“The commentator said that?” She couldn’t believe it, especially after all the hurdles she’d had to cross to get to that point. Still, Rina couldn’t let herself become relaxed. Not yet. It didn’t matter that doubts were beginning to snake through the hearts of the very persons who had tossed her out onto the streets. It could easily change in a heartbeat as long as Kayla still had her wits, powers, and Finn. Although Finn was a very disposable part of the drama, Rina was very conscious of the fact that the only reason Kayla was with him was because she wanted everything Rina owned. It was that very notion she wanted to annihilate.Zayn nodded, still seated on the edge of the bed, considerably far from Rina. “Now that the country is beginning to wonder if they were right, I think the possibility of you getting attacked by anti-fans has slimmed down considerably. Still, you must be extra careful. Your No. 1 enemy is still out there, and we don’t know what she’s going to do next. I presu
Zayn paused, and closed his eyes, thinking about all the pros and cons of the move he was about making. All the rationality in him laid it out bare, bringing his consciousness to the fact that there was a boundary he was about to cross. But at that moment, it was hard to consider it, not with her sweet scent teasing and taunting him all at the same time, not with the view he’d had for the past twenty minutes, the one he had been trying hard not to think about but was proving to be the most difficult thing.She wiggled underneath him, drawing his attention to her boobs under the nightwear as they moved with her. He screamed “Fuck” in his head, and tried to pull away. This was the same thing he’d warned himself about repeatedly. Rina was a lot of temptation enveloped in one body, and at first, it was easy to explain everything away. But right now, Zayn found control slipping away from his fingers and he wasn’t sure he wanted to do anything about it.Rina stopped moving, gazing into his
The living room was in a celebratory state as Rina stepped downstairs after having a bath and getting ready for the day. Susan had made a simmering pot of lasagna, her eyes bright with excitement and her feet light and swift. She smiled up at Rina the second she was at the foot of the stairs. “Isn’t it such a beautiful day?” Susan was over the moon with the announcement. She wasn’t even that happy with Regina’s public apology. But this? It was exactly what Rina needed.As Susan prepared the table, Rina looked around for Zayn. But even before her eyes gazed round the living area, she already knew he was not in the villa. She would have felt him around, the charge in the air pulling her attention to his presence. But she felt nothing now, just his lingering scent and the overwhelming memory of what had transpired between them.The door pushed open, halting Rina’s thoughts. Her head whipped in that direction just as George sauntered in with a grin. She angled her head at his arrival, won
Rina tried to stop herself, but with the villa empty once again, she was left with her thoughts. Reeling from them, she walked to her room and changed into a pair of baggy jeans and a white tank top, allowing her hair to flow in waves all around her. She grabbed a tote, applied nude gloss to her lips, and completed her outfit with a pair of platforms. Rina meant business, she meant to take back the control she’d lost hours ago. Although she had no idea how that was going to work, Rina knew that for Zayn and herself to continue a platonic arrangement, it was a sacrifice she was going to have to make, and hope for herself that nothing like that happened again. If it did, she doubted she would be able to deny her feelings anymore.Taking her keys off her nightstand, Rina walked out of the villa and into the garage, getting behind the wheel. This time, when Igor approached, she told him her destination so he didn’t have to worry. It would have been a futile effort calling Zayn since he wo
Zayn’s expression turned into a scowl immediately his eyes fell on her. A smile played on her lips as she peered at Rina with the most condescending look ever. “Rina Powers in Zayn Graham’s office,” she mused without any intention of giving it up. “Now, that’s something to get the whole country talking about. But I doubt it would get to you since you are already so used to making the front page of the papers.”“Jada…”“But then again, I don’t think it would feel the same if the subject changes. What are you here for, Rina? Begging for aid? You already got Claire on your side by some miracle, and I’m certain she would see right through you before your contractual year is over and you would be back to ground zero. But you see, Zayn over here isn’t that gullible. If you’re here to seduce him, you better think twice about it because he wouldn’t bat an eyelid when he makes you a public nuisance.”Zayn got up on his feet, his eyes red with anger. “That is the last time I will hear you speak
Jada, feeling utterly embarrassed and angry, walked out of the office and into the chilly streets. Maybe she had twisted the truth a little to Zayn, but who cared about that when her aim was not accomplished? Jamaica had been a really cool city for her to hang since the nasty breakup – nasty for Jada – but she couldn’t keep on hiding in the shadows. Not when there was a lot to accomplish. Shaking her hair out, she retrieved her phone from her designer purse and called the person who had brought her all the way back into the country, the person who had told her that it didn’t matter if Zayn was still upset at her, that he would still take her back with open arms.What the hell had she been thinking believing anything he said? He ended up being wrong years ago, and the same thing was happening again.“What the hell is this?” Jada screamed into the phone when she heard his voice on the other line. “You said he was going to be receptive to me. This is the second time coming to this buildi
Silence reigned in the office the moment Jada stepped out, the door closing behind her. He sighed and plopped back into his seat, feeling like he’d just run a marathon. Zayn always felt that way with Jada, like he’d embarked on a mission to complete his house chores in an hour – exhausted and totally unmotivated to do any other thing for the rest of the day. Rina on the other hand, thought it was a very funny encounter. Still, she couldn’t stop the bubbles of anger that had begun to form in her.“I’m sorry about that,” Zayn muttered, wishing Jada and Rina hadn’t met that way. In fact, he had no plans of them meeting at all, but trust Jada to waltz in as she pleased. Making a mental note to inform the doorman for the second time that Jada wasn’t allowed inside his building, he tapped Rina softly and patted the space next to him. They weren’t done talking before Jada’s rude interruption.“It’s fine,” Rina said dismissively. “I shouldn’t have come here unannounced. Of course, you would h
They met at a restaurant, the air comfortable with a classical piece playing in the background. The screen in the distance flashed Rina’s picture for the umpteenth time that day, with the very unexpected announcement by Pages of Claire, and she scoffed, wishing she had the autonomy to turn it off. It made absolutely no sense that someone like her, after getting blacklisted by Scottsdale Enterprises would reach this level in the modeling industry, a level she had not gotten to herself. It irked her to her marrows, even though she barely knew her till that two days back, only previously heard stories about her.He sauntered in about thirty minutes late, and she wasn’t any bit surprised. He always operated that way – fixed a particular date and time for a meeting only to end up strolling in whenever he liked. He called it the god power – the ability to make everyone else wait for him and almost need his presence. But she thought it was a lack of discipline – something his brother wasn’t.
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