In the middle of the shoot, a lot of people came around to shop physically from the walk-in store. The first floor was full of life, and the media team had to take a break because they couldn’t concentrate with all the noise. Making a mental note to inform Joel to move them to the third floor, Rina grabbed her jacket and ducked her head into the hallway, ensuring she wouldn’t run into someone before making her way upstairs. Although her office was located on the second floor, it was at the end of the hallway, away from the major section where the clothes were being designed. The minute she got inside, she turned the lock on the door and slumped into her seat. It was a moderately spaced room, with the dominant theme being black. Even though Rina had told Joel to let her cater for the expenses of decorating her office, he hadn’t allowed it, insisting that it was a part of the perks of working for him. So, while Rina had ordered everything she used for the space, including the small sno
The guys were going for a celebratory dinner downtown, and Rina wanted to come with them. It was either that or spending another lonely night back at her cottage, wondering when to expect Finn’s strike or the moment Kayla would decide she was bored again and in search of someone to torment. Joel wanted her to come along too. When he extended the invite to her, standing by the doorway to her office, he saw the longing on her face and took advantage of it. “You can put on a disguise,” he offered. “You work in a fashion house so that should be fairly easy to put together. Don’t you think?”“Still,” Rina sighed. It was still too early to be seen with the group, particularly when they’d just made the first hit. It wasn’t going to take anyone anything to easily have a hunch that she was the mysterious sensation the media talked about after seeing a woman trying hard to disguise her features. She could have dyed her hair a bright pink if it was a pre-thought plan, but it was already pretty
Rina counted the seconds in her head.One.Two.Three.Then the door burst open suddenly, ushering in the editor of the team who had left to get beer earlier. He did a little victory dance with an excited yelp before dumping the beer in the center of the group, then found a space to sit opposite Rina.She didn’t look at him. Not even for a second. Her eyes roamed the faces of the others on the balcony. Rina tried to join in on the laughter, grabbing a can of beer. But fatigue ate deeply at her. Stifling a yawn, she leaned back into the wall and tried so hard to keep her eyes wide open. It would be a stump to sleep off in a situation like that. Now that she had enough time to think about it, Rina wished she hadn’t jumped in at the offer to have dinner back in the fashion house. She would have been in her bed by now, clutching her quilt around her comfortably, while listening to a piece of soothing music, allowing sleep to take her into its warm arms. But there she was, making a series
Her heart raced with excitement but Rina tried to shrug it off. Turning back to Joel, she yawned dramatically and unbuckled the seatbelt, her hands on the lock of the door. “Wait!” Joel stopped her. “You were just telling me something. What was it?”“Never mind,” Rina answered in a breath. She couldn’t even remember what she’d been saying, and even if she could, Rina didn’t want to waste one more minute talking about something that could be gotten across later. She turned to look at the car again, an increasing need taking over. He was so close by that she could feel it in the air. Rina didn’t know how to control how she felt right now. Perhaps, there was a small part of her that wasn’t even trying to. “It sounded really important,” Joel pushed. “I don’t have anyone I’m in a hurry to get back to, so we might as well talk here. It’s a beautiful night.”Rina yawned again, more dramatic this time. She didn’t wait a second as she pushed the door open, and stepped out, the chill of the
Zayn panicked. He hadn’t seen Rina for just a couple of weeks, but now that she was right in front of him, it felt like years. He memorized her face again, searching for the slightest chances. Her eyes appeared unfocused and her breath was tinged with the smell of beer. Her hair was an endearing brown today, and that damn pearl he loved was on her elegant neck, calling out softly to him. When she didn’t move, Zayn fought hard to stop himself from doing anything. He reminded himself that this was only existing because of the contract and they had to stick to the terms to see it through. But her lips. They were so inviting, making Zayn imagine what they would taste like pressed against his. He wondered if her gloss was strawberry-flavored. Would he be able to taste the beer on her lips?He felt her eyes casually flick through his, and Zayn knew that if he didn’t act now, something was going to happen. There was barely any distance between them now, so all it would have taken was a sl
It was past three in the morning, when Rina sighed deep in her sleep. Her legs shot out from underneath the quilt, and the cold air caressed the skin there. It made her grumble, still with closed eyes, wanting the cold to be gone. Slowly, her eyes fell open, blinking quite a couple of times before finally taking in her surroundings.Her eyes fell on the night light glowing from her bedside, dimly illuminating the room. She didn’t need to try to remember that her last memory was of her on the couch, listening to Zayn saying something. Or was it the other way around? Had she fallen asleep mumbling about her boring day?Zayn.The cold hit her skin again, and Rina recognized it as the discomfort that had roused her from sleep. She pulled her leg back into the quilt and made to wrap it around herself, but it felt hard to pull, like there was something heavy holding it from the other side.Then she heard the intake of breath, and her body froze. Rina turned around slowly, coming face to fac
“Stone, did you get the order I placed a few minutes ago?” Zayn was in his office, repeatedly pressing the cap of the pen in his fingers, with his phone pressed against his ears. He’d just finished with the meetings he had scheduled for the day and wanted to do this before he got into any other engagement.“Yes, Sir?” the voice on the other end of the call answered. Zayn could hear the pages of a book open before his voice came on again. “A red 2024 BMW i7. Where would you want it to be delivered, Sir?”“One of my men would be coming to get it,” Zayn said. “And don’t put it on the company tab. Someone’s been snooping around lately, and it's beginning to get on my nerves.”“Of course, Sir. Is there any other thing you would want me to add to the order?”“Make the glasses tinted.”“Okay, sir.”Ending the call, Zayn ticked something off his list and smiled to himself. His door pushed open at that minute, and he resisted the urge to stop the visitor right there and order him to return to
The reception downstairs was devoid of noise, exactly the way Zayn liked it. But that didn’t stop his employees from staring at him through partially closed doors and stairway landings as he walked past, one hand in his pocket, and his head staring straight ahead. Zayn walked with the confidence of ten people, exuding a powerful aura that no one could beat.He hadn’t earned his reputation by lounging around doing nothing, so when he exercised his powers, people trembled underneath them. And Zayn Graham didn’t care about whoever got hurt in the process. As much as he tried to avoid casualties, he wouldn’t force anyone to get out of his way.They ought to know better than that.It was the reason Zayn was giving Joel as many chances as he could afford. Ignorance was a thing where Zayn was concerned, and as much as he wanted to rip that veil off, he knew Rina wouldn’t like it. He was going to give it time, staying patient even if patience wasn’t one of his few virtues. At this rate, he wa
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