𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 7

KALI

I wasn't sleeping, I was just frustrated with the way I got turned down so quickly requesting a trial run.

The company I want to run the medication through said no to it and it's a life saving medication if it works.

"Your research, it would help with cancer?" Kieran asked me, ah that must be it.

Someone dear to him is suffering from cancer, "it's not certain, but there's a ninety percent chance it would. If I got the approval to run this fucking trial I would've been more certain."

He pulled out a chair and sat down, "why can't it be done?"

"The company I need to run it through won't do it, well they turned me down right away saying it's risky."

"I'll help you with that." He said.

I looked at him wide eyed, "someone has cancer for you huh?"

"My mom, it's getting bad and I promised I'd do any and everything to get some type of treatment other than chemo for her."

"Chemo helps though?"

He shook his head, "it didn't help with my aunt, and she wasn't as bad as my mom. It killed my aunt instead of helping her get better."

"Hold on, does cancer run in the family?" He shook his head.

"No, it doesn't. My mom and aunt just happened to develop it."

"You Hyde's are on top right now, if I can get your mom to agree to be my trial patient then maybe-?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "my mom as a test subject?"

"It won't happen unless she gives me the okay and signs papers."

Being a medical scientist, or anything that has to do with the body is worth taking risks if it's something to get better or for someone's health to improve.

"...I don't know about that." He was hesitant.

"It's okay if you don't want it to happen, I did say I'd help you so I'll figure out another way to help your mom."

"It's not that I don't want it to happen, I'm sure she'd agree but the small percent that I could lose her isn't what I want."

I sighed and shut my laptop down, "you realize nothing is ever one hundred percent certain right? Every medical procedure, medication anything like that has the potential to fail." I told him.

"I know, I'll think about it."

♤
NEXT DAY
MORNING

"You are now divorced, Ms.Alarie." My lawyer said over the phone.

"No way-really?!"

"Yep, you're free of the Ryders now." The amount of weight that came off my chest. I sighed and leaned back against the headboard, "thank you for the call."

I hung up and put my phone down, I hope my parents will be okay..I picked the phone back up and scrolled through the contacts.

It will be the first time I speak to my dad after so long, one of the restrictions I had while married to Nathaniel was that I was never allowed to contact my family.

I pressed call and placed it by my ear, "...Kali?" My dads voice was the same as I remember.

"I'm free now dad..you guys are free too."

"Kali-you really did that?"

"I had some help but it's okay! I've got everything handled. I'm not with someone who's gonna hurt me like he did."

KIERAN

I heard her speaking to someone, it was her dad.

"I know dad, but I swear he won't hurt me okay?"

Nathaniel had hurt her? That punk? He's built like a stick and he hurt her? Gives me more reason to go after the Ryder's.

She looked up after ending the call, "should've told me about Nathaniel during the therapy session."

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked while wiping her tears.

"Long enough to know that the Ryder's should exist anymore."

"Kieran you've done your job as a fake boyfriend, you don't need to do anything to the Ryder's."

"I don't need to, I want to."