Stunned

Kiara calmly walked upstairs to the stage. Without wavering for once she stood right beside her grandfather who was standing beside Ria.

As soon as she walked in, all eyes turned toward her. Not just the audience but the couple on stage also turned towards her. The whole hall turned into pin-drop silence once again, but this time because of her presence.

No one could believe what they were looking at. Ex-girlfriend, with whom the groom just broke up hours ago, for her step-sister, is actually celebrating his boyfriend's engagement party on stage with them? 

She actually came to the party as a guest, the party belonged to her till last night. Where she should have been a host, she is now a visitor. How? Above all, why?

Besides all these doubts some people were still comparing Ria and Kiara in their heads. With one look they could tell the difference. 

Where Ria was standing in her engagement gown, Kiara was simply wearing her plain blue gown. Where Ria had her stylist do her best job on her face and on her hair, Kiara had nothing done on her face or for her hair. She simply looked the best without doing anything.

What was more eye-catching was how Ria was trying her best to look all sophisticated. Whereas Kiara's gracefulness is in her nature. Without even a try to do anything, she caught everyone's attention at once. Her white long leg, coming out of that slit of her gown, brought a storm in many people's hearts.

- "Do you still think that she is pitiful?" One of the guests asked his mate.

- "Pitiful Kiara? Huh... I feel like the longer she stayed on that stage, the longer Ria would look pitiful to everyone."

- "So true man. Even after grooming herself to her best, Ria couldn't beat Kiara's plain beauty."

- "Seriously again. Can anyone tell me why Max dug his own grave?"

- "Don't ask. Money can make you do anything. Here he just compromised with every best thing so that he can take that throne for himself."

Max looked sideways at Kiara. He was stunned and surprised to his core. Never in the world did he think that Kiara would come to this party. 

After the news was circulated he still expected calls from her for the whole night. But not for once Kiara called. He only stopped waiting for her this morning. The regret was killing him, but now seeing her beside him, all his regret turned into fear. 

He didn't want Kiara to lose herself in public. He didn't want her to embarrass herself in front of them. However, when he looked at her expression he realized that Kiara was simply here not to save her face but to save her family's face in public. Like always Kiara proved to everyone again how special she is.

When he looked beside him, at her fiance, Ria, he also saw the difference between them and what the audience was looking at. He knows the loss but for power, he was always ready to sacrifice his love for Kiara.

"Did you invite her?" Max asked Ria.

"Of course not. She came on her own. Although I did believe that she won't be able to make it here." Ria said while hiding her smug look.

"What do you mean?" Max suspiciously looked at her.

"That I will tell you later. That is something which might help us in front of grandfather too." Ria whispered said.

Max's eyes got narrowed. Looking sideways at James Walker he sighed again.

James has always been an upright man. He never differentiated between Kiara and Ria on the basis of their work field. Where Ria works under their company in the entertainment business as an actress, Kiara took business as her field. 

However, because of this difference, it's almost impossible for Ria to be a successor of Walker entertainment. 

Even in that case, he divided his son's shares among her granddaughters equally. The only gap was created when Kiara's mother's shares went to Kiara only. 

But no matter what, James would never allow any of his grandchildren to fight for power or allow them to disgrace his family's name by any chance.

Now taking such a step, Max was worried that James wouldn't let go of them this easily. He did come to the party, but only at the last minute, and that too just for his family namesake.

'If Ria actually succeeded in saving them from James, he would really appreciate her work and worth.' Max thought to himself.

"Thank you for coming here Kiara." James said lightly to Kiara.

Kiara gave a gentle smile and nodded to her grandfather. "It's our family function. How can I not come?"

"You are my real honor." James spoke with a forceful smile. The regret and guilt were in his heart too. Kiara would never have agreed to marry Max if he had not forced her to do so.

He finds himself very incompetent that he let something like this happen to Kiara.

"Don't worry Grandpa. I am alright." Kiara tenderly said.

Ria, jealously looked at her grandfather and Kiara. She badly wanted to separate them, but in front of James, she got no powers at all.

Once the engagement was done, Kiara and James left the party. On their way out, they met Cathy too. Holding Cathy's wrist to stop her from creating any scene, Kiara dragged her outside.

All three of them took Cathy's car.

Cathy turned to her right side. Seeing Kiara calmly driving them to her home, she asked bewilderedly. "How long have I been sleeping? Or did I come to another dimension? What the hell-"

"Cathy. Mind your words. Grandpa is here too." Kiara reminded me.

"It's okay Kiara. It's a natural reaction in fact. I heard about this engagement in the middle of the night too." James understandably said. 

"Middle of the night? Heard? You didn't decide this?" Cathy asked.

"No. I was informed." James said.

"What about you Kiara?" 

"I came to my engagement party and then saw my boyfriend and sister on stage. That's how I got to know about this." Kiara truthfully answered.

"Ouch! That must have hurt you badly." Cathy pursed her lips and pouted hard. 

"You didn't get the message last night?" James from the back seat asked in puzzlement.

'Last night.' Kiara thought to herself. 'Lot of things have happened in just 12 hours, Grandpa. I don't even know where I should start.