Thunder rumbled in the sky as the night deepened.
Droplets of water began to splatter against Kiara's shoulders, but she didn't move an inch. Her eyes stayed locked on the shut front door — too far, too close.
When Kiara left this place, she swore never to set foot here again.
So when she returned to Anteca, not once did she consider visiting or even driving past this area. Leaving her family and choosing independence came at a cost. It was never easy. It broke her heart more times than she could count. She had to learn how to live life outside the insulated shell her family had provided.
But ironically, it was the best decision she had ever made.
Money was still tight, even with her growing little company. But she was free. No more shackles, no more life controlled by the people who birthed her — no more being told how to smile, how to act, how to speak, how her hair should look, how to breathe. No more suffocating toxicity that made her sick to her stomach.
