The Price Of Freedom

Kiera's eyes glimmered with joy as she stared at Van. She was touched by her grandfather's support. The conversation with her grandfather had both comforted and unnerved her.

She originally expected him to oppose her divorce from Nicholas in order to save face and consider the power the Relish Group held over their lives. But instead, he had prioritized her happiness over their business ties.

"I am sorry, Van. I never meant to be rash with my words, Diana apologized.

Van looked at Kiera, still wearing a smile on his face, he nodded.

"Give me a second, I have something to discuss with you."

Shifting his gaze to them, he dismissed them at once.

"Ray, Diana, I would like to be alone with my granddaughter. Thanks for coming." With how angry he almost got just now, Diana did not need a second telling as to when to leave. Quickly she lowered her head respectfully and walked away, but not before stealing another glance at Diana.

This time she hoped she would not push through with her plans.

But just like how she ignored Kiera, the latter turned her head away and focused on her grandfather's hand.

Ray on the other hand stood up from where he sat listening to all the drama unfold. Clenching his hand, he gave a weak smile to his brother, bid Kiera farewell and left.

Anger surged within him. He hoped that informing Van about the scandal would make him push Kiera off from being the VICE CEO so as not to ruin the Campbell family name and drag the company down.

Who would have thought that the old man's fondness for her would be this deep?

The room was filled with a tangible silence as they locked eyes, understanding passing between them without the need for words.

"I am so glad you made the right choice, Kiera. Your happiness is worth more than anybody's," Van stated.

As tears streamed down her face, Kiera thanked her grandfather for his understanding.

She knew that this decision would have repercussions, not just for her but for her entire family. But at that moment, she felt a newfound strength to face whatever came her way. "It's time for you to break free from this toxic relationship, Kiera," her grandfather spoke with a firmness in his voice.

"Go after the life you deserve." Kiera nodded, her voice choked with emotion.

"I will, Grandpa. I will find my own happiness."

They spent time conversing and after a while, Kiera left the hospital.

She found herself lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. The weight of her decision loomed over her, but she felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in a long while. At the very least it was abjig step in the right direction. 

Meanwhile, Jace arrived at Van's hospital room with a smile on his face and a bouquet in his hands.

"How's my favourite Chairman doing?" Jace asked as he walked in.

Rather than smiling, Van looked at Jace with a mix of regret and acceptance. He couldn't help but feel responsible for the mess their lives had become.

"Hey old man, do not give me that look. You're not dying yet so stop with all the regret and wish look," he joked.

"Jace."

"I'm here," Jace's deep voice echoed as he sat down on the bed beside Van.

"Now's the right time, Jace," Van said, his voice filled with resignation.

"I know."

"If only you did not get into an accident back then, none of this would have happened. There would have been no Nicholas in the picture and my granddaughter wouldn't have suffered."

Jace smiled, his eyes filled with warmth.

"It's okay, Van. It's never too late to make things right and this time, I plan on winning her over. I would make up for wasted years."

"I trust you. And speaking of making up, what went down at the club yesterday?"

"Oh that.." Jace laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"Well."

"Well...?"

The second she got home, Diana stormed into Nicholas' study, her frustration boiling over as the door slammed against the wall.

"Nicholas Dave Relish!" Diana hollered as she caught him engrossed in his company's business.

He gazed up to look at her, his annoyance apparent at her interruption. Ignoring his irritation, Diana confronted her son head-on.

"Nicholas, is it true? Are you really going to divorce Kiera and marry Cristal?" Diana's voice trembled with a mix of anger and concern.

Dropping his pen on the desk, Nicholas sighed, his patience wearing thin.

"Mother, whatever this is about, I'll take care of it. Stay out of this. It is my business."

"Your business?!" She hollowed and stomped over to where he was.

"Have you forgotten that as the heir to the Relish Group, your business isn't yours anymore?"

"Mother, I am my own man. I have the right to..."

"Rights be damned!" Diana's anger flared, her words dripping with contempt.

"You're making a mistake, Nicholas! The Campbell Group may be in the decline but it holds its prestige and it is suited for the Relish Group. Marrying Cristal will only tarnish your reputation further."

At the mention of her last sentence, Nicholas snapped, his frustrations reaching a breaking point.

"Enough, Mother! I didn't ask for this divorce. Don't make this any harder than it already is."

"I shouldn't? Maybe if you had a little decency in you to treat Kiera well then this wouldn't have happened."

"Mother, I have spoken. I will handle this, so please leave and not disturb me with this."

"You better," she scowled.

As Diana turned to leave, she vowed, her voice laced with determination, "I will never accept Cristal as your wife, no matter what happens between you and Kiera.

He clenched his jaw and balled his fingers into a fist as he waited for her to leave his study. Once the door shut behind her, Nicholas's patience shattered, mirroring the glass that lay on the floor.

"Arrgh!"

Suddenly the notification tone rang out from his phone pulling his attention to it.

Without further ado, Nicholas picked it up and saw it was a text message from Kiera.

"Good day. Please this is to remind you of our meeting at the city's council for our divorce and to take care of the formalities." His brows contorted into a frown.

He never wanted this but now... It seemed Kiera was hell-bent on leaving him and that simply pushed him over the edge.

With a violent motion, Nicholas grabbed the glass cup from the table and flung it against the wall.

Shards of glass scattered all around on the floor, a reflection of the broken fragments of his life. The room was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of Nicholas's heavy breaths.

The shattered glass served as a poignant reminder of the chaos that had consumed them all, leaving behind a trail of pain and heartache.

"Damn it, Kiera! Aish!!!"