Rina didn’t try to reach out to Joel throughout her stay in the country and in the middle of her trips to Hong Kong for work. She saw no reason to, especially after how their last meeting had gone. So, when the news of his wedding was celebrated on her screen, there was no need to send him a congratulatory message. Although, she thought about it quite a number of times, considering how he had helped her when no one else had given her the chance, Rina still ended up not doing anything.It was hard to let go of the interview he’d had, where he had let the host throw her under the bus. And there were the harsh words he threw at her like their friendship hadn’t mattered to him. Rina was certain that Joel had heard about her engagement. She could imagine all the emotions he would have gone through – shock, anger, sadness. Or maybe she didn’t matter as much as she thought to him.Since the news of her engagement to Zayn, Rina hadn’t had a moment when she stepped out without creating a crowd
They went up into the broadcasting room, the lighting and sound already set in perfect order. Zayn took her hands and helped her up the podium, waiting for her to get seated, facing the camera, before following suit. He was being extra careful with her, extra touchy, and even though to Rina, it felt like Zayn was only doing that to keep up with the idea people have of them, it was the opposite to him.Zayn couldn’t keep his hands away, neither could his thoughts remain static without straying to Rina. It worried him more than he dared to mention, still, he couldn’t deny the fact that the memories of her felt great. They filled him with warmth and made him think love wasn’t such a bad thing after all. But every second it occurred to him, he shook out of it immediately, not wanting to be dragged into that.The host was a different lady from the person who had walked them in, but Rina was pleased to find out it was the same host as the one that had featured Joel Osteen. She was exactly t
“Are you trying to say that you met after your first husband?” Mandy asked, still pushing. “It must have been a lot for you two having to keep it away from everyone. Can I ask you why? Were you scared of something or were you trying to avoid something from happening?”“I am certain Zayn already answered that during his proposal at the launch of his company’s branch in Hong Kong,” Rina answered without batting an eyelid. “Just in case you missed it, you can always have access to it on Instagram. A lot of people made videos and some stations were also there to record the moment.”Mandy got the message immediately. She was doing too much at that moment, and it was Rina’s way of telling her that she wouldn’t take her bitching without a fight. With the way she sounded, Rina wouldn’t be surprised to find out Mandy was friends with Kayla, and that Kayla had made the station send that invite. But what they all didn’t know was that she wouldn’t sit back and allow life to happen to her like it
After the show, Mandy walked them out to the first floor, with appreciation falling from her lips yet far from her eyes. They weren’t exactly filled with venom. Instead, they were shifty, like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have been doing. After Mandy walked back inside, Zayn snaked a hand around Rina's waist and moved toward the car. A fan popped out of nowhere, excitement in her eyes as she rushed towards Rina, almost skipping at intervals.“Rina Powers!” As she got closer, Rina saw she was only a teenager, quite tall for her age. The first thing that came to her mind upon seeing her was the possibility of her being a basketball player or a model. She had on braces, and pigtails, and Rina could see she was still in high school with her cheerleading uniform.“Hi there,” Rina beamed, smiling at the teenager. “You look great, I have to admit. I didn’t even look this good back in high school.”The girl gushed at the attention, and a red patch appeared on her cheek. She
They met at an outdoor spot they used to visit when they were still courted. It was Rina’s idea, to remind him of what he’d lost the minute he walked out the door without giving her a chance to explain herself and going ahead to get on with her best friend who sabotaged everything she had, up to their child. She knew Finn was going to arrive on time, given the fact that he’d walked up to her himself the last time, so she spent longer than necessary at home, taking her time to get ready.Rina sat in front of her vanity, gazing into the mirror as she carefully applied very light makeup, choosing subtle and warm colors. She had chosen a pair of cargo pants for the occasion, always from Pages of Claire, a big t-shirt she had taken from Zayn’s freshly laundered pile the last time, and a pair of Nike. The plan was to dress down, but still appear exquisite and classy.Done with her make-up, Rina proceeded to put her hair up in a bun, dyed wine this time, with a few tendrils intentionally esc
Rina always thought Finn was just a cheat and an opportunist who looked out for only himself, even in the most serious of relationships. But now, she had another title to add to the list - delusional. Who was he kidding saying that he was a victim where Kayla was concerned? They were both partners, as far as Rina was concerned, and if she was counting the number of persons that hurt her, they were both on the top list. In fact, they had given the rest of the world the freedom to.Dry laughter escaped her lips at his last words, and Rina shook her head, wondering when he would stop covering his face with a thick cloth and come to terms with the person he truly was. “I’m certain you didn’t ask to meet up to talk about your travails with Kayla, which by the way, is none of my business. So, if you don’t mind, can we get around to why I am here?”“Of course. We should sit.” They moved further into the pack and settled into one of the benches built like a bicycle, with handles and wheels at
Finn tailed behind Rina as she walked back to the car, pleading with her to be heard out. Rina would have stopped if she didn’t know any better, if that was still the previous year, when she was hurt and confused, wanting her life back. Now, she knew better and made herself worth more than she used to be. There was no way she was going to waste all of that on Finn Smith.He caught up with her very close to the car, holding onto her arm. “Does Kayla know you are out here, Finn?” She asked in a very boring tone that should have made any man stop instantly, retreating into his shell. But not Finn. He continued, declaring his undying love so much so that it made Rina question if he had always been that shameless.“I told you,” he muttered. “Kayla is not the person for me. That was a mistake I made, and I know I am going to regret it every single day of my life. But it will make all the difference if you just give me a chance, Rina. We had such a beautiful family – you and I. We can make i
They arrived back at the villa, Zayn considerably relaxed, his laid-back aura fully present other than the muscle working in the jaw, and the almost comic look in his eyes. Rina found it really exhilarating that he could get worked up over something that pertained to her It didn’t even matter that she was in over her head, hoping something would happen along the line, that he would look at her with a softened gaze, and an obvious tell of a changed mind, that since her first trip to Hong Kong, he seemed to have had a rethink and was putting very intentional boundaries between them. His current actions still made her giddy and made her want to get attached with unknown consequences. The villa was dark and quiet as they sauntered in, with Susan retiring to bed, and William with Igor, for some reason, were nowhere to be found. Zayn didn’t stop until he got to the kitchen, pulled the refrigerator open, and retrieved a bottle of water. He gulped it down, his eyes searching the space, and a
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