Nathan could finally breathe when Zayn moved away from him and settled between his parents, getting actively involved in their conversation. They looked at him like the star child, the one person who never brought disappointment to the family, and it made Nathan so angry. He looked on still, the happiness in their eyes at the expansion, Mr. Graham patting Zayn on the back for getting engaged, the laughter in their voices as they spoke with Rina, who in her charismatic nature, happened to charm everyone around her, only if she had crossed you out as an enemy previously.A lot of things had slipped out of his control, and Nathan was pissed with everyone but himself. He never looked inward. Not paying close attention had cost him a lot. Still, he knew that even though he’d had his nose pressed up against his younger brother’s business, he wouldn’t have been able to tell. For one, where the hell had Mago been for the last couple of years, and why did it feel like Zayn had been in communic
About thirty minutes before Jada angrily stormed out into the night, in search of Nathan, she was seated in the hall, scowling at the newly engaged couple and wondering why Nathan hadn’t played his part. She still couldn’t give up hope, as even though everyone in the room had accepted Rina with open arms, Jada couldn’t allow herself to do that. She was the one person for Zayn, and she was going to prove that to herself and anyone else who cared to watch.The minute Zayn softly pulled Rina away from Mago and headed out of the hall, Jada’s eyes followed them, venom darting their way. She counted to ten in her head before grabbing her clutch and making her way out of the hall, trying to make it less obvious that she was tailing them. There was no need for her to walk for too long because she found them on the red carpet, smiling at the cameras clicking away at their faces.Jada wondered why she hadn’t seen Zayn on the red carpet, and she had her answers right there. He knew he was going
Rina had a million and one question as they got off the red carpet, with Zayn still holding her waist. He had sounded so genuine in there, and she found herself believing those words. There was a very blurry line between their act and the reality of things at that point, as far as both of them were concerned, and Rina grappled with which was which.They met one of the prospective clients as they strolled in, and had to stop to say hi. He was a familiar face as the man was into entertainment and Rina had been on a few productions with him. But as the conversation grew more intricate, with details about share purchase and catalog, Rina leaned in to whisper into Zayn’s ears. “I have to use the bathroom.”He nodded and pecked her before Rina sauntered back into the hall. Turning right, she moved to the ladies, relieved to find it empty. She was too laden with different emotions to take on an anti-fan right then, and even if she wasn’t, it was her engagement night. Rina deserved one drama-
For Rina, the day couldn’t have gone any better, from seizing back the narrative and getting a sniff of her stardom, perhaps more. But unknown to her, the cosmos seemed to have other plans, sending her deep into a pore-infested barrel, unable to hide from the poking. But that night, she returned to the hotel with Zayn, all smiles and sighs, until she was seated inside the car. Then, the smile faltered when she felt Zayn put a little distance between them, his arm slipping off hers. Of course, it was all a facade. How dare she forget?The ride was slow, perhaps the slowest Rina had ever experienced. Her eyes were fixed on her phone to keep away time, to keep herself from noticing the tension in the air, how both their arms lay side by side, aching to touch, yet never reaching out. A sigh escaped her lips as she returned her attention to the post Ginny had just made. Back in the hall, Rina had sent a video of her ring, with Zayn kissing it. She was over the moon to receive it and didn’t
Zayn pushed the door open and stepped into the dark, finding the switch easily. He had seen Rina off to her doorstep before bidding her goodnight. But why did it feel like he left a part of himself with her? He sighed and sauntered further into the living area, his shoes making a clicking sound on the floor. Zayn moved to the refrigerator and retrieved the half bottle of wine that Rina had the last time she was over, settling onto the couch.Kicking off his shoes, he poured himself a glass and stared into the distance, bringing the rim to his lips. All of his being stilled when he heard something else in the room, a deep breath like someone was there with him. But he shook it off in one second when he remembered that there was practically no way anyone could gain access to his room without passing through the thick security around.There was only one person who could have been given free access that way, especially after he’d warned the front desk not to let Nathan in until he said ot
She was out of the house in the morning, dressed in a flowing white dress that made her stand out amongst the others in the breakfast spot. Her golden arm cuff shone under the soft glare of the morning sun bouncing off the window they sat close to, the shiny brown hues creating beautiful patterns on the table. It was the second time she re-crossed her legs, looking out at the road, even if there was someone right in front of her.Different emotions went through her as she sat there, her mind reeling and her eyes hazy. She wanted to say a lot of things, yet desired to say nothing at the same time. The silence was comfortable, like a quilt draped over someone on a chilly winter night, instantly providing warmth. But there was also the fact that it could be taken away from her at any time. Despite her fears, she had never had this one yanked – talk about consistency throughout the years. She’d missed this.The waiter came with a cup of hot cocoa for her and coffee for him, along with to
The flight back home was one of the most silent Zayn had ever been on, while with someone. William appeared deep in thought, mulling over something as his face remained peered against the glass, seemingly shutting out the whole world. Zayn knew he met with Mago earlier that day. Although he had no clue how that had gone as he didn’t ask any questions, it wasn’t far-fetched to think that it was what got William looking like that.Zayn sighed and rested his head on the backrest, allowing his eyes to flutter close. He was going back to the country as an engaged man, and he knew things were going to be different for him, with the wedding coming up and all the other things he had to do for the company. Still, that didn’t bother him or cause a stir within him as much as the idea of having to appear with Rina in public now, as well as the thought of living in the same house with her, knowing how his body betrayed him each time she was around.It felt like a magnet constantly pulling him in d
The plane touched down, and Rina stretched her limbs out, grateful to be back home. Although, she loved her job with Pages of Claire, it still felt great being back in her own terrain, where she had grown to know and love. Igor waved her in the distance and she wheeled her suitcase over from the private landing, smiling at him. She took off her sunglasses as she got closer to him, and Igor retrieved the suitcase from her. Rina couldn’t help it as she gazed around, looking for Zayn anywhere in the small crowd. When she didn’t find him, there was a sudden pain in her chest. It was funny, because during the flight, she had psyched herself into believing that she wouldn’t be hurt if she didn’t see him around, but there she was, nursing a bruised heart. Shrugging it off, Rina followed Igor out of the airport into the car parked out front. She sat at the back, peering her eyes at the insides of the BMW while Igor got behind the wheel and pulled out onto the road. “Did Zayn get a new car?”
EpilogueFive Months Later"With all the evidence presented before me, I have every reason to believe that Mr. Nathan Graham is guilty of a three-count murder charge, blackmail, money laundering, threats, and drug dealing," the judge declared.The courtroom was thick with tension. Every breath, every movement was weighed down by anticipation. Nathan sat stone-faced, but his eyes burned with malice as he glared at Rina, promising vengeance even from behind bars."I hereby sentence Mr. Nathan Graham to life imprisonment with hard labor."Gasps echoed through the room. Nathan clenched his fists as the reality of his fate sank in. His gaze flickered to his parents, searching for even a shred of sympathy. There was none. Instead, their stony expressions confirmed what he had failed to realize before—his parents had been backing Rina all along. The betrayal hit him harder than the sentence itself."I don’t think—""Counsel, please remove your client. Any further disruptions will only worsen
Four Months LaterRina's routine had become predictable—home, hospital, repeat. She had no time for idle conversations or anything that didn’t offer practical solutions.In the midst of everything, she and Mrs Graham had developed an unspoken understanding, rotating their hospital visits so they could each get some rest. Despite their initial differences, the situation had bonded them.That evening, Rina glanced at the time on her phone. She should already be home preparing dinner. Cooking had become her form of therapy—a temporary escape from the overwhelming reality she faced. Besides, her pregnancy cravings were relentless, and hunger gnawed at her stomach every now and then.Her phone rang again, and she already knew who it was."Rina, I know you're about to start cooking up a storm," her mother-in-law's warm but concerned voice came through. "Why don't you take a break? Zayn wouldn't want you overexerting yourself."Rina smiled slightly, though fatigue weighed on her bones. She a
"Rina, I think you need to pick up the phone.”Rina barely acknowledged the George’s words, lazily reaching for her ringing phone at the edge of the bed. She sighed, half-expecting it to be Nathan again.“Yes?” she answered, her voice sharp with irritation.“This is the Central Hospital. Am I speaking with Miss Rina?” a formal yet urgent voice asked.Her brows furrowed. “Yes, this is Rina.”“Mr. Zayn Graham has been involved in an accident, and we require your immediate presence before proceeding with a blood transfusion and other treatments. Can you come?”The words hit her like a freight train.Rina’s breath caught in her throat. Zayn.Never had she imagined she’d find herself in this situation—standing on the precipice of something irreversible.“I’ll be there immediately,” she said, her voice shaking.She grabbed the first set of clothes she could find and rushed out of the house, her heart pounding with dread.She arrived at the hospital in record time, barely aware of how she go
Zayn watched as Rina packed her belongings with sharp, deliberate movements. Her scowl was the only warning he needed—she wasn’t in the mood to listen. He wanted to tell her the truth, to explain everything, but he knew it wouldn’t matter right now.Instead, he pulled out his phone and dialed Igor If she wanted to leave, he wasn’t going to stop her—not like this.“Take her home safely,” he instructed, his voice void of emotion.Rina clenched her fists. He wasn’t even going to fight for her. That hurt more than the betrayal itself.She had wasted her time on him. She should have known he was like every other man.A few hours later, she was back to her cottage sitting in silence. The worst part? He hadn’t even tried to defend himself. He had just… let her go. That made it worse—worse than the rumors, worse than Nathan’s revelations, worse than the pictures she had seen online.Nathan, at least, was there to fill in the blanks. He was the only one who seemed to care enough to tell her wh
The days following Kayla Reese’s exposure were nothing short of chaotic.News outlets, social media platforms, and tabloids were flooded with updates about her arrest and the Reese family’s collapse.#JusticeForRina and #KaylaReeseExposed trended for days, while old interviews, articles, and videos surfaced—showing how Rina had suffered for years because of Kayla’s actions.Netizens Demanded JusticeIn comment sections across social media, apologies to Rina Powers poured in."I feel so ashamed. I was one of the people who dragged her. I'm so sorry, Rina.""I can’t believe we turned against her for so long. This woman went through HELL.""We owe Rina an apology. She deserves the world."But netizens weren’t just apologizing—they were also going after the young actors who had lied against Rina three years ago."So now that Kayla is exposed, WHERE are the actors who lied about Rina?""I hope those ‘up-and-coming’ actors are ready to face consequences.""We need those fake witnesses to co
Despite the man’s confession reversing his previous statement, a significant portion of Kayla’s fans and other netizens refused to believe him. The sudden shift in his stance made them skeptical.“How does a man go from accusing Rina to suddenly defending her in 24 hours?”o9“She probably paid him off. The timing is too suspicious.”“Rina has finally bought her way out of this. What’s new?”The hashtags #RinaIsAWitch, #RinaIsAManipulator, #RinaIsEvil, and #RinaIsAHeartlessFriend surged to the top of trending lists. The internet was once again divided, and Kayla’s camp felt victorious.“We’re back in control,” Damien smirked, taking a sip of his drink as he scrolled through the hate comments directed at Rina.Kayla, lounging on the sofa, smirked. “Of course, we are. People believe what they want to believe. And right now? They want to see Rina suffer.”Just as they were about to toast to their small victory, Damien’s phone buzzed with a notification. His smirk vanished instantly.Kayla
George stared at his phone for a moment, then sighed. He knew better than to question Zayn Graham’s methods. The man was always ten steps ahead of everyone else, and if he said he’d handle it, then the situation was about to take a dramatic turn.Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he turned to Rina. She was still staring at the screen, her face unreadable.“What was that about?” she asked, her voice calm but laced with suspicion.“Just a call I had to take,” George said smoothly, not daring to mention Zayn’s name. “Listen, Rina, I know things look bad right now, but we still have a shot at turning this around. We just need—”“We need proof,” Rina cut in, her gaze shifting to him, sharp and determined. “I don’t care about public opinion anymore. I want the truth out there. I want that man exposed, and I want Kayla to rot for what she’s done.”George hesitated. “Rina…”“No.” She stood, pushing back her chair. “I’ve played nice for too long. I let people walk all over me, let them d
As George stepped out of the room, Rina glanced at the clock. It was nearly time for her planned livestream. She’d decided earlier that morning to address her fans directly, to try and regain control of the narrative.She sat in front of her ring light and adjusted her camera, her heart racing. For someone used to the spotlight, this felt different. This wasn’t a red carpet or a press event—this was her, raw and vulnerable, speaking directly to the people who had the power to either support her or tear her down.After a deep breath, she hit the “Go Live” button. Within seconds, thousands of viewers flooded in, the chat scrolling rapidly with a mix of messages:“We’re with you, Rina!”“Is it true what they’re saying?”“Why didn’t you address this sooner?”“Hi, everyone,” she began, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “I know there’s been a lot said about me in the past few days. I wanted to take a moment to speak to you directly, without any filters or edits.”Just as
The mornings sun was up and lovely. Rina looked outside her bedroom, wondering how her life had become this way, especially after she had reminded herself of many reasons why she shouldn't get romantically involved with any man because of what she had faced in the past. But here she was contemplating how she was going to make the most of her relationship with Zayn. She couldn't deny the passion that she felt after kissing him and knew that lying to herself was useless at this point. If she could turn back the hands of time, she probably wouldn't have taken that offer, but now she had no choice but to live with it. Pretending that they had never kissed was the coward's way out which she didn't want to take. She prided herself on being an adult who could make her decisions and stick to them but right now she didn't think she fit that category because of every emotion she felt in the last few minutes. Something was wrong with her and it was her duty to find out.Tired of hiding inside