Chapter 9
719words
A guy's voice, somehow familiar yet different, came through, "I'm back in the country. Where are you? I'll come to you."
"I moved to a different city. I'm not in Laverston anymore," Gwyneth replied.
She talked to Kieran Lauder for about half an hour. He said he was heading over to the Payne residence to see her.
Gwyneth got home that evening and was stunned by how Kieran looked now. He was 30 years old, wearing a casual gray suit. His eyes were sharp, but they softened whenever he looked at her.
She hadn't seen him in years. He brushed her hair back like he used to when they were younger, and tears filled her eyes.
"Kie," she murmured.
Kieran wasn't her brother, but he was like one to her. The Lauder family moved next door when she was six years old.
To outsiders, they looked like childhood sweethearts—three years apart, both went to the same elementary school, walking to and from school every day.
When Kieran was eight years old, his parents, Roderick Lauder and Felicia Wilkins, went overseas for work, leaving him with a nanny. The nanny took advantage of being in charge and treated him badly.
One day, the nanny blasted Roderick and Felicia for being unreliable right before Kieran. He couldn't hold it in any longer and got into a fight with her.
When Felicia found out, she couldn't bear seeing Kieran suffer anymore. She took him back to the Wilkins' place, and he stayed there for six years.
When Kieran turned 17 years old, Roderick wanted him to learn the family business abroad, so Kieran flew out that year.
Gwyneth started high school as a freshman the next year and met Asher. Actually, her parents, Franklin Payne and Greta Callaway, never supported her relationship with Asher from the start.
The Paynes might not have been prestigious, but they were doing much better than the Crowes. If Gwyneth hadn't been so set on it, Franklin and Greta never would have agreed to her marrying Asher.
During the rough start of Asher's business, the Payne family and Kieran quietly sent Gwyneth money to help her out.
But Asher was proud and stubborn. He wouldn't let her use their money, so she endured long months of nothing but cabbage and potatoes with him.
After Gwyneth got married, she gradually lost touch with Kieran.
Kieran had planned to return home at the end of the year to focus on the domestic market, but when he learned about Gwyneth's marriage troubles, he came back sooner.
It had been 13 years since Gwyneth last saw Kieran, and seeing him again almost brought her to tears.
"So, what are you planning to do next?" Kieran asked, looking at her with sympathy. He'd learned about Asher's cheating during his time abroad.
Gwyneth was munching on a barbecue. She paused and replied, "I'm starting a guesthouse. And I'm waiting for the divorce to go through."
She hadn't figured out the rest yet, but she knew she wasn't going back to Laverston in the next two years. She'd been through too much pain in that marriage.
Kieran saw her with her head down and said, "Our family's planning to open a branch in Laverston. So my work's going to be based there for the next few years. Once I'm settled, I'll help you start your own business. Deal?"
Gwyneth shot her head up and shook it. "No, I can't…"
Asher's startup had done well a few years back, mainly because the market was right for it. But it wasn't realistic with the economy in a slump and her health still not fully recovered.
Kieran rubbed his glass and slowly said, "Start with the guesthouse to get some experience, then sign up for an MBA program. Once our Laverston branch is stable after a year, I'll help you with your business."
Greta could see Gwyneth was struggling and said, "Kie's right. You're more than capable. Focus on your studies next year, then let Kie help you the year after. Your divorce will be finalized by then, and things will get easier for you."
"Alright." Gwyneth finally stopped hesitating.
She signed up for the MBA program and dove right into her studies.
