Zayn didn’t spend the night. When they’d exhausted the cocktail, he realized with a start that there was nothing keeping him back there. As much as he tried to stall for time, to ensure Rina was okay, beyond the smile etched on her features, he knew he had to leave since his flight was to depart that night. It was almost 9 pm already, yet, they were still on her balcony, comfortable in each other’s silence, staring into the dark.Or at least, Rina stared into the dark.But for Zayn, his eyes never went off her, even when he reached for his glass on the table. He wished he could do something about how she felt, take away a part of the burden he could see on her shoulders. But he knew what she would say before he even managed to get the question out, and Zayn didn’t think tonight was best for that type of conversation.He sighed and glanced at his watch. “Rina, I have to be at the airport in thirty minutes, and I have to go with William because I’m not used to traveling without him. But
But Rina couldn’t keep that promise she’d made to Zayn for as long as she’d hoped. When he left, she returned to her room and threw herself on her bed, still in the bathrobe, staring up at the ceiling until her eyes hurt. She got up again and paced through her space, her head spinning from everything that had occurred.Now that she was alone, Rina allowed all her feelings to come to the fore. It was the only time she would allow herself to be that way over the fashion show because that was all she could afford. Rina was certain that when it was morning, she would be ready to face the world, along with whatever it brought. But for now, she slid onto the floor and heaved out a loud sigh.It was useless to question the past, especially since she’d left it behind. Still, Rina wished she hadn’t become friends with Kayla, and that she hadn’t married Finn. Her life wouldn’t have been that difficult, and crushing Kayla back in the entertainment industry would have been much easier if she’d se
George and Rina sat in the center of her room, with a bottle of rum in between them, and two glasses by their sides. They started with Instagram, going through the posts and comments that were left on each page with the new hashtags that had been tagged to her identity. Rina sighed when she saw one, and George looked into her phone.“Beautiful whore?” He burst out laughing, falling to the ground. “That’s something. I wonder if he thought long and hard before coming up with that.”“At least, he got one thing right,” Rina chuckled.“The whore part?” George teased with a mischievous grin and dodged out of the way as Rina threw a pillow his way. He caught the pillow in his hands and threw it back at her. “Of course, darling, you know you are the fairest of all.”“Thank you,” she drawled, reaching for her glass of rum. She swirled the clear liquid before placing the rim against her lips. She’d only been with George for about an hour, going through the comments and posts on the internet, an
Rina got up with a start, wincing as the headache came in immediately, hitting her head all over. She held a hand to her forehead and leaned on the headboard, staying that way for a while until the first bout passed. She felt like she would throw up at any minute, and her eyes still felt like she was asleep, even though she knew she didn’t want to return to bed. Reaching for her phone by the nightstand, she checked for missed calls and messages, yet ended up ignoring the five missed calls and three unreplied messages. Her head banged again, demanding her attention, and this time, Rina didn’t think she could ignore it.Yet, there was something trying to nudge her consciousness, something she had missed even though she’d only just woken up a few minutes ago. It was present, nudging her to pay attention to something else other than her migraine. When she heard the loud thump on her door, Rina jumped and yelped from the sudden shoot of pain. That was what woke her up, and not the migraine
Even with the whole chaos outside her cottage, Rina refused to step out of her house when she had done nothing wrong. So when Zayn’s man insisted they had to leave, she wrapped her hands around her frame and looked up at him defiantly, still seated on the couch. “No.” Her voice was strong and assertive, even though a mixture of egg white and yolk dripped from her hair and face down to her body, staining her robe and skin. “Why should I run away from my own home? That’s a cowardly act.” The man tried to be patient, seeing as he didn’t have any other option. Zayn had left strict instructions to be gentle with her, unless he wanted that day to be his last. “Ma’am,” he started, trying again. “The window in your kitchen has been broken. That means it is only a matter of time before the angry fans out there gains total access into your home. You cannot be in here when that happens, because whoever leaked your address meant war. So, you need to leave here now.” Rina shook her head. It mad
They went through a trap door Rina had never noticed in her basement, and it made her wonder what else Zayn had discovered in her cottage that she had never noticed after years of owning it. Oleg went before her, pulling out the rug from atop the door and stepping aside to let her through. Rina looked up in apprehension when she discovered he wasn’t going with her through the dark hole.“I have to close it up and lock the basement doors so they wouldn’t notice the trap door if they gain full access inside,” he explained. When he saw that Rina’s worries only increased, he said, “We will make sure that doesn’t happen. The guys outside only need the signal that you are out of there before they go into action. They don’t want to hurt you in the process.”“And you?” Rina whispered, scared that someone might have come in already, that the kitchen door wasn’t strong enough to keep them out. “How will I know where I’m supposed to go?”“Just hide away from view at the entrance. I will be there
“Ma’am,” Igor started the minute Rina ended the call. “I couldn’t help but overhear you telling someone you were going to spend the night at their place. I’m sorry, but that might be impossible. Mr. Graham left strict instructions for us to take you to his mansion. Susan is already expecting you.”Rina regarded him through the rearview mirror, mulling over what he’d just told her in her head. Although she knew it would be a great opportunity to see Susan again after so long, Rina also needed to talk to George. They were time-stretched already, and if she was going to come right back at the public, Rina was going to need a concrete plan. She couldn’t do that from the comfort of Zayn’s mansion, especially given the fact that he wasn’t home.“I will call him,” Rina said, retrieving her phone again. It felt like Zayn was hanging around his, waiting for the call to come through, because he picked up the minute her call went through.“Rina,” he breathed. “Are you settled in? I didn’t think
Dinner was a feast, and Rina had a feeling that it had everything to do with her. George and Isaiah seemed to have grown even closer in all the months that Rina’s career had taken a huge tank, and she loved to see them exude such sweet love. It was exactly what she’d hoped for when she was much younger, to be in love so much so that it was hard to hide it. And when she met Finn, Rina had thought that was it, that she had gotten her forever.But even forever could be misidentified.“Isaiah made the meals,” George said when they were down to desert, a large bucket of cold chocolate ice cream and scones.“Of course,” Rina chuckled. “It couldn’t have been you. You would set the whole kitchen ablaze.”George opened his mouth in mock horror and Rina waved it away. “At least, you are good at being a manager,” she muttered. That bit was true. Throughout the period she worked as an actress and even after she retired, George always had her schedules prepared beforehand. There was never a thing
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