“Didn’t you sleep?” Zendaya heard the makeup artist ask her as she yawned for the umpteenth time. She was currently getting ready for the shoot she had and she wanted nothing more than to return home.“I did, before I came here. I don't know why I'm so tired,” she responded as she yawned again.Maybe it was the event of the past few days, she muttered to herself. “It's understandable, you've been a lot in the past few days,” the makeup artist remarked, his voice full of pity. Zendaya smiled however, she didn't respond to him. She hated people feeling pity for her especially when it was something she was trying to forget. Even though she understood where they came from, it still irked her especially if the person wasn't a friend or her family.“Alright, I'm all done,” she heard him say to her and she only took a glance in the mirror before she got up. The faster they took the pictures, the faster she would get to go home.Upon reaching the stage, she noticed the man whom she was go
Zendaya hissed in pain as shards of glass cut through her skin. She didn’t however pay much attention to it, as what mattered was getting away from the crazy men who were destroying her car.“Come out here, bitch!” The man who had bashed the driver’s window yelled as he put his hand into the car and grabbed her hoodie.Zendaya didn’t hesitate in moving closer and hitting the man in the throat, which caused him to let go of her and gasp in pain. “You’re going to pay for that,” the other man said as he opened the car door and got into the car.He moved to punch Zendaya to incapacitate her, but she ducked and hit the side of his stomach. Even though she was trained, she was still at a disadvantage due to the position she was in. Her gun was locked in the glove compartment and there was no way she would be to grab it with the men around.Seeing that the other one was still preoccupied with his throat, she opened the door and got out. As soon as she was out, the first guy forgot all about
“Where’s your first-aid kit?” Jayden asked as soon as they got to her house.“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll do it myself,” Zendaya replied, and Jayden turned to glare at her.“Must you be so stubborn?” He asked, just as Zendaya’s helper, who had opened the door, came back with a first aid kit. Walking up to her, he collected the first aid kit. “Sit, let me clean your wounds,” he said to her, and Zendaya shook her head. Seeing that she wasn’t going to listen to him, he reached out and grabbed her hand.“What are you…” the rest of Zendaya’s words got swallowed in her throat as Jayden pulled her down to sit. She didn’t however argue further with him, as she let him do what he wanted.It wasn’t the first time Jayden was assisting her with cleaning her wounds, but it was the first time she was feeling this way because of it. The fact that she couldn’t explain the feeling just made it even more confusing.“Ah,” she hissed when Jayden started cleaning her wounds. “It burns,” she complained as she t
About twenty minutes later, the two men arrived at the place where the male star had been kept. The asshole was currently in a dark room where his hands and feet had been tied up. They were currently watching him through the security camera in the room, as they weren’t to show their faces.“Didn’t your men rough him up a bit?” Jayden’s eyes narrowed as he didn’t notice any bruises nor bleeding.“No, I left that task to you as I know you’d be itching to do so,” Arthur responded, and he was right. He was itching to go and beat the man to death, but another devious, crueller idea came to his mind.“Have your men sexually assault him a bit and get it on video so he knows how it feels,” Jayden instructed Arthur, whose mouth curled up into a devious smile.“And I’m supposed to be the Mafia King. Do you want to switch places?” He offered, and Jayden glared at him before returning his attention to the tied-up man. He had left those two thugs for Lucas to handle, but he wasn’t going to leave
‘Aren't you too young to be using such foul language,’ he asked her, and she sent another middle finger emoji in response.Typical Zendaya, he shook his head. She always did what he told her not to do. ‘So what's your schedule like today? Are you going out or are you going to remain trapped in your parents’ house?’ he asked her and waited for her response.‘Well, all thanks to a certain someone, my dad has ordered me to cancel all my appointments for today and stay home,’ she informed him. That was a good decision on Lucas’ part, Jayden thought to himself. She was injured, and she needed to take a break from her busy schedule so she could rest and give her body time to heal.‘Also now, the guards will follow me everywhere and be with me at all times. Thanks for that,’ she told him as she sent the middle finger once more. His mind immediately took him back to the time when he had her pinned underneath him as she screamed his name. Soon, he would punish her for continuously swearin
‘You're a terrible liar,’ Zendaya said to him.‘That’s because I wasn't trying,’ Jayden asserted. If he wanted to lie, she wouldn't know, as he would do so effortlessly. He looked down at his phone and when he didn't see her typing, he wondered if he had said the wrong thing.However, in the next second, a call entered this phone, and he saw that it was Zendaya calling him. “So, what's your proposal?” She questioned.“There is a company crisis happening in one of the companies our families founded together,” he started.“Okay, and?” “Your father will have to either be there personally or send a representative. There’s no better way to get away from your family and prove that you're ready to get introduced to the family business,” he laid out. “But of course, the main goal will be to get away,” he concluded and there were silence from the other side of the line“I don't know if my dad will actually send me there, he's too protective of me,” Zendaya sighed. The first and important
After speaking with Jayden, Zendaya immediately headed out of her home to go see her father so she could help him win the bet.After all, he did save her yesterday and she was indebted to him.“Mom, where's dad?” She asked when she saw Kiandra. “He's in his study,” her mother told her, and she immediately headed down there.“Make sure you beat the two assholes to the point of death, but leave them alive,” she heard her father say to someone over the phone.When he saw her, he beckoned for her to sit, which she did as she waited for him to finish his phone call.From his conversation with the person she could tell that he had captured the two men who had assaulted her the previous day, and she applauded her father's team as they were fast, very fast.She wondered if they would still be tough with their bats once her father went to see them.“What is it, Zendaya?” Lucas asked his daughter.“Well, I want to request something from you,” she started, and she scratched the back of her head
‘I did it,’ was what Jayden read when he picked up his phone to see who had texted him.A smile appeared on his face and he heard someone gasp, and when he looked up he saw his employees staring at him with a puzzled look on their faces. He couldn't blame them for staring, as it was unusual to see him smile, and it was even more unusual for him to pick up his phone in the middle of a meeting.“I don't remember asking you to stop, go on,” he said to the employee who was giving a presentation, after which he proceeded to respond to Zendaya.‘That's good, you just won me a bet,’ Jayden responded. I owe you something, he told her, and he saw her typing in the next second.His heart was full of excitement, seeing how Zendaya was giving him fast responses, and he hoped that she wouldn't fall asleep randomly again.‘I'll hold on to that and you better fulfill my request when the time comes,’ Zendaya told him, and he bit his lips to stop himself from smiling once more. ‘Are you busy?’ She
Zendaya stood outside Anaya’s house, hesitating before ringing the bell. She had tried to get Jayden out of her mind, but he refused to leave, and it was as though he had permanently built a house there.She needed a distraction and what better way to get one than Anaya. Shaking her head, she finally pressed it.A moment later, Anaya’s cheerful voice came through the intercom. “Who’s there?”“It’s me,” Zendaya said, trying to sound normal.“Zendaya? What are you doing here?!” she heard her friend say as she opened the door.Anaya was wearing a fluffy cardigan and pajama pants, her hair in a messy bun. “You look like you could use a drink or five,” she teased, stepping aside to let Zendaya in.This was one of the reasons why she had come there. It had barely been ten seconds, and Anaya was doing what Anaya did best.“Don’t tempt me especially after what happened the last time,” Zendaya muttered, shrugging off her coat and kicking off her shoes.“Rough day?” Anaya asked as she led Zen
Jayden stepped into the abandoned mansion, his brow furrowed as he spotted Zendaya waiting in the dimly lit living room. When their eyes met, she didn't look happy to see him, and he wondered if Anil had done something to make her sad.“What’s wrong?” he asked in a calm voice.“You know exactly what’s wrong?" Zendaya snapped, as she stood up. “Daniel. The guy you swore you wouldn’t go after while you were sleeping with me, Jayden.”Jayden froze for a moment as he processed her words. His lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke. “Zendaya, I told you I’d handle him. And I did.”“Handle him?” she repeated in disbelief, her voice rising. “You beat him up till he fell unconscious, Jayden! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? He’s in the hospital! The police are investigating this!”Jayden raised an eyebrow, and Zendaya could tell from the expression he had on his face that he was unbothered. “Let them investigate. They won’t find anything,” he said.His nonchalant tone made Zen
The clinking of cups, the hiss of the espresso machine, and a low hum of conversation filled the coffee shop.Anil and Zendaya sat across from each other in a cozy corner of the shop. The sunlight shone through the large windows, casting a warm glow on the wooden table between them. Anil’s shirt had been changed and thankfully, he managed to find a shirt the exact colour.“Thanks again for waiting while I changed,” Anil said, running a hand through his hair. “I swear I’m cursed around coffee when you’re involved,” he remarked, reminding Zendaya of what had happened in the past.Zendaya chuckled as she remembered what had happened. He was right, her coffee and him didn't go well together, and it always left him at the receiving end.“I said I was sorry, didn’t I? And hey, at least I didn’t spill it on your face this time.”Anil laughed, a genuine sound that made Zendaya relax for a moment. She liked that about him—his ability to brush off awkward moments without making them feel lik
The boardroom buzzed with activity as Jayden sat at the head of the table, listening to his team give updates on the recent crisis that had happened in the company. His sharp eyes scanned the reports in front of him, his focus unbroken despite the noise around him.“—and as of this morning, we've managed to find the source of the breach.The odds have shifted slightly in our favour,” one of his executives concluded, clearly relieved. “We’ve managed to downplay most of the fallout.”Jayden nodded curtly. “Good. Keep monitoring it. I want real-time updates on any changes.”The team murmured their agreement before someone else began to present. As they spoke, Jayden leaned back in his chair, as he grabbed his pen to play with it.While his mind was partially on the briefing, a larger part of him wandered to Zendaya and what she was doing. He hadn’t texted her since they spoke in the morning, as he had been bombarded by his team and had been busy ever since.His thoughts were interrup
The lights dimmed, and the photographer called out, "That’s a wrap, everyone!" Zendaya heard him say as she sighed in relief.Without wasting time, she slipped out of her heels and stretched her sore feet. The shoot had been exhausting, but it had gone well. She grabbed her things, thanking the crew, and she immediately headed out of the studio with a coffee in hand. She was finally done for the day, and now she could focus on getting some plants and paint for the mansion. She then made a mental note to ask Jayden if she was okay with some guys coming over to redecorate the house.Stepping out of the building, she was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice the figure walking toward her. Just as she took a sip of her coffee, she collided with someone, the cup tilting dangerously. A gasp escaped her lips as the liquid spilled onto the stranger's shirt.“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” she blurted as she quickly grabbed her handkerchief to wipe the coffee off the shirt.“It's okay,” sh
Zendaya cursed in annoyance when her morning started with the annoying buzz of her alarm clock at an ungodly hour.What was she thinking when she set it so early? Moments like this were when the urge to quit her job hit her deeply. She groaned, blindly smacking the snooze button, but her phone buzzed with a notification almost immediately, forcing her to wake up. She knew herself, which was why she had set the notification on her phone when she was going to bed.The reminder of her shoot flashed on the screen, and she sighed. ‘Fuck my life.’Dragging herself out of bed, she rushed to the bathroom, and decided to have a cold shower in an effort to wash the sleep away from her eyes. After she was done, she threw on casual jeans and a fitted top. Her outfit didn't matter, as she would change out of it.She then grabbed her phone to check messages and as expected, Jayden’s text was already waiting for her.Jayden: Good morning, Sleepyhead. Did you survive the Valencia family chaos?Ze
The world tilted and blurred for Matthew as he stumbled onto the hard concrete, his knees scraping against the rough surface. “Should we drop him here or move him,” one of the guards who had thrown him onto the floor asked.“Nah, leave his sorry ass here. That was the boss’ orders. I'm not going against it for the cheater,” the guard's partner said as he pulled the other one out of there.Matthew's head pounded, and his body ached from the beating he’d received at the hands of Lucas and Levi Valencia. The car that had dropped him off sped away, its taillights vanishing into the distance, leaving him in an empty alley, surrounded by shadows and the faint stench of garbage.Gasping for breath, Matthew clutched his side, feeling the sharp sting of bruised ribs. He glanced around, disoriented, his mind racing as he didn't know how to get out of there. His keys and wallet were back at the mansion, and it was as good and gone as there was no way he was getting it back, which means he was
Zendaya flopped onto her bed, her body sinking into the familiar plush mattress of her childhood room.She groaned into the pillow before rolling onto her back, reaching for her phone. If she was going to be forced to stay here, she might as well let Jayden know,,, as he would be worried.Opening their chat, she saw that he had already sent a text. “How's it going,” was what his text read.Reading it, she began to type.“It went well. I’m not coming back tonight.She stared at the message and waited for the little dots that would indicate he was typing. When they didn’t come, she added another text.Zendaya: Before you get mad, it wasn’t my idea. My dad and Levi practically kidnapped me after everything that happened with Matthew.This time, the dots appeared almost immediately.Jayden: Please tell me you're jokingZendaya could practically hear the frustration behind his words. She rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the small smile creeping onto her face. It was nice to see he w
The air was heavy with the aftermath of the chaos, the faint smell of blood and sweat lingering in the living room where Matthew had been taught a lesson by the two men of the Valencia family.Zendaya leaned against the wall, her arms wrapped around herself as she tried to process everything that had just happened. She hated that she felt a bit of pity for him, even after everything he’d done. But more than that, she hated how exposed and raw she felt standing there.The fact that she had cried while talking to Matthew wasn't something she was proud of because at that moment she felt hurt once again. It was puzzling as she wasn't in love with Matthew anymore and had moved on to a much better man. Meanwhile, Lucas stood a few feet away, observing her silently. They had taken care of Matthew, but she didn't look like she was happy about it, and it made him fearful, as he didn't want it to be a case of her still having feelings for that bastard.Without wasting time, he moved closer