She paused for a moment, her eyes closing as she tried to steady herself. Her heart was heavy, but her resolve was firm. She had given Edward an ultimatum, and now, she could only wait and see what he would choose.
She wouldn't settle for less than she deserved, even if it meant walking away from the man she loved.
Her steps were slow but determined as she walked away.
"Wait," a voice called out from behind. Kiera's footsteps halted, and she felt a shiver run down her spine, freezing her in place. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slowly turned around, a mixture of anticipation and hope battling within her.
She silently wished that, for once, Edward would prove her wrong.
As she turned, the hope in her eyes began to dim. Instead of Edward, it was Lucas standing there, impeccably dressed in a butler's suit, a large handbag in his hand.
The sight of him made her shoulders sag, the tension that had built up dissipating into a profound sense of disappointment.
Kiera's face, which had been a canvas of cautious optimism, now displayed a pained smile.
Her eyes, once bright with expectation, dulled slightly, reflecting the ache of unfulfilled hopes. She forced herself to maintain composure, even as she felt her heart sink.
"Huff," Lucas panted as he rushed to stand in front of Kiera, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
His hair, usually perfectly styled, was slightly disheveled from his sprint. After a moment, he straightened up, his face flushed and his chest heaving.
He fixed Kiera with an exaggeratedly angry expression, his eyes narrowing playfully.
"You porcupine," he muttered, lightly tapping her on the head with a mix of frustration and affection.
Kiera's eyes widened in surprise as she instinctively touched the spot where his hand had made contact. Her expression shifted to one of confusion, her brows furrowing slightly.
Lucas noticed her bewilderment and couldn't help but let out a small, amused sigh. "You dumb girl," he said, his voice laced with irritation but also a hint of amusement.
"Just because I call you porcupine, do you have to act like one?" He lightly hit her on the head again, this time a bit more firmly, but still playful.
Kiera's confusion melted into a reluctant smile, her lips curving upwards as she let out a soft chuckle.
"I wasn't acting like a porcupine," she protested weakly, her voice tinged with laughter. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of annoyance and affection .
"Oh really? Then tell me, did you forget something?" Lucas asked in a playful yet annoyed tone, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her, waiting for her answer.
Kiera, who saw this, thought for a while. After waking up, her mind felt like a jumble; her past life memories and the present were mixing together, making it quite confusing to grasp the situation.
She rubbed her temples, trying to clear her thoughts, her brow furrowing as she pieced everything together.
Even after thinking for a while, she couldn't figure it out. She glanced at her luggage, her face reflecting a growing sense of confusion and frustration.
She opened and closed her hands nervously, feeling lost. She didn't even know what was inside it. Lucas, seeing her lost expression, sighed deeply.
"Here", He picked up the bag and hung it in front of her, shaking his head slightly as he did so. His movements were deliberate and exasperated, his shoulders slumping slightly.
Kiera looked at the bag with a puzzled and worried gaze. Slowly, she raised her arm and took the bag, her fingers trembling slightly. She carefully opened it and peered inside. As she saw the objects, tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over and dripping onto the ground.
She couldn't believe it. Her husband, with whom she had spent six years of her life, her family and child, to whom she had given everything, still couldn't understand the most important thing to her. But this man, Lucas, had. She raised her head, her eyes shimmering with tears, and looked at Lucas, her heart full of unspoken gratitude and emotion.
Kiera looked at the bag with a puzzled and worried gaze. Slowly, she raised her arm and took the bag, her fingers trembling slightly. She carefully opened it and peered inside.
As she saw the objects, tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over and dripping onto the ground.
She couldn't believe it. Her husband, with whom she had spent six years of her life, her family and child, to whom she had given everything, still couldn't understand the most important thing to her.
But this man, Lucas, had. She raised her head, her eyes shimmering with tears, and looked at Lucas, her heart full of unspoken gratitude and emotion.
Lucas, this person, had come into this house two months after her. It was because of Madam Anna Valhale, who couldn't believe that her daughter's in-laws did not even have a servant in their home.
She made a condition to Edward's family that if they wanted to marry her daughter into their family, they should at least have a servant, and that servant was Lucas.
Lucas and Kiera were not friends. If it were to be put straight, they were competitors. After all, in this house, people thought that Kiera was a servant, and the same went for Lucas, who competed with her for work.
Their relationship had always been strained, but filled with fun and rivalry. They fought with each other, engaging in playful banter and occasional arguments, but they also took care of each other in subtle ways. Many people who saw them together felt like they were siblings due to their actions and the bond they shared.
But who would believe that this same Lucas, who smiled so easily, always cared for the youngsters in the house, and took care of everyone around him, had taken his own life?
Kiera's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Lucas, her one and only true friend in this household.
This realisation only come to her when his absence hit her hard, the pain of losing someone who had been there through thick and thin, someone who had understood her in ways no one else had.