Chapter 18
988words
Feeling speechless, Gwyneth shot him a cold look and shook her head. "You're pathetic. If you're still a man, just sign the divorce agreement already. We could part on good terms, and I'd still see you as a man.
"None of what you've done these last two months has been for me. It's all been about you."
What he did made her more certain that leaving him was the right call.
"What should I do to get you to forgive me?" Asher asked, his eyes full of pleading. "Do I have to die for you to forgive me?"
Suddenly, he pulled a knife and sliced his wrist. The cut was deep, and blood came pouring out.
Gwyneth froze. Then, she stepped back while shaking her head. "You're insane. You didn't just revisit all the places we used to go. You also begged anyone you could for money to pull your company out of bankruptcy.
"The sad truth is, your reputation was already ruined. So, you decided to bet everything on me, hoping I'll agree to reconcile and save your company from going under."
Asher was a player, and his character was questionable.
A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes as he stared at Gwyneth. "H-How did you find out?"
Gwyneth scoffed and shook her head again. "I'm set on ending this. The divorce hearing is next week, and once it's done, I hope I never see you again. The last six months was all it took for you to burn through the love we built up over 12 years."
She turned toward Kieran, who was sitting in the car.
Kieran pulled up beside her, got out, and opened the passenger door for her.
After closing the door, he turned to Asher, who looked resentful, defeated, and on the verge of falling apart. "Mr. Crowe, make sure you get to the hospital. If you don't make it and end up dying, they'll have to list Wyn as a widow."
Asher's expression soured at his words.
Kieran drove up to the villa, got out of the car, lifted Gwyneth into his arms, and carried her inside. The maids had already called it a night by then.
He gently set her down on the couch and stared at her with a hint of determination. She looked flawless.
"I don't want to see you as a sister anymore. Will you be my wife?" Kieran's voice echoed in the dimly lit living room, sincere and full of emotion.
Gwyneth's cheeks flushed, and she looked down, too shy to meet his eyes. "You know I've been with Asher for 12 years. Maybe it doesn't bother you now, but it will later."
"None of this is on you," Kieran said, taking her hand. It felt small and soft in his.
His voice was deep and smooth. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. I had planned to go abroad, take over my parents' business, and return to tell you how I felt. But I didn't expect Asher to show up right after I left. I wouldn't have left if I'd known."
Kieran was abroad when he heard Asher had gone to the Paynes to get their approval for him and Gwyneth.
He couldn't sleep a wink that night. He might've rushed back home if it hadn't been for Felicia just undergoing surgery and being in such poor health.
When he found out that Asher had cheated on Gwyneth and she was asking for a divorce, he couldn't take it anymore and told Roderick he was heading home.
The Lauders had a thriving family business abroad after years of hard work, and they didn't really need to open a branch at home. But Kieran needed a reason to head back.
Gwyneth couldn't believe it. "You had feelings for me all along?"
Kieran dropped his gaze, his ears turning a little red.
While staying at the Payne residence, he saw how graceful and composed Gwyneth was, even as a teenager. And every time she called him Kie, it made him feel a little less lonely, being so far from his family.
Fortunately, luck was on his side and gave him a second chance.
"Yes. I've had feelings for you for a while now. If you were just like a sister to me, I wouldn't have stayed away on your wedding day." Kieran gently ran his hand through Gwyneth's hair. "Let's get married once the divorce is done, okay? I want you to be mine."
He dropped to one knee, pulled out a red box, and opened it, revealing a 12-carat diamond ring. "Will you marry me when the time comes?"
Gwyneth's face flushed bright red like a cherry when she realized he'd been planning this all along. "Who proposes that quickly after confessing?"
Kieran gave her a fond smile. "I'm afraid you'll run off. If you say yes, it'll actually help me sleep better."
"Yes, I do," Gwyneth said, blushing. She added quietly, "But you've got to tell my parents yourself."
Kieran nodded.
Franklin and Greta clearly knew how Kieran felt about Gwyneth. Who wouldn't want their daughter to marry a good guy?
Gwyneth married down, and it ended in disaster. Greta had been down in the dumps for months.
A week later, the divorce hearing went ahead as scheduled. Since Gwyneth and Asher had been living apart for two years and with Liana harming her, the court granted the divorce without delay.
Tears filled Gwyneth's eyes when she finally received the divorce decree.
Kieran hugged her and gently wiped her tears. "Don't cry. It tears me up."
Asher's face darkened as he watched them. He went public with his bankruptcy that same week. He had once been on top of the world but was now penniless and falling apart.
He approached Gwyneth, sounding remorseful. "Things wouldn't have ended up like this if it weren't for Liana, would they?"
