Chapter 48

Ever since Martha had been working as Kiara's housekeeper for several years now, and in that time, she had come to know Kiara very well. So when she found out that Lucas, Kiara's ex-husband, had been threatening her, she knew she had to do something.

With her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed, Martha marched up to the front door of Lucas' mansion and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened, and a surprised-looking Harry appeared.

"I need to speak to Mr. Lucas," Martha said firmly.

Harry hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain. "I'm not sure if he's available at the moment..."

Martha cut him off. "It's urgent. Tell him it's about Kiara."

His expression changed at the mention of Kiara's name, and he quickly stepped aside to let Martha in.

She was led to a large sitting room, where Lucas was sitting on a plush sofa, sipping a glass of whiskey. When he saw Martha, he scowled.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Martha didn't mince words. "I'm here to tell you to stop threatening Kiara. She's had enough of your bullying and your attempts to control her. She had a divorce, and you need to accept that."

Lucas slammed down his glass on the coffee table, his face turning red with anger. "Who the hell do you think you are, coming into my home and talking to me like this?" he snarled.

Martha stood her ground, undaunted. "I'm someone who cares about Kiara, and who won't stand by and watch her be intimidated by you. You need to back off, Lucas. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with more than just me."

Lucas glared at Martha for a long moment, but then he seemed to deflate. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll leave Kiara alone. But don't think you can just barge in here and dictate to me."

Martha nodded sharply. "Good. And don't worry, I won't be coming back. But if you ever threaten Kiara again, you'll regret it."

With that, Martha turned on her heel and marched out of the mansion, her heart pounding with anger and adrenaline. She had stood up for Kiara, and she knew she had done the right thing.

*****************

Kiara and Martha sat at a small table in a cozy café, sipping their coffee and catching up on their lives which was something that Kiara always looked forward to especially with the one person that cared about her.

"So, what did you do when Lucas wouldn't stop bothering me?" Kiara asked, leaning forward with interest.

Martha hesitated for a moment before leaning in close to Kiara and whispering, "I went to his house and threatened him to leave you alone."

Kiara's eyes widened in surprise before she burst out laughing. She couldn't help it, the image of Martha, a petite and gentle woman, threatening her ex-husband was just too funny.

Martha looked offended at first, but then she couldn't resist the infectious laughter of her friend and boss, and she joined in too. They laughed and giggled uncontrollably for a few minutes, causing a few curious glances from the other customers in the café.

Finally, they both caught their breath and wiped away the tears of laughter from their eyes.

"Sorry, sorry," Kiara said, still chuckling. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you. I just can't picture you being all tough and threatening like that."

Martha rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "I know, it's not really my style. But sometimes you just have to stand up for the one you love , you know?"

Kiara nodded, still smiling. "Absolutely. And I'm sure it worked, right?"

Martha grinned. "Oh, it worked alright. Lucas hasn't bothered you ever since."

Kiara raised her coffee cup in a toast. "Here's to standing up for ourselves, even if it means getting a little tough."

Martha clinked her cup against Kiara's. "Cheers to that."

The next day Kiara sat at the head of the table, the CEO of her successful company, surrounded by her board members. She took a deep breath, ready to start the meeting when the door suddenly burst open.

Everyone turned to see Lucas storming into the room. He looked disheveled, his hair was a mess, and he was clearly agitated.

"Kiara, how could you do this to me?" he shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

Kiara's heart sank. She had hoped that their divorce would be a private matter, but it seemed that Lucas had other plans.

"Lucas, this isn't the time or the place," Kiara replied calmly, hoping to diffuse the situation.

But Lucas was having none of it. He continued to rant and rave, accusing her of being heartless and selfish for divorcing him.

The board members shifted uncomfortably in their seats, unsure of what to do. Kiara knew that this outburst was not only embarrassing but also potentially damaging to her company's reputation.

Finally, Kiara stood up, her eyes locked on Lucas. "Enough, Lucas. This is not about us, it's about the company. If you have something to say, say it in private. But don't you dare come into this boardroom and try to humiliate me."

Lucas looked taken aback, clearly not expecting Kiara to stand up to him. He stammered for a moment before finally turning and storming out of the room.

Kiara took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She knew that this outburst wouldn't be the end of it. But she also knew that she had a company to run, and she wouldn't let Lucas's personal issues get in the way of that.

After the meeting, Kiara thought about what Lucas had done and she knew that she was bound to hear a whole lot of it on the news the following day. She had no doubt that among her staff members, some would be readily avaailable to give all the juicy details to the press and she knew that it was bad for her. But another thing she knew was that she couldn't allow Lucas to win, not now or ever.