Chapter 24

Kia “Hooray! You did it. That’s my girl. You’ll be a great player in the future.” I ran to Harley and hugged her tightly. “I’m proud of you, my girl.”

Am I drunk? What am I saying?

I pulled myself back and stood up grinning, “We have won two trophies at once.”

Alice approached us and sat on her knees. “Harley, my baby girl” she hugged her affectionately.

“I can’t believe I won this competition, Princess,” Harley said and hugged her tightly. Seeing both of them like I felt a twinge of jealousy. She had not hugged me back when I hugged her.

“Let’s go, girls, we have to go,” Vivian said while glancing at me briefly.

“I’ll meet Kelvin first. I’ll be right back,” Harley said and ran towards the hallway. Vivian watched his daughter until she disappeared into the hall.

Alice stood up, smiling, “Thank you for bringing them to our party. It means a lot to me,” she said, and hugged Vivian. “I’m going to miss her.”

He hugged her back. “Don’t worry, Kelvin won’t give you a chance. He is enough for you, isn’t he?”

Alice let out a soft laugh, “I want another baby,” she looked down blushing, “I told you I want a girl like Harley, so this time I am expecting a girl.”

“If you want a girl like Harley, then you’ll get this only through me.” Vivian gave her a flirty wink, and I frowned. He was flirting with another woman who was already married and the mother of a one-year-old child. What the hell?!!

I put my hand on my hips, “Are you crazy?! How could you flirt with another woman in front of me? How dare you?” I was not feeling jealous, but it was not tolerable, either. It hurt my pride. How could he ignore me? I poked him and pointed to him, “You have been ignoring me in the entire party. You could stare at other women, but not me. You could compliment others, but at my chance, your tongue got sore. I wore damn blue to impress you and you didn’t even compliment me once.”

Alice laughed silently, enjoying the drama. “I think I should go. You two figure out your problem.”

Vivian gave me a scathing glare. “Isn't it enough what you did on stage, and then again, you embarrassed me?”

I stumbled and my vision turned blurry. “Shut up embarrassed? W-What embarrassed? D-Didn’t you see your daughter’s happiness?” I stammered and fell on him. “Take me out before I pass out, baby.”

Baby? Did I call him a baby?

His arm wrapped around my shoulder and balanced my body. “Why did you drink hard liquor despite knowing that you could not handle it?”

“Because I was angry, and I don’t know why?” I glanced at him, “Whenever I get upset or angry I always drink hard liquor so that I can let all the anger out.”

He sighed and guided me out.

“What happened to Kia?” I heard Harley’s voice.

“Nothing. She got tired. She needs some rest. Help me open the door,” he said to Harley, and she quickly opened the door.

When I sat in the car she came to my side, “Are you okay?” She asked with concern.

Oh, my lovely Harley.

“I am all right” I smiled at her and she nodded to me and sat into the car.

Vivian started the car. “Wear your seat belt!!”

I quickly clasped my seat belt smiling, “Umm, I’ve enjoyed the party.”

“Did I ask you? Can’t you keep your damn mouth shut!!” He gritted and focused on the road.

After fifteen minutes, he pulled up in front of the mansion and his men were already waiting for him. I went out stumbling, “Ouch!!”

“Watch out,” a man wrapped his arm around my waist.

“David,” I giggled when he guided me towards the mansion.

“Dad, what happened to Kia? Why is she behaving like that?” I heard Harley from behind.

“She will be fine by tomorrow. Don’t worry, sweetheart. Now go to your room and don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed,” Vivian said and kissed her cheeks before letting her into the room.

“She is smelling awful,” David said while putting me down on the couch.

“Shut up!!” I tried to stand on my leg but slumped down.

“I should take her to the room. You can go, David,” Vivian said, lifting me into his arms and taking me to my room.

“Can’t I sleep in your arms” I murmured, resting my head against his chest. “Your body is feeling so good,” he said nothing and put me down on the bed. I could feel his body tense under my touch. He let out a rushed breath like he was affected by my touch. Before he could move away, I pulled him and pressed my lips against his. I pulled him even closer to me to get the perfect angle and deepened the kiss, slipping my tongue into his mouth and caressing his face.

“Don’t!” immediately he pushed me away. “Don’t!” His eyes were dark with fury and his hands clenched into a fist. For a moment I was gaping at him confused, but after seeing his face, I was shocked and embarrassed. I kissed Vivian. I spun off the lights and laid down, covering my body with a blanket. I could see his shadow through the moonlight. He was still standing right beside my bed confused and angry. I said nothing and closed my eyes, hoping this would be a dream.

*********

“Coffee?” Rose asked me with a warm smile.

I looked at her, “Yes, please.”

She came out with a cup of coffee. “You look tired. Didn’t you sleep well?”

I closed my eyes. The memories of last night popped into my mind. “I slept okay” I smiled awkwardly and grabbed the cup from her hand and sipped. “Umm, where is Vivian?” I was hoping for him not to appear for a week so that I could vanish from last night’s memories. What was wrong with me? I had kissed so many guys, the deadliest guys in the world, but I had never been scared of them and never embarrassed of them. Then why the hell was I feeling this way after kissing Vivian?

“He has left for an important meeting in the morning,” she said, and I sighed with relief. At least I didn’t have to worry about him for today.

I set the cup. “And where is Harley?”

“David and Caleb took her to the school when you were sleeping. I think yesterday was a tiring day, wasn’t it?” She inquired while meeting my gaze.

“I had drunk myself yesterday and embarrassed Vivian. That’s all happened yesterday and I’m glad he is not around me,” I smiled, embarrassingly.

She shook her head, “I had heard somewhere drunk women look cute and seductive, and maybe he...” Before she could complete her word, the doorbell rang out, “I think I should check first” she said and headed towards the door.

I stood up and went into the kitchen and set the cup in the sink before walking out. Let it go, Kia. Let it go, Kia. It means nothing to you. Just forget last night. I repeated. You are here just for your revenge. Why do you always forget that?

“Hey, Kia,” I heard a familiar voice and turned around to see the woman. She was the blonde wearing a bodice-fit white dress with a black cardigan, looking like she had directly come from the runway show.

“Ava” was her name. Vivian’s gorgeous sister.

She approached me and gave me a quick hug. “Are you well?”

“Very well, thanks. What about you?”

She took off her Cardigan and hung on the chair. “I’m fine.”

I took a seat across from her. “I think you came here to meet Harley and Vivian, but they are not here right now.” I met her blue eyes, which were like Vivian’s, “But you can wait.”

“Of course not. I came here to see you,” she said while glancing past me, “Rose, can I get your handmade coffee? It’s been a while since I have had your magical coffee.”

“Sure, Ma’am,” she said.

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name? It’s Ava. I love my name and whenever I hear it pleases me, so please please me,” Ava said with a laugh.

“Umm, Miss I can’t. It will disappoint my master,” Rose said, disagreeing with her.

I glanced at Rose. “Now your master is in the meeting. You can freely call her Ava, and I won’t tell him.”

“But...” She hesitated.

“Rose,” I and Ava said simultaneously and glared at her at the same time. She glanced between both of us before walking into the kitchen.

We laughed together, “Poor woman, she has been working for him for over five years and never disrespect him,” Ava said.

I nodded to her. “I like her. She is a loving woman” Ava’s skin was glowing as before. When I met her for the first time, she looked thin and pale, but now she was looking beautiful. “I think you’re going somewhere?”

She looked down at herself before looking back at me. “Yes. I have a date at night,” she bit into her lips for a moment, her eyes saddened, but quickly she brushed away, “How is it going between you two? How is he treating you?”

I frowned. Did she talk about Vivian? “Vivian? He treats me like I’m nowhere.”

She chuckled, “Give him some time.”

“But Harley is adorable. First, she didn’t like me but now she has gotten familiar with me.”

She nodded. “Perhaps you would have favored her. She likes those who make her happy and you might have made her happy knowingly or unknowingly” she pushed the strand of her hair behind her ear. “She always craves love.”

She is right.

Rose appeared with a cup of coffee and placed it on the table. “Would you like some snacks?”

“I’ll have it next time, Rose. Until now, thank you,” Ava said and held her cup. “Why don’t we go out? Today, the weather is lovely.”

I looked out through the glass door. “Sure.”

The sky above was clear and blue, the grasslands lush, and the floral scent was scattered across the garden that had changed as often as the wind did. She glanced across the garden. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

I let out a soft laugh, “Of course, your brother has been spending thousands of dollars every day to maintain his tulips garden.”

“This garden is not a garden for him, but it is more than that” she looked at the couple of birds who were ogling us like they were understanding our conversation.

She shook her head and didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “How did the two of you meet?”

Again, I had to lie to her, “I had no intention of meeting your brother, but it was our fate that I ended up here.”

She sipped her coffee, and confusion flashed across her face. “Do you believe in fate?”

I smiled sadly, “Yeah, I have the worst.”

She shook her head and put her cup down. “My brother will make you happy, Kia. Trust me” her eyes dropped to our joint hands. “I know I have no right to speak between you two, but I want his good. I want him to move on. He needs to find happiness in a large world. So far, he has been doing so much for others. He has been risking his life for others. He never thinks about himself. After Bella’s death, he was completely broken. But as time passed, he found happiness in his daughter, but I don’t think it is enough for him or Harley. They deserve more happiness,” she shook her head, “I’m sorry. I have blurted out too much.”

“No, it’s fine. Who was Bella?”

Her eyes fell to sadness. “The love of his life, his wife.”

*********

“Stop it, Harley,” I laughed while covering my face with both hands. She was splashing water on my face and grinned broadly. We were spending our time in the swimming pool. “Don’t you want to learn to swim?” I grabbed her both hands, stopping her. “Enough.”

She stopped and giggled. I held her ankle. “Keep your legs straight,” I said, and she nodded. “Okay, next move your legs up and down. This is the basics of swimming. First, you have to get used to water, then next I will teach you how to use the body in water.”

“Ugh, I hate wet faces,” she pouted while kicking her legs.

“Then how will you swim without a wet face?” I stepped out as the drops of water slid down through my body and glittered in the sunlight. I had worn a high-waist, black swimsuit that had covered my scars.

Harley stood up trailing after me. “I can try then” she had worn a pink dotted swimsuit with an enormous sun hat looking like a little doll. She paused, looking to the other side, “David, what are you doing here?”

I frowned and looked to my right and saw him staring at me. He was eyeing me up and didn’t take his eyes off me. After a moment later he responded to Harley, “It’s your medicine time. Go quickly. Rose is asking for you and getting change first.”

Harley’s expression turned into disapproval, but a moment later she ran into the mansion. I ignored David’s stare and walked to my bathrobe.

“You’re hot as fuck,” he commented to me.

I paused for a moment before turning back to him. “Get out of here, David!!”

He stepped closer to me, smirking, “No, I won’t.”

“You’re asking for another slap,” I snapped and grabbed my bathrobe, and moved towards the mansion.

When I stepped further, my leg slipped and I lost my balance, ready to collapse against the hard floor, but David caught me on time and we both fell together. I was on top of him, and he was under me, grimacing with pain. He had saved me from getting hurt. “Umm, thanks” I didn’t want to say those words, but he deserved it.

“It’s my pleasure to touch your sexy body of yours,” he whispered in my ears.

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze. “Touch me. Next time, I’ll carve out your fingers.”

He smirked, tightening his clutch. “Do it right now, hottie.”

I hit his chest, “Shut up and let me..” I lost my word when I saw a familiar figure. Vivian.

“What the hell are you two doing?” Vivian asked, his voice holding a hint of anger. I looked down and realized how close me and David were.

I quickly stood up, and his eyes travelled the length of my body. I ignored him and grabbed my bathrobe and wrapped it around my body before walking towards the mansion. My mind drifted to him. Why was he here? It was five in the evening and his arrival time was ten. He had come too soon.

I went into my room and sighed and took off my bathrobe. But before I could step into the bathroom, the door slammed open, and Vivian walked in. “What the hell.....” He moved so fast that I hardly had time to react and before I could understand anything, I was already pinned against the wall.

“You are testing my patience, Kiara,” he gritted. “What are you doing with him?”

“This is none of your goddamn business, Vivian,” I snapped and pushed him back, but he didn’t move from his place.

“At one point you kissed me and next, seducing my men!!”

Anger was boiling in me. First, he had rejected me, and second, they alleged to him that I was seducing his men? “Do I need to seduce others? Men have been throwing themselves on me, Vivian. And your fucking David is one of them. And about the kiss, it was a mistake.”

He eyed my lips before letting me free. “It was a mistake?!” He smiled bitterly. I didn’t know whether he was saying or asking but his look was revealing irritation and displeasure. Without another word, he got out of the room.

I could not understand him at all.

*********