Kiara's eyes fluttered open, the soft light of the hospital room casting a gentle glow around her. As her vision adjusted, she spotted a familiar figure standing by the door, watching her with a mixture of concern and uncertainty.
Sitting up slowly, Kiara's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the intruder. It was Mike, her unwanted husband, his presence filling her with a sense of dread.
"Oh no, I'm doomed the devil's son has come to visit me"," she thought to herself, panic rising in her chest. "What is he doing here?"
For a moment, she considered pretending to be asleep, hoping he would leave without noticing her. But it was too late - Mike had already seen her stirring, and there was no escaping his gaze now.
As Mike approached her bedside, Kiara's mind raced with fear and apprehension. She knew she had to act quickly to avoid any unwanted confrontation.
Summoning all her strength, Kiara feigned a sudden lightheadedness, allowing herself to slump back against the pillows. Closing her eyes, she let out a soft groan, hoping to convey the appearance of unconsciousness.
"Ohh..." she murmured faintly, her voice barely audible. "What a cruel twist of fate..."
Mike watched the scene unfold with growing confusion, unsure of what to make of Kiara's sudden distress. As he moved closer to her bedside, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
"Kiara?" he called out tentatively, his voice tinged with concern. "Are you okay?"
But Kiara remained silent, her eyes squeezed shut in feigned unconsciousness. Mike hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed. Should he call for help? Or try to rouse her himself?
As he stood by her bedside, watching the drama unfold, Mike couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Kiara's condition than met the eye. And until he knew the truth, he was determined to stay by her side.
"I said, don't touch me!" Kiara's voice cut through the air like a whip, her eyes snapping open to glare at Mike with a mixture of fear and defiance.
Mike recoiled at her sharp tone, his hand frozen in mid-air. "I was just trying to help," he muttered, his own frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
"Well, I don't need your help," Kiara shot back, her voice dripping with contempt. "Especially not from you."
Mike's jaw tightened at her words, his own temper flaring in response. "Fine," he retorted, his voice cold and clipped. "I'll leave you alone then."
As Mike turned to go, Kiara's heart sank. She hadn't meant to push him away, but the thought of being trapped in this forced marriage with him was more than she could bear.
"M-Mike," she called out hesitantly, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
He paused, his back still turned to her. "What?" he replied curtly, his tone betraying his irritation.
"I... I'm sorry," Kiara whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just... this whole situation..."
Mike turned to face her once more, his expression softening slightly. "I know," he said quietly, his voice tinged with sympathy. "Believe me, I understand."
For a moment, they simply stared at each other in silence, the weight of their unspoken emotions hanging heavy in the air. Despite their differences, there was a glimmer of understanding between them, a shared sense of vulnerability in the face of their circumstances.
Slowly, tentatively, Mike moved back to Kiara's bedside, taking a seat beside her. "We may not have chosen this marriage," he began, his voice gentle, "but maybe we can find a way to make the best of it. Together."
Kiara met his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. Could it be possible? Could they truly find a way to bridge the divide between them and forge a connection in the midst of their forced union?
As they sat in quiet contemplation, a newfound sense of hope began to bloom in Kiara's heart. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for them after all.
"Blame me?" Mike's voice rose in incredulity, his eyes flashing with indignation. "You think I wanted this any more than you did?"
Kiara's lips curled into a bitter sneer. "Oh please, spare me the act. You're just as complicit in this as anyone else. You could have refused, fought back, but instead, you're here, just like me."
Mike's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "You think I haven't tried?" he shot back, his voice tinged with frustration. "You think I haven't fought tooth and nail against my father's demands? But you know what? Sometimes, there's no choice but to bend to his will, no matter how much it goes against everything you believe in."
Kiara scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "So what, you're just going to roll over and accept it? Live the rest of your life trapped in a loveless marriage, shackled to someone you can't stand?"
Mike's gaze hardened, his resolve firm. "No," he said firmly, his voice cutting through the air like steel. "I refuse to let my father dictate my life any longer. And if that means standing up to him, even if it means sacrificing everything I've ever known, then so be it."
Kiara's eyes widened in surprise at the fire in Mike's words, a glimmer of respect flickering in her gaze. Perhaps there was more to him than she had initially thought.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other, the tension between them palpable. Despite their differences, they shared a common enemy in Robinson, a mutual desire to break free from his suffocating grasp.
As Kiara's cry pierced the air, Mike's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "What? No, that's not..." he began, but the words caught in his throat as he saw the nurses rushing towards them.
Kiara's voice rang out, her words laced with panic and desperation. "Help! He's trying to kill me!"
Mike's heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of anger and frustration bubbling inside him. "Kiara, stop this," he hissed through gritted teeth, his hands trembling with the intensity of his emotions. "You know that's not true."
But Kiara's eyes blazed with a wild fear, her words tumbling out in a frantic stream. "He's lying! He's been threatening me since he got here, saying he wants to get rid of me!"
Reeling from the ghastly sight, it was all too much for Kiara's addled psyche. Her eyes rolled back as darkness rushed in, and she crumpled in a dead faint onto the gravel.
When she awoke much later in a bleary daze, her grandfather was urgently hovering over her while shouting desperately to the staff from somewhere beyond.
"S-something terrible...in the gardens..." Kiara tried to explain, her voice a mere croak. "A man...murdered..."
Then sweet oblivion mercifully claimed her once more.
"You see, ladies and gentlemen? Hardly the picture of health and stability!"
Cyndi leveled a disparaging look at the assembled hotel board members over steepled fingers. In Kiara's grandparents' absence, he sought to spin the recent distressing incident to his advantage.
"Hallucinations, sleepwalking, even nervous breakdowns? How can we possibly entrust Davis Hotels' future to an heir prone to such...unbalanced episodes?"
Uneasy murmurs filled the plush boardroom as Cyndi's venomous implication took root. Reggie Withers, one of the more outspoken members, cleared his throat.
"Now see here, young man. We all know Davis was simply overwhelmed by the recent tragedy at the hotel. Once she recovers from the shock, I'm sure the girl will be hale and hearty--"
"That's just it, Withers - can we truly take that risk?" Cyndi smoothly overrode him, his tone laced with calculated concern. "What if there are deeper, underlying issues which could resurface as easily as her night terrors? Problems that could put our multi-billion dollar brand in jeopardy?"
The formerly dubious expressions around the table shifted towards apprehension. Cyndi hid a smile - he'd sown the seed of doubt, and all that remained was to nurture it diligently.
"Of course, if Miss Davis proves incapable of handling the pressures of leadership..." he continued, letting the implication hang heavily in the air. "Then perhaps we ought to seek out a more...stable heir to safeguard our family legacy, hmm?"
The predatory gleam in Garett's eyes bespoke a shark like hunger for opportunity. And he fully intended to devour Kiara Davis's inheritance whole, whether by fair means or foul...