CHAPTER 1

“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.”