Zendaya couldn’t believe that she was naked, and she desperately hoped she was having a nightmare. However, the pain that hit her in her lower region told her that it wasn’t.
Seeing that Jayden was still staring at her naked body, she quickly reached out and yanked the duvet away from him so she could cover herself up. That was a big mistake as she was met with his naked body, which made her quickly turn away. “Cover yourself up!” She cried out as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She waited until after she heard the shuffling of clothes to look back at him. He had worn his pants, but he still hadn’t put a shirt on, and this was still distracting to her. “Why the hell are you at my house and naked?” Zendaya immediately fired at him. “Look around and tell me what you observe,” Jayden yawned in a bored tone as he sat up. Zendaya was confused as to why he was asking her to look around, but as soon as she did, she found the answer. This wasn’t her house! She yelled in her head. What the hell was going on? “Go ahead, think back to what happened, and when you find the answer, let me know,” Jayden urged her as he stood up and left the room. As soon as he was out, she quickly picked her clothes up from the floor and wore them before sitting to think back to what had happened. It was difficult to remember what had happened as her head felt like it was about to split in two. The last thing she remembered was going to a bar after finding out Matthew cheated on her, so how did she end up sleeping with Jayden? Her memories after that were blank, and so she couldn’t find an answer. Jayden didn’t seem like the kind of person to force her, which meant she must have agreed to it, but why?! Zendaya cried. She wouldn’t have bothered if it was any other person. Why did it have to be the man she hated the most in the world? The door opened and Jayden walked in carrying a tray. “Here, drink this, it should help with your hangover,” he said as he placed it beside her. Zendaya opened her mouth to refuse but with the headache had hit her once again, she quietly took the bowl and began to drink the contents. Jayden quietly watched her, and he didn’t speak until she was done. “Do you remember?” He inquired curiously. “No, I don’t,” Zendaya shook her head and as she did, she was hit by an image of Jayden on top of her. ‘Either you sleep with me or someone else will, but I’m getting laid tonight,’ she heard herself say, and she froze at the realization that she was the one who had initiated it. No, it couldn’t be, she tried to deny. “I should get going,” she remarked as she stood up. She was too ashamed, and she wasn’t ready to hear Jayden tell her once again of how cheap he thought her to be. “Sit!” Jayden ordered, and she immediately sat back down. Wait, why was she sitting? She frowned as she got back up. “You're not the boss of me,” she stated as she proceeded to leave. “And here I thought you'd be crying over the fact that your fiancée has been cheating on you.” His comment made Zendaya turn to face him. “How do you know?” She questioned, wondering if she had been foolish enough to tell him. “I found out about it ages ago. Plus, you mentioned it yesterday,” Jayden responded. “Wait, what do you mean you found out about it ages ago?” Zendaya asked Jayden. “It's exactly as you heard,” Jayden stated, and he quickly ducked when Zendaya threw a pillow at him in anger. “Why the hell didn't you tell me?” She hissed in anger as she glared at him. “Wait, how did you find out?” He had left before she met Matthew and had just returned, so how did he know? “Did you think I wouldn’t keep an eye on you, Clownhead?” Jayden asked her, and she clenched her fist over what he had called her. It was a name he had given to her when they were children, and he refused to let it go. “So you’ve been stalking me?” She scoffed. “I’ve been doing more than that,” he admitted shamelessly. “But that’s not important. The fact that you tried to have a one-night-stand after discovering that he cheated is.” She tried to? His words seemed to collaborate with what she had remembered. The fact that she couldn’t remember was beginning to frustrate her. “What I do or decide to do is none of your business?” She immediately fired at him. “In case your thick skull doesn’t seem to remember, that decision of yours led to us sleeping together again,” Jayden clapped back and Zendaya felt herself throb. “You weren’t drunk, so why didn’t you refuse to sleep with me!” she however ignored it. “Because you fucking seduced me!” Jayden snapped. “You kissed me and asked me to sleep with you.” “That seems like a ‘you’ problem,” Zendaya shrugged casually. “And besides, when have you ever listened to me if it wasn’t something you wanted to do!” she asked him, and he wasn’t able to provide an answer. “You wanted to sleep with me?” Her voice turned serious as she tried to decipher what was going on in his head. Jayden never ran out of words to banter her with. If he wasn’t responding, it was because she was telling the truth. “What do you think?” Jayden threw the question right back at her. “I want to go home,” Zendaya responded, as she wanted to be alone to be able to process her thoughts. “I’ll drop you home,” Jayden told her, and she shook her head as his presence would just further muddle her thoughts. “There’s no need for that, I’ll call a driver.” she looked for her bag and when she found it she brought out her phone to do just that, she saw that it was dead. She didn't have a charger, which meant that she wouldn't be able to call for a ride home. “Fine, you can drop me home,” she agreed. “Unnecessarily stubborn,” Jayden remarked as he grabbed his shirt and put it on. Without wasting time, Zendaya walked out of the room, and she let Jayden lead her downstairs. The ride to her home was silent, as she wasn't ready to talk to him, and thankfully he didn't say anything to her. When they got to her house, Zendaya frowned upon noticing Matthew’s car in her driveway. Due to what had happened with Jayden, she hadn't had time to process his betrayal, but it seemed she would have to face him whether she wanted to or not. “Are you going to overlook the fact that he's cheating on you?” Jayden asked curiously. Not like he would let that happen, but he still wanted to know. “I haven't thought about it yet,” Zendaya confessed, and Jayden was displeased with her answer, as there was nothing to think about. He, however, didn't say anything, and he watched Zendaya get out of the car. She immediately headed inside, and she saw Matthew pacing in her living room. Upon hearing footsteps, he turned to look at her, and her heart bled as the images of how he slept with another woman played in her head. “Zendaya, where have you been?” He asked her, and she broke out of her thoughts. “Why are you here, Matthew?” She asked instead of answering his question. “Because of this,” he responded as he showed her his phone. When she looked at what he was showing her, she saw that there were multiple pictures of her and Jayden outside the bar and of her leaving with him. Those darn paparazzi! She yelled in her head. Couldn't she do anything without them taking pictures of her? ‘Trouble in Paradise. Soon-to-be married Zendaya cheating with her supposed enemy?’ was what the headline read. “Yeah? So what?” She probed in a cold voice. “You're cheating on me, aren't you, and don't lie to me, I can see those hickeys on your neck!” Matthew growled in anger, and Zendaya's hand went to her neck as she cursed Jayden for not telling her that she had them. “No, I didn't cheat on you,”. Zendaya denied his allegation, and the next thing Matthew did, shock her as he forcibly grabbed her by the arm. She hissed as his nails dug into her skin. This was the first time he had behaved like this with her, and she wondered if it was really the man she loved standing in front of her. “Let go, Matthew, you're hurting me,” she inhaled sharply, but he didn't listen to her. “You always told me of how much you hated Jayden Gerano and you went running to his bed barely a day after he returned,” Matthew growled, and in the next instant his hold on her loosened. “That's no way to test a woman, especially one who is your fiancée,” Jayden’s voice rang behind Matthew. When the latter turned to face Jayden, he was met with a punch that sent him straight to the ground. “Jayden!” Zendaya gasped, and he looked at her with a bored expression on his face. “You bastard!” Matthew yelled as he got up to attack Jayden. Zendaya knew it was a terrible idea, as he was highly trained. Just as expected, it barely took Jayden any effort to send Matthew to the ground once more. “Stop it, Matthew!” Zendaya ordered as she put herself in between the two. However, Matthew being blinded by anger didn't stop, and he moved to punch her. Before he could however touch her, Jayden held his fists. “Are you going to keep on putting up with his ass?” He turned to face Zendaya. “No, now back away,” Zendaya told him, and it took a few seconds for him to listen to her. He however hovered around in case Matthew tried to get physical again. “The wedding’s off, Matthew,” Zendaya immediately told him. “What?!” Matthew yelled. “I can't believe you're calling off our wedding because of him!” “No, Matthew, I'm calling off our wedding because you've been cheating on me!” She yelled, bursting out in anger. The nerve of Matthew to try to get upset over the cheating rumour was disgusting. She was done with him the moment she caught him cheating, and so she didn't cheat on him by sleeping with Jayden. “What are you saying?” Matthew tried to feign innocence. “It's because of him, right, he's brainwashing you?” He then accused Jayden. “No, I was at your house last night and I saw you sleeping with another woman, after which you called me a fool for not seeing what was happening right under my nose,” Zendaya smiled bitterly. She was too calm, but she didn't have the energy to be aggressive. Wanting it to be over, she dipped her hand in her pocket and brought out the ring he had given to her. “I'm not going to accept this. We should talk it out!” He said desperately, and Jayden chuckled, which made the remaining two shift their attention to him. “Who are you to interfere in our private matters?!” Matthew seethed with rage. "I'm her boyfriend and if you don't get out of here, I'll be the man who will be responsible for putting you six feet underground," Jayden responded, shocking Zendaya."I'm her boyfriend and if you don't get out of here, I'll be the man who will be responsible for putting you six feet underground," Jayden responded, shocking Zendaya. She immediately turned to look at him, but he wasn't looking at her, rather his attention was focused on Matthew who looked pale. Before she could say anything, Matthew pushed her out of the way and moved to punch Jayden. However, the latter, who was already prepared for it, deflected it and landed his own punch. “That's my fucking fiancée, you asshole!” Matthew growled in anger. There was no way he was going to allow Jayden to steal what he had worked so hard for, not when he was so close to victory. “Not anymore,” it was Zendaya who spoke this time. “Get out of my house, Matthew, we’re done,” she growled in anger. She hadn’t intended for him to know that she knew about his infidelity, but since the cat was out of the bag, she could only plan her revenge plan from there. Matthew immediately tried to move closer to
Her father was very loving and spoiled her a lot but now wasn't one of such times so she followed them into the house discarding her idea of running away. It wasn't as though she would even be able to get far. As soon as they were in, her father turned to face her. “Clear to explain why there are pictures of you and Jayden Gerano plastered all over the internet?” Lucas asked his daughter. Jayden Gerano was a name he hadn't dealt with for two years. The young Gerano hadn't even spent up to five days home and he was already causing trouble for his daughter. Lucas was far from pleased. He wasn't a fool to believe that his daughter actually cheated on her fiancé, as he knew how the paparazzi liked to twist things so they could sell, but those pictures were definitely real. That was his daughter and that bastard together. “Have a seat, what I'm about to tell you is serious,” Zendaya told her parents and they did as she asked. When they sat down, they looked at her expectantly. “Ye
When Jayden got into his mansion, he found his father seated patiently in his living room sipping his expensive alcohol. “What brings you to my mansion?” He asked.“The pictures of you and Zendaya, which have been trending since this morning,” Justin responded to his son. The boy had just come back, and he was already getting into a scandal with none other than Zendaya Valencia, the woman whom Jayden hated more than anything in the world.“You know how the media is, ignore it,” Jayden brushed off, but the look on his father’s face told him he wasn’t having any of it.“I sent you away for two years because of the same woman. One would have taught you learnt your lesson,” Justin hissed in annoyance. There was nothing he and his wife hadn’t done to get rid of the enmity between his son and Zendaya, but nothing seemed to work. The last straw was what happened the last time, and he finally decided to send his son to one of their companies overseas to handle it. He had done so with the
When Zendaya opened the door, she found her helper standing in front of her. “Ma’am, Miss Tatiana is here to see you,” her helper informed her, and a frown appeared on Zendaya’s face. “You can go, tell her I'll be down in a minute,” she instructed the helper, who bowed and left.Zendaya turned to the closet where her gun was kept, and she wondered if it would be a good idea to shoot Tatiana for what she had done to her.No, killing her was giving her an easy punishment, and she wasn't going to do that. By the time she was done with both her and Matthew, they would be begging for death.With that thought in mind, she took a deep breath and headed downstairs. If Tatiana was there, it was either because Matthew hadn't told her she knew he was cheating or the fact that he did, but he was banking on the fact that she didn't know it was Tatiana he had been cheating on her with.Either way, it was a stupid decision to come to her, and she wanted to hear what the backstabber would say to h
“What do you mean, I have to attend a party tonight?” Jayden asked in annoyance. He had gone through his schedule when he resumed back at the company, and it didn't involve him attending a party, especially one that was two hours away.He hated them as due to the family he belonged to, people would always try to talk to him and gain his favour, that was another thing he hated, socializing.It was why he had only one person he could consider his friend, and that was Arthur, his cousin. The only reason why that was even so, was because they had grown up together. “Your father called and asked me to add it to your schedule, and he said something along the lines of ‘After all, you're in charge now,’ sir,” his secretary told him and he waved, dismissing his employee.Without wasting time, he proceeded to call Justin in annoyance. “I'm not attending a party you were supposed to attend,” he immediately told his father.“Too bad you don't have a choice after all, you said you were in charge
Flashes of what had happened between them the previous night rang in her head and her cheeks turned red in embarrassment.“Are you sure this is my seat, there's no mistake?” She asked, and the waiter shook his head while pointing to her name, which was on the table.“Thank you,” she said and the waiter left. Having no other choice, she took her seat and smiled at the rest of the people who were on the table. Not wanting to talk to Jayden, she pretended he wasn't there.“Are you really ignoring me?” He leaned in and asked. Her entire body became hot and all he had done was ask a question. What was wrong with her, and why was she reading this way?“Why are you at this party, I thought you hated parties,” she hissed as finally turned to acknowledge his presence.Why was he looking more handsome than this morning? She couldn't help but ask herself.‘I’m here because you're here,’ Jayden almost said, but he didn't.“I'm representing my dad,” he replied instead. “The same can be said about
Jayden chuckled as he looked at Zendaya. “You know, I might just change my mind and let you fall into the fountain,” he pointed out, and he saw her glare at him.Did she really think she would escape him by coming here? He had come to the party only because of her, which meant that wherever she was, he would be there.“Jayden,” Zendaya called in a warning tone, and her soul left her body when he let go of her. “Ahh!” She yelled, but in the next instant she found herself clutching into his shoulders. The asshole had caught her waist and pulled her back up in the nick of time. Her heart pounded in her chest, and it took a few seconds for her to regain her composure.When she did, she saw Jayden smiling at her, and she became red with anger. “Let go of me!” She hissed. The moment he did, she was going to beat his ass up. First he followed her there, then he scared her not once but twice.“Have I told you how beautiful you look?” He asked her, and she was dumbfounded as it was out of no
Coming back into the hall was a big mistake, Zendaya thought to herself as the moment she stepped in, the host took her around, introducing her to some huge people in the entertainment industry. These were people her father could get her into a meeting with, but not wanting to be disrespectful, she allowed the host to cart her away. It was what led to her current situation, as the moment she had concluded her talks with those notable people, she was bombarded by the people she was currently with. It was obvious they were just looking for answers from her so they could gossip about it and thankfully, Jayden had arrived As much as he was an asshole to her, he was more than capable of handling the people who had surrounded her as he had an infamous reputation of being cruel just like the rest of the men from his family.“We were just offering our condolences,” the woman who had asked the questions smiled nervously.“It's a birthday party and a fundraiser, why don't you all go over th
Two Months LaterThe Gerano mansion was buzzing with energy as the family and other well-wishers gathered to celebrate Jayden's birthday. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses as the sun began to set. Jayden stood near the center of the room, talking to friends when he caught sight of Lucas approaching him.“Excuse me,” he said to the men he was talking to and he walked towards Lucas.“Enjoying the party?” Jayden asked with a smirk.Lucas shot him a look, which showed that he had been forced to be there probably by his wife and daughter. “I still don't like you. Don’t push it,” he warned.Jayden pouted as he pretended to be sad. “Don’t say that father-in-law,” he said and he had to stifle his laughter at the horrified expression Lucas always gave whenever he called him that. After he was discharged from the hospital, he and Lucas sat down to have a chat about Zendaya and his relationship.Lucas' words were simple, “Hurt her and you die.”He wondered w
Jayden's losing consciousness lingered in Zendaya's mind as Lucas led her out of the dark, suffocating room. Her heart pounded as she hoped Jayden was okay. “Get an ambulance here immediately!” Justin barked at an officer as they exited the building.Zendaya stumbled slightly, her legs weak from exhaustion and fear. Lucas caught her, steadying her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder.“You’re safe now,” Lucas said gently.“But Jayden…” Zendaya whispered, her eyes never leaving Justin’s retreating figure as he carried Jayden toward an ambulance that had just arrived.“He’ll be fine,” Lucas assured her. “You need to rest as well.”Paramedics rushed to Justin, quickly taking Jayden onto a stretcher.Blood seeped through his bandages, and Zendaya’s stomach churned at the sight. She tried to follow, but Lucas held her back.“You need to get checked too,” Lucas insisted, gesturing to another paramedic who was approaching her.“No,” Zendaya protested, shaking her head. “I need to go wit
The deafening sound of the gunshot echoed through the room, and Zendaya braced herself for the end. But to her surprise, she felt no pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.Anil stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock. And her mouth fell open when she saw that he had been shot in the shoulder. Regardless, he proceeded to shoot her once again and another shoot to his legs brought him down on his knees."Step away from her!" a familiar voice roared with anger as he stepped into the room.It was Jayden. He looked disheveled, and her heart bled when she saw his physical condition. “Jayden?” Zendaya called her voice a mix of relief and disbelief.Anil snarled, raising his gun to fire, but Jayden didn’t hesitate. Another shot rang out, and this time, it was to his palm.Anil groaned in the weapon slipping from his grasp and Jayden kicked it away as he then pounced on Anil.“Jayden, he'll die,” Zendaya stated when Anil had turned into a bleeding mess.Her words
Zendaya’s head throbbed as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw she was in a dark room and a frown appeared on her face. Her body ached as she tried to move, only to find herself bound to a chair. Her wrists were tied tightly behind her back, the coarse rope digging into her skin as she moved. Panic immediately set in as she struggled, her breaths quick and shallow.The faint creak of a door opening sent chills down her spine as she turned in the direction of where the sound had come from. “Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice hoarse. “What do you want?”The figure didn’t respond immediately, stepping closer until the overhead light flickered on. The sudden brightness made her wince, but when her eyes adjusted, her blood ran cold as she saw who was in front of her.“Anil?” she whispered in disbelief.He stood before her, a cruel smile on his face that sent shivers down her spine. He looked different his usually composed demeanor replaced with something sinister and there was a
The fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway greeter Jasmine and Justin rushed toward the ER, their steps hurried and frantic. The receptionist’s voice on the phone had been calm but grave when she’d informed them of Jayden’s accident. Jasmine’s heart hadn’t stopped pounding since as her mind conjured every worst-case scenario about Jayden and how he was doing. Justin walked beside her, his face pale and tight with worry.“What do they mean someone hit him and then disappeared?” Jasmine muttered, her voice trembling. “Who does that? Who leaves someone on the road like that?”Justin placed a hand on her back, and he rubbed it gently. Though his expression was grim. “We’ll find out. Let’s focus on Jayden first.”The moment they reached the nurse’s station, a staff member gestured them toward a private room. “He’s stable,” the nurse reassured them quickly, seeing the panic etched on their faces, and it made them calm down a bit. “The doctors did a thorough examination, and his in
Jayden drove aimlessly through the city, the steady hum of the car engine doing little to drown out the storm raging in his mind. As he remembered his father’s revelation, he felt suffocated. His hands clenched the steering wheel with such intensity that his knuckles turned white, and the faint creak of the leather beneath his grip was the only sound competing with his labored breathing.Jasmine isn’t my mother.The thought repeated itself over and over, echoing in his mind. He couldn’t believe it. She was the woman who had raised him, loved him, been there for him through every high and low. She wasn’t his real mother.Every memory of her felt tainted now, overshadowed by the truth. The fact that they had hid it from him for all of his life and probably wouldn’t have told him had the article not come out was a slap to his face.The betrayal hit him in waves, each one stronger than the last. Why hadn’t they told him? Why had they waited until the news forced their hand? He thoug
Jayden drove home in a haze, his hands gripping the steering wheel, and he imagined his being someone's neck. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. The article, the headline that Jasmine wasn’t his real mother, echoed in his mind. His mind struggled to make sense of it, but something deep inside him was beginning to put two and two together, and something began to shift. ‘You’re being unreasonable,’ he muttered to him as he shut those thoughts out of his head. The drive home felt longer than it should have been, and when he finally arrived at the mansion, the weight of it all pressed heavily on his chest. As he entered the house, a strange sense of heaviness hit him. It was more than just the eerie quiet that settled over everything; there was something palpable in the air. “Your parents are in their room, sir.” The helper who opened the door informed him. Jayden nodded, his heart pounding harder as he made his way up
Zendaya stirred awake, the first rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains. The room was warm, and the faint smell of Jayden lingered in the air, a mix of his cologne and something undeniably him. Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times before turning her head to see Jayden sleeping beside her, his face relaxed and peaceful.Her lips curled into a soft smile as she took in the sight of him. He was lying on his stomach, the sheets were around his waist, leaving his broad back and a glimpse of his toned arms on display to her.His dark hair was messy, sticking up in different directions from her fingers running through it last night.Last night. Her cheeks warmed at the memory.Last night, he’d truly proven he was a beast, just as he’d promised. The passion, the fire, the way he’d driven her to the edge over and over, it left her breathless just thinking about it and the heat rushed to her legs even though he was sore. A smile appeared on her face as she brushed her fingers o
The room was dimly lit, the only source of illumination being the faint glow from a laptop screen on a cluttered desk. .Papers and files were scattered, some bearing Jayden’s name in bold letters. The two men stood on opposite sides of the room, their faces partially hidden.The taller man paced, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as his mind raced. He finally stopped, turning to face his boss, who was seated behind the desk.“We’ve got something big,” the taller man said, his voice laced with excitement and malice. “Something that’ll change everything, boss.”The boss didn’t respond immediately. He leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studied the man before him. “What is it?” he asked, his tone calm but deadly.The taller man hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and placing a file on the desk. “It’s about Jayden,” he said, tapping the file with a finger. “Something that has been hidden.”The boss arched a brow, his interest piqued. He opened the