Chapter 1534: Didn’t that count?
Thunder rumbled in the sky as the night deepened.
Droplets of water began to splatter against Kiara’s shoulders, but she didn’t move an inch. Her eyes stayed locked on the shut front door — too far, too close.
When Kiara left this place, she swore never to set foot here again.
So when she returned to Anteca, not once did she consider visiting or even driving past this area. Leaving her family and choosing independence came at a cost. It was never easy. It broke her heart more times than she could count. She had to learn how to live life outside the insulated shell her family had provided.
But ironically, it was the best decision she had ever made.
Money was still tight, even with her growing little company. But she was free. No more shackles, no more life controlled by the people who birthed her — no more being told how to smile, how to act, how to speak, how her hair should look, how to breathe. No more suffocating toxicity that made her sick to her stomach.
Yet for Cassandra, Kiara had swallowed all of that, just for the smallest chance.
The rain began to fall harder.
Heavy and big droplets of water drenched her from head to toe, but Kiara didn’t budge. She kept her eyes fixed on that same closed door, which showed no signs of opening.
"I’ll keep standing here," she whispered. "Because no matter how much we hate each other, I’m still your daughter... and you were my parents."
Her hands curled into fists, nails nearly digging into her palms. And just as promised, just as stubborn as always, she stood there. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Thirty. An hour. Two.
As the rain poured, workers began to appear, peeking from the side of the porch. Even the security guard from earlier stood nearby under an umbrella, his face lined with worry.