“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
Rina felt nervous getting out of the car. She had been doing this for almost half her life, but that moment meant more to her than before. It was her second time in public after being blacklisted by Scottsdale and betrayed by Kayla. The events of the first time still rang fresh in her memories. Rina remembered every moment, the cheers that turned into boos, the eggs hurled at her from the audience, all the paper.She knew it wouldn’t be like that this time around because people were already beginning to doubt the rumors Kayla had spread. And she would be right by the side of the most powerful man in the country. No one would dare go against him. Still, the nerves ate at her, threatening to pull her under.Rina knew that the minute she got out, her confidence had to be whipped out too, as high as ever, but when her eyes fell on Zayn, it came easily, wrapping its arms around her in a warm embrace. She saw no one else but him, the way his eyes drank her in greedily like it was his first
“Are you doing this because of her?” Jada snapped suddenly, her glare directed at Rina. The loud music drowned out her voice but it was loud enough to get the attention of the closest table. “She’s not worth it, Zayn. Don’t you see what she is doing to you? She did the same thing to all those male actors she worked with. Even Joel Osteen came out to talk about it.”Zayn stared at her with the most blank expression ever. “I don’t get you.”“I saw the article,” she murmured. “But I know it's all some big mistake. You are only doing it to get back at me for breaking your heart, but I understand. That’s the reason I am here – to make amends. I shouldn’t have done that, and I am really sorry about it. Let’s move on. You know we are meant for each other. You were going to marry me.”“Yeah. But that was before I found out you had been sleeping with my brother and perhaps, half the country. Don’t let me regret not coming out to tell everyone what you did because it wouldn’t cost me anything r
She hadn’t prepared for it, hadn’t known he would get up the stage to formally introduce her to millions of people as his at the same time. A loud echo resounded in her head as she watched him smile sweetly at her, and then in a split second, his expression went from goofiness to genuineness. His eyes raked through her as he parted his lips.“I don’t want to know what the world feels like without her. It is the reason why I’m doing this here today.” Zayn moved slowly from the podium, but to Rina, it appeared even slower than normal as her heart pounded against her chest and her head reeled with everything that was happening. She tried to remind herself that none of it was real – that even though he hadn’t told her about that bit, even though surprise was etched into her features and perhaps, a red patch on her cheeks like every girl in her situation would have been, it still was a product of an agreement made a while back.Rina caught the little wink reserved for her as he got closer,
Arm in arm, they navigated the huge hall, heading for tables with the foreign guests Zayn had invited. Mia appeared out of nowhere, walking behind Zayn with her pad in hand. Still, she was the most stunning secretary Rina had seen, in her sequined dress, and hair that stayed atop her head elegantly. Not everyone could pull off that look, yet Mia did and she didn’t even seem to realize it.“You can go enjoy the party,” Zayn murmured to her when he saw her fall into step with him. “I can handle this.”Mia didn’t question his decision, turning away at once and heading back square into the party. Zayn moved his hands, planting them firmly on the small of Rina's back as they approached one of the tables. His splayed fingers tingled Rina and caused a heat in her spine. Still, she gave nothing away as one of the foreign guests, an English man with his wife, got up to welcome them.“Congratulations on your launch,” the man beamed, his eyes crinkling. “I am so relieved I didn’t miss this. Can
The party was still in full swing when Zayn’s mom pulled Rina into her arms, her smile the widest in the room. Zayn could see the relief on her face, stretched so wide that it could encompass the whole room. He hated that it had to be that way – that he had to lie to get the firm off his brother’s incapable hands and to make his mother pleased. But Zayn didn’t have time to get to know someone and then, fall in love, like his parents wanted. They might have been in love and it might have gotten them where they were, but Zayn was certain there was an explanation for it.An alignment of plans, maybe. But definitely not love.“You never cease to amaze me, brother,” Nathan beamed, even though he couldn’t hide the anger behind his eyes away from Zayn. He seemed to forget how keen his younger brother was to observations, how much wealth and power he had at his disposal to get things done without lifting a finger. Although Nathan appeared laid back, Zayn could see through his façade. He angle
Nathan could finally breathe when Zayn moved away from him and settled between his parents, getting actively involved in their conversation. They looked at him like the star child, the one person who never brought disappointment to the family, and it made Nathan so angry. He looked on still, the happiness in their eyes at the expansion, Mr. Graham patting Zayn on the back for getting engaged, the laughter in their voices as they spoke with Rina, who in her charismatic nature, happened to charm everyone around her, only if she had crossed you out as an enemy previously.A lot of things had slipped out of his control, and Nathan was pissed with everyone but himself. He never looked inward. Not paying close attention had cost him a lot. Still, he knew that even though he’d had his nose pressed up against his younger brother’s business, he wouldn’t have been able to tell. For one, where the hell had Mago been for the last couple of years, and why did it feel like Zayn had been in communic
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