The Lost Then Found Luna

Another surprise

After watching the shock on My Hayes face with his discovery, Kiara was confident that her pitch would be approved by Marcus, Angus, and Todd. However, she knew that convincing Paxton Hayes was crucial to the success of her proposal. During the meeting, Kiara knew she had stunned Mr. Hayes by disclosing that she was the CEO of The Oakley. The revelation left him speechless, and Kiara admittedly felt a sense of pride and a desire to impress him.

Even though Kiara was typically humble and didn't seek attention, she found myself yearning for Paxton's approval. This was a rare occurrence since Kiara didn't usually care about gaining attention from men. She found her desire to impress him annoying, and thought to herself, "Ugh how annoying and so sick of me to feel and think that way." Despite this internal conflict, Kiara remained determined to secure Mr. Hayes' support and approval.

The meeting room was silent for a moment before a round of applause disrupted Kiara's inner thoughts. To her surprise, even Mr Hayes was applauding, which gave her hope that her pitch had gone well. Kiara looked each individual in the eye and asked the question that had been lingering on her mind, "So, what do you all think? Are we signing this off today and making a brighter future for tomorrow?"

She watched and listened as Marcus, Angus, and Todd all nodded in agreement and said "Ae" in unison. Feeling a sense of relief, she locked eyes with Mr Hayes and asked him directly, "And what about you, Mr Hayes? Are we walking away as business partners today?" He kept his gaze locked on hers, followed by a cocky smile, and finally his answer, "Miss Rose, after a performance like that, I would be a fool to walk away without a new business partner," which he finished off with a flirty wink. His response left Kiara feeling a little taken aback but also relieved that her hard work had paid off.

As Kiara sat in the boardroom, her heart was pounding in her chest, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Amara and Kiara exchanged a glance, excitement flickering in ther eyes, but they knew they had to remain professional. After all, they were discussing a serious matter. The committee was considering funding for their educational project, and Kiara had presented her case convincingly. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached an agreement and signed off on the necessary paperwork. As they shook each hand in the room, Kiara felt a sense of relief wash over her. But it wasn't until she approached Paxton Hayes, that her excitement boiled over. "Thank you very much for your support, Mr. Hayes," Kiara said, her voice brimming with confidence.

The moment Mr. Hayes flashed his dazzling smile, she knew that all my hard work had paid off. Kiara spoke up, "I promise you won't be disappointed, he leaned in closer, he whispered, "Oh, I have a feeling you are very right, Miss Rose," and with a kiss on her hand, Kiara's cheeks flushed with anticipation. She couldn't help but think, "Control yourself, Kiara Rose," as she thanked him. The memory of that interaction was etched in her mind forever. It left Kiara with a sense of foreboding as if it was only the opening act of a much larger, more impactful event. She couldn't shake the feeling that this business venture would evolve into something far greater than what it appeared to be.

As soon as the last person left the boardroom, Amara and Kiara couldn't contain their excitement any longer and jumped up in the air with high-pitched squeals of delight. "We did it Amara!", Kiara exclaimed, feeling proud of their accomplishment. But Amara was quick to correct her, "Correction, you did it! I was only here as support, you did all the hard work Kiara!" Her words made Kiara feel even more elated and grateful for her friendship.

They giggled and jumped around like a couple of teenagers, relishing the feeling of success and freedom from all the tension and stress that had built up in the past few weeks. "Since you didn't even break a sweat, let's get going for a celebration lunch! Plus, I have a bit of a surprise for you boss lady!" Amara said, flashing a mischievous grin.

Kiara couldn't help but roll my eyes at her use of the term 'boss lady'. "If it wasn't for the fact I just got this project signed off, I would be telling you where to go with the whole 'boss lady' s**t", she retorted, trying to sound stern but failing miserably. Amara cracked up laughing and waved her off, "you are so easy!"

"Talking about easy, goodness that Paxton Hayes is easy on the eyes ain't he?" Amara suddenly exclaimed, making Kiara look at her in surprise. "I suppose, can't say I was paying much attention to him", she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

Amara gasped and held her hand to her head. "What are you doing?" Kiara asked with raised eyebrows. "Kiara, we just had a major hottie in the room and you shrug it off like nothing. You must be coming down with something, but no temperature is present. Should I just book you an appointment with the optometrist?" she quipped, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Kiara couldn't help but giggle at her friend's humor and shook her head. "Ha ha ha, very funny Amara!" she said, feeling grateful for her lightheartedness and support. They walked towards the elevator and Amara continued on about how attractive Paxton was, while Kiara was too busy thinking why she was not liking her response to Amaras attraction to Paxton. 'why do I care so much? I barely know the man. Yes, he is easy on the eyes but I never care of the men Amara dotes on nor do I usually have reaction to recieving a males attention, what is going on with me'. "Ah hello?! Kiara you still here on earth or are you in la la land?" "Huh?" Amara sighed but smiled "thought as much, anyway darling we are here!"

Amara was grateful that Kiara didn't seem disturbed by the mate bond, even though she pressed for a reaction Kiara seemed more frustrated at her mentioning a possible distraction. Which was normal for Kiara, she was very work focused, never really mingling within the dating scene.

As soon as Kiara saw Amara's surprise, her heart raced with excitement. She couldn't believe what she was seeing - it was Mama Grace! Kiara yelled out her name in excitement and ran to her with open arms. Grace hugged Kiara tightly and wished her a happy birthday. "Hello my little cub," she said, "Amara told me all about your pitch today and I knew you would do great. I had to come here to celebrate with you and wish you a happy birthday."

Kiara was overjoyed to see Mama Grace, and she couldn't believe she had forgotten her own birthday. Kiara was turning 21, a milestone that she had been waiting for, but she was just grateful for succeeding with her business proposal and having Grace here with her.

As they walked towards the restaurant, Kiara joked with Grace about keeping Amara on a tighter leash. But as they approached the entrance, Kiara noticed a worried look between Grace and Amara, which made her feel confused.

As Kiara was about to ask Grace about her sudden visit, her stomach let out a loud rumble, causing Grace to chuckle. "Looks like someone's hungry," she remarked with a smile. "Come on then, let's grab a bite before your tummy starts growling even louder." Grateful for her thoughtfulness, Kiara followed them into the cozy restaurant, feeling excited about the prospect of a delicious celebratory lunch. Little did she know that this outing was about to take an unexpected turn, leading to an experience that she would never forget.