Published at 24th of April 2023 7:40 am

Chapter 839: UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

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Kia was feeling very happy today because she saw how happy Mika was about her first day of school, even though the little girl was solely joyful that she could finally wear her bunny bag.

It was just that, when she was about to leave from there together with Misha while discussing where they would have lunch later, Lyle unexpectedly approached Kia. He stopped the two of them before they could get into the car.

“Can we talk for a minute?” asked Lyle. He pushed his way through two bodyguards who didn’t expect anyone to do this, but they managed to stop Lyle before he got too close to Kia. He didn’t put up much resistance either.

Kia was shocked when she saw her father there, but then, she felt nothing but that.

“No,” Kia answered firmly. “I have nothing to discuss with you.”

“Please, Kia, just this once.” Lyle begged her. He looked at his daughter with eyes full of expectation. “Just this once and after that, I won’t bother you anymore.”

Kia then looked at Misha, she didn’t want to talk to Lyle, but she also didn’t want to escalate the situation because just now there were already several people who witnessed this incident.

Lyle sure knew how to get his way.

“I will meet you at the restaurant at the end of this street,” said Kia, then got into the car.

Misha stared at Lyle for a moment before he got in the car with Kia and immediately hugged her without saying anything. He was very upset because Kia seemed to have finally forgotten her family, but they kept coming back like flies to bother her.

Should he put Daniel even further? So that he couldn’t go home for a long time, and his family could focus on their first child?

“If you don’t want to see him, you don’t have to, I’ll go see him instead and see what he has to say.” Misha stroked Kia’s head gently, giving her the comfort she needed.

“No, I will meet him. I wonder what he wants,” Kia answered quietly. She stared blankly at the street in front of her for a moment and then closed her eyes.

The restaurant at the end of the street and Mika’s school were only five minutes apart and that was a very short time for Misha to calm Kia down.

But, when he got out of the car and kissed her on the cheek, she seemed ready to face her father.

“You don’t need to worry, go back to the office, we will have lunch together with Mika after I pick her up from school.” Kia smiled gently at Misha.

But, of course Misha couldn’t help but worry, this was his wife after all.

After getting out of the car, Kia immediately asked for a private room for herself and her father to talk. Unfortunately, there was no private room in this restaurant. And so, Kia chose a table in the corner of the room, away from people so no one would hear them talking.

About two minutes later, Lyle came and immediately walked toward Kia with an awkward gait. He looked like someone who had lost even before the battle started and this was quite a shock for Kia, as her father was a very proud man. It was rare for her to see him like this now.

When Kia looked closer, Lyle didn’t seem to be sleeping well, because the dark circles under his eyes were very obvious.

“Kia,” Lyle said in a tired tone. The wrinkles on his face became much more prominent now that Kia took a closer look at him. “How are you?”

“I am fine,” replied Kia politely. She could see how miserable her father was right now, but there was not the slightest bit of sympathy for him, as if she was facing a stranger, who was not so foreign to her; like a distant relative. She didn’t know, this feeling was very difficult to describe.

But, one thing for sure was; Kia did not feel that she was uncomfortable with her father’s presence in front of her.

“Yes, I can see that you are very happy,” said Lyle. “I am happy to see you now.”

Kia didn’t answer that, because she didn’t think there were any right words to respond.

Not long after, their drinks came and Lyle immediately downed half of the orange juice he ordered, something he did when he was nervous.

Meanwhile, Kia looked so calm, as if none of this bothered her at all. She didn’t look uncomfortable either, the exact opposite of how Lyle was feeling right now.

“Kia,” Lyle called out to her again, he didn’t know how to start this conversation. “Father is sorry for what happened.”

This time, Lyle didn’t demand an apology from Kia or blame her for what happened or provide any justification for his own actions, he just apologized.

Seeing how Kia smiled on her wedding day and seeing Lexus Tordoff substitute himself to walk her down the aisle, he felt an excruciating pain. He should have been the one there and got that honor, if only he had been a bit nicer and treated Kia the way she deserved.

He thought back on everything that had happened and felt very ashamed of his past decisions and behavior.

“Kia, father is sorry for everything that happened. I am sorry that I didn’t act like a good father.” Lyle smiled at her, but there was pain and bitterness in his smile. “I know that what I did was completely unfair to you. I thought that you could bear everything, just because you never complained, I thought you were fine.”

Kia took a sip of her orange juice and listened to what her father had to say.

“I know that you must have felt very sad when we left you home alone while we went on vacation after what you did for your family and your irreplaceable sacrifices. Your sleeping time, your playing time with friends and also the time you should use to act and behave like a child your age.

“I know it must hurt you to know that after all the sacrifices you made, we left you at a time when you needed family support the most and I’m sorry for that.”

Lyle took a deep breath, he looked at Kia with teary eyes and his heart hurt even more because he didn’t see any reaction from Kia. Had she gone so far with her pain that this matter no longer mattered to her?

Lyle felt even more regretful because he was the one who had numbed his feelings to his little girl and now he had to pay for it.

“Father apologizes for not realizing this sooner and causing you pain like this.” Lyle looked serious with his apology.

Meanwhile, Kia didn’t say anything, she just listened and let her father say what he wanted to say, expressing the feeling that was stuck in his chest.

“I still remembers when you were born, you were so sweet and cheerful. You are sociable and have a shining personality. You are a cheerful child and always laughing. Every time we come home from work, you will greet us with your crisp laugh and that is enough to relieve our fatigue.

“But, I didn’t realize since when you stopped laughing like that or since when you started feeling pain that you shouldn’t feel. We shouldn’t have left you to work so hard for the family, we should have taken care of you more. I’m sorry that I couldn’t take good care of you. I’m sorry for all of that.”

And after that, no one spoke anymore, while Kia sipped her orange juice until she finished and waited for what else her father would say, but he couldn’t seem to say anything now.

Lyle was not a person who was good at expressing himself and he also didn’t really know how to compose heartfelt sentences like before.

Therefore, what he said to Kia just now was quite surprising, even for Kia herself.

“If you don’t have anything else to say, I will leave.” Kia then stood up. “I hope this is our last meeting and you won’t come to see me again.”

“Kia.” Lyle raised his head and looked at his daughter. He knew that he had lost her, but didn’t regret always come too late? “Will you be able to find in you to forgive me one day?”

Kia gave Lyle a meaningful look and smiled calmly.

“I have already forgiven you the last time we met, I have forgiven all of you, that was how I can feel much better now. But, forgiving doesn’t mean I want you guys in my life again.” Kia shook her head. “I don’t want that and I hope you can respect my decision and not come see me again like today.”

Kia didn’t say that with bad intentions, nor did she feel like she was punishing her father for what happened.

She didn’t feel that way at all. On the contrary, she didn’t feel anything. She felt like she was just talking to a distant relative she hadn’t seen in a long time and that was all she felt.

“I’m going now father, I hope you and all of you live your life well and I will also live mine as well as I can.”

And after saying that, Kia walked away, leaving Lyle who was crying silently. It was the first time Lyle had cried in years. His heart felt empty.

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