Rina had told herself over and over again that the last thing she would let Kayla elicit from her is fear and tears, especially what happened the last time with her losing her reputation in the country. It still stuck to her like glue – the aftermath, everything she’d had to go through. And now, it was happening again, sneaking its arms around her and threatening to pull her under. But Rina held her ground, refusing to let it overwhelm her again.Despite how scary the gun looked, being waved in her face, Rina tried to calm herself down, to think through the situation at hand and try to find a way around it. Swallowing, she counted to ten in her head, then smiled disdainfully at Kayla. “You are still the same child from many years ago, do you know that?”“Your psychoanalysis isn’t going to work on me.”“But think about it. We were nineteen, with huge dreams and bright smiles, walking through those doors knowing we’d just gotten scouted into the movie industry. You were scared. I saw th
Rina trembled at the thought of losing her beauty, especially at the hands of Kayla, her archenemy. She would never understand what she had done to warrant such treatment from someone who she had never offended in any way, shape, or form, but had decided to be a pain in her ass. "You don't want to get caught by the cops and serve a jail term, do you?" She threatened Kayla who looked unperturbed, yet filled with vengeance and cascaded with cruelty. She was sure that, at that moment, no one could stop her from misbehaving. "Don't come an inch closer!" Rina warned out of fear as Kayla cackled, relishing her victim's cries. This was exactly what she wanted from her and it was a lovely sight to behold. "Aww, poor Rina. I hope you can live with the consequences you brought upon yourself. I know that you must have been through a lot but here is my verdict. No one is going to save you from me. Absolutely no one, no matter how much they try. The earlier you get this into your head, the
Rina could hardly believe the turn of events. Only moments ago, she was staring at the abyss of despair, and now, here she was, safe in Zayn’s arms, her tormentor taken away in cuffs. "You...you planned all this?" she asked, pulling back to look at his face. Zayn gave her a faint smile. "Not entirely. I just followed my instincts. When I couldn't reach you, I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t hard to figure out where you’d be after I saw Kayla snooping around your office." Rina shuddered. The thought of Kayla scheming against her, watching her every move, sent chills down her spine. "I owe you my life," she said softly, her voice trembling. "You owe me nothing, Rina," Zayn replied firmly. "You’ve endured so much. All I want is for you to feel safe and loved. I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen." Rina’s heart swelled with a mix of gratitude and affection. That night, after Rina returned home, she went straight into the bathroom, her body weighed down by exhaustion and
The next morning, Rina stirred awake, the soft light of the morning sun filtering through the curtains. She reached out instinctively, expecting to feel Zayn's warmth beside her, but the bed was empty. Her heart sank slightly, disappointment creeping in as she realized he wasn’t there. Pulling herself out of bed, she wrapped herself in a robe and made her way downstairs. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and something delicious wafted through the air, guiding her to the dining room. Susan was setting the table, her movements efficient and precise as always. She looked up and smiled warmly when she saw Rina. “Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?” Susan asked, her voice polite. “Morning, Susan. Yes, I did, thank you,” Rina replied with a small smile, though her tone was distracted. Her eyes scanned the room, hoping to see Zayn. Susan seemed to notice her searching gaze. “Mr. Zayn left early this morning,” she said, placing a plate of pancakes on the table. “He said he had some m
Rina stepped into the villa, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor as she shut the door behind her. The silence of the house was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the turmoil in her mind. She dropped her handbag on the console table and made her way upstairs, her steps heavy. The memory of her confrontation with Kayla lingered, the venom in the other woman’s words clinging to her like an unwelcome scent. She needed to rid herself of it. In the bathroom, the steaming water from the shower cascaded over her skin, washing away not just the remnants of the day but also some of the heaviness in her chest. Rina closed her eyes, inhaling the floral scent of her soap, and let out a deep sigh. She scrubbed with a vigor that bordered on desperation, as though she could scrub away the memory of Kayla’s sneer, her taunts, and the hateful glint in her eyes. When she finally stepped out, wrapped in a plush robe, her skin was pink from the heat, but she felt a little lighter. Drying h
The cold, sterile air of the detention center was a far cry from the lavish comforts Kayla Reese was used to. Yet, as she lounged on the narrow cot in her cell, her posture was anything but defeated. When the metallic clang of the door opening echoed through the room, she turned her head lazily to see her manager, Damien, stepping inside. His tailored suit seemed almost comical against the backdrop of concrete walls and dim lighting. “Finally,” Kayla drawled, swinging her legs off the cot and sitting upright. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me.” Damien gave her a curt nod, his expression tight. “I just got out of the press conference. The Reese Group did what they could to smooth things over.” Kayla’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “And?” Damien pulled out his tablet and tapped a few buttons. “Here, see for yourself.” He handed it to her, the video of the conference playing from the start. Kayla watched intently, her eyes narrowing as the legal representative danced a
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
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
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 Justice In 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
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 cold, sterile air of the detention center was a far cry from the lavish comforts Kayla Reese was used to. Yet, as she lounged on the narrow cot in her cell, her posture was anything but defeated. When the metallic clang of the door opening echoed through the room, she turned her head lazily to see her manager, Damien, stepping inside. His tailored suit seemed almost comical against the backdrop of concrete walls and dim lighting. “Finally,” Kayla drawled, swinging her legs off the cot and sitting upright. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me.” Damien gave her a curt nod, his expression tight. “I just got out of the press conference. The Reese Group did what they could to smooth things over.” Kayla’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “And?” Damien pulled out his tablet and tapped a few buttons. “Here, see for yourself.” He handed it to her, the video of the conference playing from the start. Kayla watched intently, her eyes narrowing as the legal representative danced a