Rina whipped her head around at once, all of her being fully aware of his presence. Her breath hitched in her throat as she took him in, looking as relaxed and confident as ever, dressed in a grey suit that fit him like a glove with his wavy hair finishing his look. His eyes narrowed in on Adam’s fingers grazing the stray curls of her hair, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “I’m certain I’m not going to repeat myself.”Adam seemed to catch himself in that moment, withdrawing his hand at once, letting it fall to his side. The shoot was temporarily paused, their attention was focused on the sudden appearance of Zayn, coupled with the article that had just been released that morning. If there had been any doubts in their heart, they had been washed out by the glare in his eyes as he gave Adam a once-over.“Zayn,” Rina finally found her voice. “What are you…”The door to the studio opened and a messenger appeared with a message for Rina. Her presence was being demanded in the conference r
The air crackled with a mixture of indifference and tension as Rina strode into the conference room. The long polished table shone under the overhead lights, just the way it did the last time she was in there, discussing the contract. She wasn’t supposed to have any interaction with the whole board until the expiration of her contract, but the person responsible for taking the picture and the publishing of the article expedited it.Nut as Rina took her seat, taking in the faces around the table, etched with varying degrees of seriousness and concern, Rina knew it wasn’t the end of her contract with Pages of Claire. In fact, her reign only just started and there was no way she was going to allow Kayla, or whoever it was, to win this round. Claire watched her from the head of the table, her usually radiant face clouded with worry. But Rina knew it had nothing to do with the outcome of the meeting. Claire was worried about what the sudden publication would do to the reputation Rina was o
Rina thought Zayn had been long gone, but his sudden appearance in the conference room brought her fears back, that like Finn, she was going to depend on someone who had no plans of staying with her for long. And then, after a while, he would be gone, along with everything he brought along with him, leaving her to maneuver the world she had been dumped into. But the rational part of Rina knew that wasn’t true, that Zayn wasn’t that type of person. Even though he was certainly going to leave once the duration of their contract was over, it wouldn’t be on bad terms.Shoving her fears to the back of her mind, Rina focused her attention on Anthony who was fidgeting, looking like he was about to wet his pants. He turned to Rina and mumbled an incoherent apology, but Zayn didn’t think that was enough.“We heard your insults loud and clear, Anthony,” he said. “I wonder why we can’t hear your apology?”“I am profusely sorry, Ms. Powers, for all the spiteful words I said, as well as calling yo
Rina was certain Kayla was going to do everything within her power to stall Scottsdale's announcement. She would be on her knees now, searching for something to get Rina back into the dirt she was rising from, but Rina was going to fight as hard as she could. The battle was unequal for the longest time since Kayla had her family backing her up with their wealth, but now that the plains were leveled, Rina considered that an equal fight. And she was going to emerge victorious.Alighting from the limousine, Rina told Michael not to bother walking her inside, even though he insisted because of the article in circulation. Telling him it was no bother since the hotel’s security was tight, she walked into the lobby barely paying attention to the stares since she knew what they were about already. The whispers were hushed, still, tongues wagged and eyes roamed. Rina would have taken the time to smile at a few people to show that she wasn’t in the slightest affected by it, but her mind was som
“What?” Rina peered her eyes at him, wondering what he was saying. “Are you trying to tell me you are not friends with Claire? That I’ve got everything wrong?”Zayn shook his head. “No. But I didn’t tell Claire to offer you a job. I didn’t even know she was going to until she sent George the mail. You were the first person I heard it from before she reached out to me to inform me. Rina, I meant it when I told you that I would not do anything you do not want me to. Trust me.”The anger in Rina faded into oblivion and she struggled with what next to say. “I thought…I didn’t know…”“It’s fine, Rina. I understand you perfectly. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have responded the same way. You were with a man who didn’t regard you and used your accomplishments against you before leaving you for your best friend, and it is only normal for you to be wary of all the men who come into your life after that. But it is my job to constantly reassure you that I will never do that to you. N
There was no scheduled shoot for the following day so Rina stayed in bed till noon before placing an order for breakfast. She had forwarded the message she got the previous night to Zayn who told her not to worry about it, as they had agreed. The content of the text made it obvious that whoever it was had stronger links to Zayn than Rina. If he needed any further convincing that the person who took the picture had tailed him to Hong Kong, he had it right there. The person sought to keep Zayn away from Rina. For the first time, Rina was certain it was not about her.Still, it didn’t make it any better. It seemed like attacks and enemies were coming up from both sides and even though they had a firm grasp of it, all it took was a little slip and they would be at their mercy. Rina hoped it didn’t get to that point.After breakfast, she went through a video chat with the social media manager George had employed. She was a young girl fresh out of college, with great enthusiasm and wits. He
“What was that about?” Zayn asked as he fought the urge to take Rina into his arms. If he was being truthful to himself, it was the reason he had come over to her room that afternoon and not the justification he had cooked up in his head. But upon seeing her face, so breathtaking and stunning, Zayn thought he should probably keep his arms to himself. He still didn’t believe in love and he doubted anything could change that. And from what he knew about Rina, she was the child who dreamt of Prince Charming coming to sweep her off her feet.He wasn’t what she needed, and Zayn didn’t want to hurt her. He couldn’t bear to.“I think my socials have been quiet for too long. It's time I own the narrative.” She danced away from him like a bird escaping its cage, plopping back onto the ground and gazing out into the city.“I figured,” Zayn mouthed. “But that wasn’t what I was asking. You wouldn’t have introduced her to me before. I dare say that you are being a tad careless.”“There’s nothing t
Music serenaded the hall as guests slowly trooped in from the entrance adorned with intricately woven garlands. Smiles were etched into their features, and they gazed around in wonder and pleasure. Zayn had ensured that would be their reaction when he had given the job to the event planners. They were the best in Hong Kong, and the idea was to have the biggest and most impressive company launch the city had ever seen.From the gallery, he watched the guests find their seats, chatter sliding through their lips. From his vantage point, he saw when his father sauntered in, holding his mother’s arm in his. They were the greatest source of his strength and he was happy they’d been able to make it. William let them to the table at the front where their names were written in beautiful calligraphy on a card. His mother’s eyes twinkled with pride and Zayn beamed from the sight.Mia had just arrived in Hong Kong and was currently making her way down to the hall after making a quick stop to get
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