Arm in arm, they navigated the huge hall, heading for tables with the foreign guests Zayn had invited. Mia appeared out of nowhere, walking behind Zayn with her pad in hand. Still, she was the most stunning secretary Rina had seen, in her sequined dress, and hair that stayed atop her head elegantly. Not everyone could pull off that look, yet Mia did and she didn’t even seem to realize it.“You can go enjoy the party,” Zayn murmured to her when he saw her fall into step with him. “I can handle this.”Mia didn’t question his decision, turning away at once and heading back square into the party. Zayn moved his hands, planting them firmly on the small of Rina's back as they approached one of the tables. His splayed fingers tingled Rina and caused a heat in her spine. Still, she gave nothing away as one of the foreign guests, an English man with his wife, got up to welcome them.“Congratulations on your launch,” the man beamed, his eyes crinkling. “I am so relieved I didn’t miss this. Can
The party was still in full swing when Zayn’s mom pulled Rina into her arms, her smile the widest in the room. Zayn could see the relief on her face, stretched so wide that it could encompass the whole room. He hated that it had to be that way – that he had to lie to get the firm off his brother’s incapable hands and to make his mother pleased. But Zayn didn’t have time to get to know someone and then, fall in love, like his parents wanted. They might have been in love and it might have gotten them where they were, but Zayn was certain there was an explanation for it.An alignment of plans, maybe. But definitely not love.“You never cease to amaze me, brother,” Nathan beamed, even though he couldn’t hide the anger behind his eyes away from Zayn. He seemed to forget how keen his younger brother was to observations, how much wealth and power he had at his disposal to get things done without lifting a finger. Although Nathan appeared laid back, Zayn could see through his façade. He angle
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
Zayn sauntered through the high gates he had grown behind, steeling himself for what was going to happen in there. He hadn't been careful enough when it came to this, only discovering mere minutes ago before his father's call came in. This was the reason he always said feelings never ceased to complicate things, and yet, he had fallen victim to it. Zayn should have known better. If he hadn't been so occupied with trying to make sure Rina was fine, even though he knew that was an excuse to be around her, perhaps, he would have noticed this development before it got out of hand. Now, he was left with the task of salvaging it, but his brain wasn't working in that direction. Zayn was worried about Rina, despite everything. He had whipped out his phone on his way to his father's house to call her, but changed his mind mid-way, deciding to call Susan instead when he was done with this little issue. He tried to think about a way out of this, his mind reeling and his eyes darting around the
The moment the call dropped dead, Rina pulled herself off her bed, wincing slightly as she moved to the bathroom. She had a quick bath, and part of her was grateful that Zayn had decided to leave for his mansion. If he had remained in the villa, she wouldn't have been able to do what she had in mind. Zayn's clear instruction rang in her head, but Rina shrugged it off as soon as it occurred to her. She used her anger as her ammunition – anger that she had fallen in love with Zayn when she shouldn't have, anger that she had given herself a false hope that he would come around and admit his feelings knowing fully well that the great Zayn Graham doesn't give two fucks about love and whatever it came with. Walking out of the bathroom, Rina sauntered into her walk-in closet and pulled off something simple from the hanger – a pair of black wide-legged pants and a matching button-down shirt. Pairing it with white heels and a black tote bag, Rina applied light make-up on her face, almost unno
Confusion set in Rina at once, wounding its arms around her so tightly that she didn’t think there was any route of escape. She sat up at once, pulling herself until her back pressed against the headboard, with her head reeling from what she had just heard. “I think you got the wrong person,” she said finally. “My parents are well and alive, and I know their lawyer as well, because it is the same lawyer I use. And his name definitely isn’t Marco.”“Pardon me,” the voice returned, sounding solemn and sad. “What I am about to do is probably not right since it is the first time we are speaking and it isn’t exactly a conversation to have on the phone. But at the same time, I know you wouldn’t meet up with me, unless you are entirely sure about what this is. You are a public figure here, so that means you are really particular about your security.”“You sure did your research,” Rina murmured. “No. Not exactly. I was just so surprised that all this time, you were right within reach while I
Her door cracked open slowly, but it sounded so far off, like someone was making a scratching noise somewhere in the distance. She hissed and thrashed on the bed, willing whoever it was would leave her to her sleep. Just when she thought the source of the noise had gone, she heard it again, nearer this time. It echoed in her ears, pulling her out of an abyss she’d had no idea she had settled in. The space beside her on the bed dipped, and her eyes fell open slowly.“Hey.” His eyes appeared bothered, but at the same time, guarded, like he was trying so hard to be there with her, and at the same time, keeping something away from her. “How do you feel? Does your ankle hurt?”Rina shook her head, but the sudden sharp pain there gave her lie away as she winced. “You should stay in bed for as long as you want, until the pain subsides. Susan will ensure you have everything you will be needing for the three weeks the doctor advised that you remain in bed.”“But…”“Rina,” Zayn breathed. “List
“What happened to her?” Susan asked later that evening after they’d put her to bed. The drugs she was given at the hospital for the pain were bound to make her drowsy, and despite how hard she fought to remain awake, because George had come to see her, she still had to succumb to the pressure of sleep. It was important for the healing of her ankles and Zayn was finally relieved when he closed the door behind her. “She tripped.”“But that isn’t all. Something made her trip.” Susan read it easily from his eyes, tilting her head and waiting for a response. “I’m not sure,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know you might think I am chasing shadows because of how much I have been trying to protect Rina.”“I don’t think so,” Susan replied. “If somebody was trying to hurt her, you would be the best person to know. Nothing I say is valid if you believe in your guts that what happened earlier wasn’t an accident. And you shouldn’t give it a rest until you get to the end of this.”
All of Rina stilled with those words hanging in the air. She had thought about it a million times, about how it would feel when she finally told him. But no amount of mental preparation would have ever prepared her for that moment. She searched his face intently, even though she wanted to hide away from him at the same time. Rina waited for him to scold her, to tell her that their contract had fallen through because of her errant feelings, and that he was no longer interested in getting married to her. But the only thing that circulated round the small space was silence, loud enough to pierce through eardrums. “I am not saying this so you have to say anything in response, or feel a particular way towards me. I just wanted to have it out there. We have been through so much together already, or rather, I have been through so much with you standing by me all the way, showing nothing more than understanding. If this isn’t what you want, I think it would be unfair to keep it away from you
Zayn was at Rina’s first run on set, at one corner of the stage, watching closely as Rina acted a scene for the third time. For some reason, the director had decided to start with the middle of the script, running it up to the beginning, and then down tlo the end. It opened with the scene where Zico and Rina found that they were in love with each other, finally giving their love a chance, much to the hatred of Mandy, who was now the second female lead. The scene played out in a cozy bedroom setting, with Rina walking in with Zico at the end of a long stroll. The plan was to get a bottle of water from his house and then move to hers. But their emotions got the best of them, the sexual tension in the room heightening. The director had asked that the scene be re-acted a thousand times because there wasn’t enough chemistry, and Zayn was beginning to lose his patience. His hands folded into fists by his side, as he glared at Zico’s hands wrapped around Rina’s waist. He could see the reso
Kayla watched Rina speaking to Regina from the top floor and crossed her arms across her chest, wondering what their conversation was about. It couldn’t be anything related to acting, as the submissive look in Regina’s eyes and the haughty look in Rina’s didn’t exactly depict that. Angling her head, Kayla remembered she had seen Regina with her right-hand man just the previous night before he had taken her home from Scottsdale. They’d been out in the garage, talking about something, with their eyes hiding the beginning of a budding romance. Perhaps, that wasn’t all it was. She should have paid more attention, maybe even listened in on their conversation before interrupting them in that manner.Her right-hand man would never divulge any information about Kayla. Or at least, that was what she thought. But just to be safe, Kayla made the decision right there to play her last card. She had been holding on to it for as long as she could remember, but maybe it was time to let go. Smiling cr
Rina got the news of her playing the lead in the new part of the movie, and excitement coursed through her as she made her way down to Scottsdale to sign some papers and get her script. George couldn’t go with her as he had a meeting outside town with a new client, so she went with Igor instead, sitting at the passenger’s side of the car while he skillfully navigated the traffic to get her there on time. Things had gone back to normal since Finn got arrested, and it was like the drama had finally come to a halt. Although, the one thing Rina wanted, which was for Zayn to tell her how he felt about her, was yet to happen. He was still measured and controlled in how he related to her, barely even grazing her skin each time they were in the same room. He'd stopped coming into her bathroom like he usually did each time she was having a bath but now stayed away from the villa as a whole, returning only when entirely necessary. Rina could feel him running away from something. She had notic