Chapter 2 Return to the Vaughan Family
Andres pressed his fingers to his brow, his face weary.
Mere
“I’ve been working non–stop, with no time to rest. Who am I doing all this for?”
“When I finally had a moment today, I came to see you right away, and this is what I get over a bracelet?”
Keira laughed bitterly, her anger almost beyond words. “You’re working for yourself, Andres. That’s the truth. You’ve never turned down anyone, so why are you blaming me?”
Andres, seeing that she still wasn’t backing down, let his expression harden completely.“Keira, have I spoiled you too much? Don’t think just because I love you, you can act like this!”
“From now on, stop all your work. Go home and cool off. When you’ve calmed down and know what to say and what not to say, then you can come back.”
“Say that again?”
Keira thought she’d misheard him.
Andres spoke again, his voice cold.“Stop everything you’re working on. When you’re calm, then come back.”
“Your movie project, the one you’re handling, your assistant will take over for now.”
Keira’s body swayed.“What right do you have to do that?”
She took a deep breath, steadying herself.“I can give up on other things. But this movie project, I fought hard for it and signed the deal myself. You don’t have the right to take it from me.
Andres chuckled sharply, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke.
“You signed the deal? With what? If it weren’t for my connections, do you really think the project head would even give you a second glance?”
“Keira, do you really think so highly of yourself?”
Keira took a long, hard look at him, as if she were seeing him for the first time.
“You think I used your connections?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.“Andres, how could you be so heartless? I built you up from scratch. Every resource you have, I fought for it And now you’re telling me I’m only here because of you?”
Andres‘ face remained impassive.“Keira, are you going to talk about the past now?”
“The old you wouldn’t let me throw a tantrum like this, would you?”
Keira took a step back, her face drained of color.
Andres noticed the change in her expression and felt
“Kiki, stop it. No one can replace your place in my heart.”
a slight pang of regret.
Keira found the words ridiculous.“What about Marlee? Where does she fit into that?”
“Andres‘ patience, which had already been worn thin, cracked again.“How many times do I have to
say it? I only think of her as a little sister.”
She covered her eyes with her hand, trying to push down the bitter feeling rising in her chest. Andres, stop deceiving yourself. Since Marlee came back, since you started thinking about
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replacing me as your manager, I’ve already stopped being irreplaceable to
Andres‘ anger flared again.
you.
“Don’t drag Marlee into this. Replacing you as my manager has nothing to do with her. I need fashion resources, and the new person has them.”
“You know I hate repeating myself, but for you, I’ve said it over and over again. Is it not enough for you?”
“Besides, after you stepped down as my manager, you had more time to develop your career as a director and photographer, didn’t you?”
“You think I did all this for you?”
Keira’s laugh was empty, bitter.
Did he think he’d done something for her?
At the time, when Andres had wanted to work with that new manager, he had already been thinking about removing Keira. But he hadn’t known how to bring it up.
Keira had realized this. In order for him to secure the resources, she had volunteered to step down as his manager.
But now, he was telling her he’d done it for her?
Suddenly, Keira wasn’t
what she had spent sure
spent the past five years doing.
Andres had never seen her like this before.
Her eyes were red, filled with self–doubt. But there was a sharpness to her that made him uneasy He reached for her, but he only ended up hurting her deeper.
He hated this version of Keira.
The girl he had raised, the one who was supposed to be pure and elegant, now seemed to have grown too sharp, too bitter.
his
“Kiki, stop it, he muttered, pinching his brow to suppress
frustration.
“You like the bracelet, don’t you? Fine, I’ll get it for you in a couple of days.”
Keira felt like she had been very serious, but he just brushed it off.
She had said so much, yet in Andres‘ eyes, all of it was just her throwing a tantrum:
She wasn’t even fighting for something real, just a bracelet.
But that bracelet was the last straw for her.
Andres saw that she wasn’t responding. He spoke again, his tone colder now.“You want to keep being my manager? Fine, after things stabilize in a couple of years, I’ll give you your position. back.”
Her tone was bitter as she responded.“I don’t want any of it Along with it, she didn’t want him either.
anymore.”
Andres‘ irritation flared again.“Then what do you want? A proposal? Fine, I’ll propose to you the end of this year. We’ll get engaged and married next year.”
Keira’s
smile was hollow, but it wasn’t the smile she had once dreamed of.
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The future she had hoped for, the one she had once longed for, now seemed like something she didn’t want at all.
Shaking her head slowly, she answered, “I don’t want it anymore.”
Andres stood there, silent, watching her. His patience had worn out completely. She lifted her eyes to meet his, speaking slowly and deliberately.“I just want to break up.” Andres‘ heart squeezed tight. Before he could even think, his hands were around her neck.“Keira, you really are stubborn!”
She closed her eyes. Tears started falling, silently, down her cheeks.
The teardrops burned his skin as they fell on his hand.
He jerked his hand back in shock, realizing what he had done.
the 7 years he had known Keira, five of them as lovers, he had never seen her cry.
It unsettled him, but it only lasted for a moment.
He was sure Keira loved him. He was sure she wouldn’t leave him.
“Kiki, I’ve spoiled you too much over the years. That’s why you think you can just throw around a breakup like it’s nothing.”
“You’re upset. Fine. But your work is still on hold. Go home and think it through, then come back when you’re ready.”
It was like a command. With that, he turned and walked out.
Keira stood still, unable to move, her mind in a daze.
Just then, a message from WhatsApp popped up unexpectedly.
It was from the head of Andres‘ team.
“Keira, all your work is on hold. The movie project you’ve been following will be temporarily handed over to your assistant.”
She received the same message again.
Keira found it amusing.
She didn’t want to be here anymore. She dragged her feet towards the door
At the end of the hallway, she could hear gossip from inside a room.
“Did Andres really stop all of Keira’s work?”
“Of course. I heard it loud and clear. She always flaunted her power because Mr. Finley liked her. Now let’s see how she acts without that.”
“I told you, she’s just an orphan. She shouldn’t even be here.”
“Now that her work is paused, Andres will kick her out soon. It’s only a matter of time.”
A woman stood up and crossed paths with Keira, catching her eye.“Isn’t this Andres‘ favorite employee?”
She spilled her tea on Keira with a smirk.“Sorry, my fault.”
Keira smashed the cup at her feet, her anger rising.
The woman, who was in charge of public relations for Andres‘ team, had always been jealous of
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Keira, holding a grudge against her for being close to Andres.
What’s your problem?” the woman screamed. “You’ve been suspended. It’s only a matter of time before you’re kicked out. A stray dog has no right to bark!”
Keira looked coldly at her.“Is that what you think? You’re just waiting to replace me, aren’t you?”
“How dare you!”
“You’re going to be disappointed,” Keira sneered, “Did you see today’s news? Whether I’m here or not, you’ll never get your chance.”
The woman’s face turned red with anger.
Keira glanced at the others watching, then turned to walk away.
She walked towards to door.
You’re just as useless as me. What have you gained after all these years?”
“A dog that’s been discarded. What’s there to be proud of?”
Keira’s steps faltered and her heart clenched, the words sinking in like a knife.
Her mood darkened. She immediately hailed a taxi, heading back to her place.
Warner Estate was the most famous wealthy district in California. You didn’t have the right to buy a house here even if had lots of money.
you
If people who knew Keira saw her here, they’d surely mock her.
But at the gate, the security guards greeted her respectfully.“Miss Hardin, welcome back.”
She nodded politely, walking slowly toward the center of the property.
This wasn’t her home. It was Uncle Kamden Vaughan’s house.
The Vaughan family was the wealthiest in the country. Keira’s parents were old friends of Kamden’s brother.
After her parents passed away, they took her in.
Although she was adopted, the Vaughan family treated her like one of their own, but she couldn’t bring herself to enjoy it.
The Vaughans were full of self–made, strong individuals. Keira had wanted to build her own career, to prove she was worthy of the family’s kindness.
She hadn’t lived here in a long time. But today, it felt like she had lost her way
It seemed like the Vaughan family was the only place she had left.
A
