Chapter 40

Vivian “Fuck!” My head was throbbing as if someone had banged it against the wall. I was drunk last night, and I couldn’t remember exactly what had happened yesterday. The only thing I could remember was Kiara coming to my room, but after that, it was all blank in my mind.

Rubbing my temple, I got out of the bed and found myself in the same suit. I had not even changed my suit. I hurried into the bathroom for a warm shower. Layla had always thrown herself at me and her stinky perfume had clung to my suit. I could still smell it through my suit. Perhaps Kiara would have smelled it too. I needed to talk to her.

After getting ready, I went down and entered the dining room. Harley was already sitting there and tapping something on her Tab. “Good morning, sweetheart.” I reached for her and kissed her cheeks.

She gave me her beautiful smile. “Good morning, Viv. You are looking exhausted.” She studied my face for a while. “Are you sick?”

I shrugged and took a seat beside her. “My head is drumming hard.”

She giggled and set her tab aside, giving me her full attention. “I thought it is only our heart that drums under our chest. I didn’t know that our head also drums.”

I glanced at Kiara’s empty place. “Where is Kia? Hasn’t she woken up yet?” I glanced at my watch. It was almost eight in the morning.

She glanced at her place before looking back at me. “She must be tired. I didn’t wake her up because I didn’t want to disturb her.”

Rose approached us with a tray of breakfast and placed it on the table. “Good morning, Sir.”

“Good morning, Rose,” I said with a slight smile and focused my attention on the breakfast. My stomach had been grumbling due to hunger. Last night I had taken nothing except one bottle of wine.

“Viv, did you hurt Kiara?” Harley asked and surprised me.

I met her blue eyes. “No, why?”

I did not hurt her purposely, but I knew she was hurt when I rejected her.

“Because she doesn’t look the same as she used to be. You know which version I like. Her silence bothers me.” She munched her food and kept staring at me as if waiting for my answer.

But I don’t have her answer.

I raised my brows. “Are you not getting late for your school? Hurry, finish your breakfast.” I avoided the topic because this was the best option.

Her lips formed into a pout and disappointment flashed across her face, but she said nothing and kept eating her breakfast.

After finishing up our breakfast, we got up and went out. “Yesterday you were late. I don’t want you to repeat it today.” She warned me with her adorable look. She bent me down and kissed my cheeks. “Bye, Dad. Have a good day.”

“Bye, sweetheart.” She slid into the car. I stayed at my place and watched the car until it disappeared from my sight. I glanced at my watch. It was half-past eight and Kiara was still sleeping. I sat down on the couch and grabbed the newspapers to read. I would go nowhere until I could see her face. So I waited for her even though I had a meeting with my Canadian client but fuck off it. Nothing was more important than her.

After fifteen minutes, I glanced at the stairs. Why didn’t she get up yet? When I was done with my patience, I got up and walked toward her room. I knocked on the door and waited for her reply. When she didn’t reply, I knocked again. In the end, without thinking twice, I opened the door and stepped in. The bed was empty and clean. I went to the bathroom and opened the door hesitantly. and it was also empty. “Kia,” I called her while pacing the balcony. Fuck! She was not there either. She was nowhere in the room. When I went back into the room, my eyes caught a piece of paper that was kept under the lamp.

I grabbed the paper and saw her beautiful handwriting.

Hey, I don’t know if you still noticed my absence or not. But I know eventually, you know that I have gone.

Suddenly, fear burst out in my heart.

Umm, I don’t understand how to start because it is also new to me. I’ve never experienced such a thing before. It is so beautiful. Love is so beautiful, Vivian. When the first time I saw you in the club, my heart was beating so fast that it was almost out of my chest. I could not take my eyes off of you even though I hated you so much. Even after knowing that you were my enemy, I was not able to resist your charm. My heart always beats when I stare into those beautiful blue orbs. I know you are the man of dark, but still; you carry light for others, not for everyone, but for those you care about.

Yesterday you said that ‘I should not have come into your life, but I am glad that I came into your life. I had never felt love before you. After my father’s death, everyone keeps hurting me and humiliating me. Everyone saw me as a whore with no respect, no feeling, and no love. Nobody saw me as a human. They were treating me like a toy, and I let them treat me like that because I was helpless. I know I am not comparable to your wife. I am not kind, sensitive, and soft. I am a selfish, heartless, and vicious woman because my circumstances made me like that. I became selfish because they took advantage of my helplessness. I became heartless because nobody ever showed me love. And I became vicious because I wanted to give them as much pain as they had given me.

Fuck! I told her all those things yesterday.

I never wanted to fall for someone who already loves someone. I never do what my heart does, Vivian. My heart falls for you. I do know you love your wife so much. I do know you won’t let her go and I never want you to forget that incredible woman. What I want is your respect. I want a small space in your heart. People have been insulting me but being insulted by you breaks my heart because I love you.

I clutched the paper tightly, feeling ashamed.

You heal me, Vivian. And I can’t forget every memory you have given to me. I can’t forget Harley. She is amazing. She is so adorable and intelligent. You all have been treating me like family. Thank you for saving me from Guarin. Now I am free, and I can do whatever I want to do. Now I am leaving you forever. I can’t give up my baby. The only thing l have now is my baby and I know she/he is going to love me back. Love for love. I can’t give it to you. It is mine.

Goodbye.

Kiara.

I watched the paper in disbelief. For a few seconds, I forgot to breathe. Did she run away from me? Did I hit her yesterday? Did I do anything horrible with her? I didn’t love her, but I like her. I like every damn thing about her. I like her fire, arrogance, and feistiness. I had been ignoring her because I didn’t want to feel her. The more I went closer to her, the more I felt for her.

I could not feel anything.

Then why the fuck do I feel like someone had stolen my precious thing? My Kiara.

My hand clenched into fists, turning my knuckle white. “I won’t let you go, Kiara!!” I said through clenched teeth. “The baby is also mine!”

I want her back.

*********

After landing in Chicago, I got in my rental car with Leonardo. “She has no track,” Leonardo informed while keeping his eyes through the laptop.

I ran my fingers through my hair. “She must be at her mother’s house because she has nowhere to go.”

He smiled slightly. “She must be.”

I parked the car in front of the two-story house and got out. “You’ll be staying here. I’ll be right back.” I said to Leo before pacing towards her house. I rang the bell and in a few seconds, Kiara’s mother opened the door. Her green eyes were the same as her daughter’s.

“Mr. Miller, nice to see you here,” she said but didn’t smile. Obviously, she did not like me.

I don’t like her either.

I pushed my hands into the pockets of my pants. “Nice to see you, Mrs. Seton.”

She was not paying attention to me because all her focus was on the car. “Where is Kiara? She also comes with you?” Her voice was impatient to meet her daughter.

What an excellent actor.

I narrowed my eyes on her. “Exactly where is Kiara? I flew into Chicago to pick her up. Of course, I am here for your daughter.”

She stared at me with surprise. “What are you talking about? Are you crazy! Why would she come here without telling you?”

I had already lost my patience, and I didn’t have enough to tolerate that woman. So I pushed her aside and barged into the house. “Kiara!” I yelled her name.

“Vivian, what did you do with her?!” Her mother followed me and was annoying me.

I ignored her and kept checking every room. “Where the fuck have you kept her?” I knocked on the second door and it was also empty. The house was small, and it was easy to check every corner. I went to the backyard. “Kiara, are you playing hard?”

“Kiara has not come here, Vivian. Where is she?” Her mother cried out.

Damn it! She has not come here!

I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing hard. “I don’t know?” I whispered defeated. It was my fucking mistake. “She ran away from me.”

“She can’t do it because she loves you.”

“I know,” I said and walked out without glancing at her depressed face.

“Did you call Lucian? Maybe he knows where she is?” She said from behind.

I turned to her and met her gaze. Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to her,” I said and walked out.

I sat down in the car.

After ten minutes of driving, we arrived at Lucian’s place. He came out of his house and his face was worried. “She didn’t even call me.” The disappointment was witnessed in his voice.

I sighed with frustration. “Where the fuck is she going? Do you have any idea where she can go?”

“I don’t have any idea. But she has a relative in Philadelphia. Maybe she has gone there,” he said.

“Leo.” I turned to Leo and found him staring at Lucian, and his cheeks turned red. “Damn Leo! Could you please stop staring at him!” He jerked and looked at me, blushing hard.

“S-Sorry. What did you say?” He lowered his eyes.

“Call Wayne. He is the boss of Philadelphia. Maybe he can help us find Kiara.” I ran my fingers through my hair, annoyingly.

“Can I also come with you? I can't catch my breath until I find Kiara. She meant everything to me.” Lucian said.

“Of course, you can come with us,” Leo blurted out without my consent. I fixed him with my cold, hard glare. “But it is up to my boss whether he wants to take you with us or not.”

I looked back at Lucian, who was waiting for my answer. I nodded at him. “You can come with us,” I said and gestured to him in the back seat beside Leo. And Leo’s face lit up with happiness.

*********