detective Harrison shoved her behind him, drawing his own weapon in one swift motion.“Drop the gun!” Harrison barked, his voice sharp and commanding.The intruder didn’t hesitate. He fired at Kiara but missed.A loud bang echoed through the room.Kiara screamed, instinctively ducking as the bullet slammed into a nearby vase, shattering it into pieces. Maria shrieked, stumbling backward, while Damian threw himself in front of her, shielding her from the masked man.Harrison didn’t waste a second. He fired back, forcing the masked man to dive for cover behind the couch.“Stay down!” Harrison shouted at Kiara, keeping his gun targeted at the intruder.The masked man didn’t stay hidden for long. In a blur of movement, he lunged out, knocking over a chair as he went towards Kiara.Her heart seized. He was coming straight for her.Harrison moved fast, stepping between them. Both Harrison and the masked man clashed violently, fists colliding in a flurry
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