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[Hearts got involved]
GENRE: Office Romance
Written by; Racheal A.
DON’T COPY OR REPOST ⚠️
DON’T GHOST❗
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Chapter 43
Erik and Kiara both sat down on a bench and Kiara turned, facing him.
“Why aren’t you saying or asking me anything?” She asked,her voice was calm and a bit quiet “You’re acting like everything is normal, like me getting kidnapped and you being asked to pay all of your money as a ransom for my release isn’t that big of a deal. You even agreed to pay the ransom after everything I told you last night. My reason for coming to work for you. Why’d you agree to pay it?”She was still surprised that he actually agreed to Natasha’s request. She didn’t expect that from him after telling him the reason she came to work for him.
“You should know by now that I would do anything for you”He said.
She stared at him. “Even after everything I told you last night?”
Erik sighed and took one of her hands in his.
“Listen,what happened isn’t your fault,okay?. Emily explained everything to me. You shouldn’t keep blaming yourself over someone else’s wrong doing or keep painting yourself as a guilty or terrible person which you’re clearly not” He said.
“Why is everyone trying to make me feel better about what I did”She muttered, looking down.
“Because that’s the way you should feel. You did nothing wrong Kiara. You’re not guilty. You just happened to be a victim of loving and trusting the wrong person”He said and she looked at him “I know what it feels like. Trying to please someone, ignoring and turning a blind eye to their faults, hoping that one day they’d return the same energy and love you the way you love them”He chuckled as he remembered the time when he and Ivy were together and how things ended between them “Doing all sorts of things to make them happy when clearly, they’re not worth it and don’t deserve it either”
Kiara released a small smile. Hearing those words from him lightened her guilt. She had expected that his actions or words after finding out why she came to work for him would make her feel worse about what she did but it didn’t. He understood what happened and was trying to make her feel better, something she never thought she’d feel again after finding out that Natasha was using her to get his money. She felt happy and grateful.
Erik smiled at her.
“Thank you”She said “For coming to rescue me and… Everything”She smiled “I’m also sorry for everything that happened”
Erik wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug.
“Don’t apologize”He said, stroking her back “Seeing that you’re okay and here with me is what matters to me. And I’m sorry you had to go through all of those things in the hands of your stepmom. It must really hurt a lot”He released her from his hug and stared into her eyes “After what happened,I understand if you need sometime to yourself to get over it and…”He smiled at her “Don’t brood over it and get some rest okay?”
She nodded.
He glanced at the cut on her neck which had now been treated and plastered”Yeah,you should definitely get some rest”He said and she chuckled, making him smile.
He stood and stretched out his hand to her “Come on”He said.
She smiled and took his hand.
••••
“It’s almost six am. I can’t believe I didn’t sleep last night because of you”Lex said to Daphne.
“I apologize”Daphne said “I’m fine now. You can leave and head back home to sleep if you need to sleep that badly”
Emily chuckled “You should be thanking him for bringing you here”
“I already thanked him”
“I don’t recall…”
“Thank you”Daphne said, cutting his sentence short.
He chuckled.
“What’s with you two?”Emily muttered as she watched them.
The door opened and Kiara walked in with Erik behind her.
Daphne smiled, seeing Kiara’s face had brightened a bit.
“Shouldn’t you call your parents and let them know you’re in the hospital?”Lex asked.
“There’s no need for that since I’m okay now and I don’t want to get them worried”She said.
“Still,you should tell them”Kiara muttered, sitting beside Daphne.
“Fine”She sighed “After I get discharged”She added.
Kiara frowned.
“What?”Daphne shrugged.
“You just survived a fatal accident and a
Fifty – Fifty survival chance surgery and you’re acting like it’s not a big deal. Do you have any idea how scared I was when Lex told me about your accident?”Kiara asked with tears welling up her eyes.
Daphne pulled her into a hug “I’m sorry”
“I was really scared Daphne” Her tears were beginning to roll down her face.
“Stop crying, I’m not leaving you okay?”
The rest smiled as they watched them.
Erik brought out his phone when he heard it ring. He sighed when he saw the caller was Nathan.
Kiara turned to look at him.
“You can leave if you have to”Daphne told him “Thanks for coming to check up on me”She smiled.
He smiled in response.
“I’ll make sure to come back”He said and smiled at Kiara before leaving.
Daphne wiped Kiara’s tears.
“I’m here okay?”She smiled at her.
Kiara managed to smile back.
••••
Nathan exhaled and stood up when he saw Erik come in.
“You almost gave me a heart attack. Why didn’t you come home last night? You didn’t pick my calls either when I tried calling you” He said.
“I’m sorry. I was really busy”Erik said
Nathan sighed.
“You could have at least picked one of my calls”He said
“I’m home now”Erik said “You can get some sleep if you didn’t sleep last night because of me”
“You should get some sleep too. You look tired”
“I can’t. I only have a few hours left before I leave for work and I don’t want to sleep off and risk going late. I have lots of work to do at the office and I want to finish them early” Erik said
Nathan sighed.
Lex and Emily left already and Kiara was the only one remaining with Daphne
Daphne was already aware about what Natasha and Thomas did and she couldn’t be more happier that they got arrested
“I still can’t believe she kidnapped you and tried killing me too. That witch”She gritted “I hope she rots in jail with her boyfriend” She looked at Kiara who was seated on the chair beside her bed “By the way,”She placed her hands on Kiara’s “Are you okay? I can only imagine how you must have felt,how you feel”
“I’m fine”Kiara nodded and Daphne smiled
“So, things seem to be good between you and Erik”
“Yeah”Kiara chuckled lightly. She still couldn’t believe it
Daphne smiled “I’m glad things went well between you two”
She yawned and scratched her hair. “I feel sleepy” She muttered, looking at Kiara “You should go home and get cleaned up”
Kiara nodded
“Hey”Ken said when he got to Emily, planting a kiss on her lips.
She smiled at him.
“What’s wrong? You look tired”He observed her tired eyes.
“I’m fine. I…Just need some sleep”She nodded
He sighed “You should stop overworking”
“What’s in the bag?” She glanced at the bag in his hand.
“Lunch”He smiled and placed it on her desk.
She smiled as she looked into the bag.
“Kiara still didn’t show up today”Ken said few minutes after they began eating. “I hope she’s okay. I texted again but she’s still not responding”
“Actually, I’ll be going to see her after work today. Do you wanna come with me?”She asked.
“Um,sure”He nodded.
Ken turned to look at Emily when they got to the entrance.
“Kiara’s hospitalized?”He asked, shocked.
“No, Daphne is the one who’s hospitalized”Emily said “Kiara’s here because of her”
Kiara and Daphne turned to look in the direction of the door when they heard it open.
Emily and Ken walked in.
“Hi”Kiara said to them.
“Hey”Ken smiled at her.
“How are you feeling?”Emily asked, sitting beside Daphne
“Great”Daphne smiled
“And you?”Emily asked Kiara.
“Fine”Kiara gave a short smile.
Emily smiled.
“I had no idea you were hospitalized, I’d have come with flowers”Ken said to Daphne.
“I’m allergic to flowers”Daphne said.
“Oh”He muttered and slowly turned to face Kiara “Hey, I called and texted you yesterday,you … Didn’t respond. I wanted to ask why you didn’t show up at the office yesterday”
Kiara chuckled awkwardly.
“That reminds me. I haven’t seen you with your phone since you’ve been here with me”Daphne said to Kiara.
“Yeah,I lost it last night”Kiara said.
“No, it’s with Mr Erik”Emily said.
“Really?”Kiara asked, surprised.
Emily nodded.
••••
Erik sighed after checking the time on his phone as he came out of his office.
He’s been busy all day.
He left the office and went down to the parking lot. He got in his car after collecting the keys from his driver and drove out of the parking lot, heading to the hospital where Daphne was admitted. He was sure Kiara would be there with her.
Minutes later,he got there. He came out of his car after parking properly and went into the hospital.
He got to Daphne’s ward an entered. He met her seated on her bed, pressing her phone. Kiara wasn’t with her.
She looked up from her phone.
“Hey”He said to her.
She smiled at him before pointing at a couch situated at the corner of the room.
Erik traced her hand and saw she was pointing at a couch. Kiara was asleep on it.
He smiled.
“She’s exhausted”Daphne sighed as she stared at Kiara.
“I know”Erik muttered.
He faced Daphne and handed Kiara’s phone to her. He had forgotten to give it back to her in the morning before he left.
“Thanks”She said.
He nodded before turning to look at Kiara again.
“She told me what happened”Daphne said and he turned to look at her “The kidnap. She’s trusted Natasha her whole life only to get betrayed. I can only imagine how she feels”She sighed “Looking at her or even spending time with her,you wouldn’t know she’s someone who’s been through so much unless she tells you”She smiled”Despite what she’s been through,she keeps a cheerful spirit and still make sure that others around her do the same. I really admire that about her”
“Yeah, she’s… Really strong”He smiled. He could remember how torn he was after his parents and little sister’s death and how he changed afterwards until he met Kiara.
“I know Kiara. She won’t stay this way for long. She’ll get through this and return to her cheerful self”Daphne said.
Erik walked to Kiara and smiled as he stared at her face, stroking her hair affectionately.
Daphne smiled, watching them.
TBC…✍️
