Zayn smirked and leaned back into the black couch in her living area. That was the first thing that had him captivated the instant he walked in. Black wasn’t a color one would find a woman opting for in her living room theme, yet Rina had done it so exceptionally well that Zayn thought there had to be more beneath all that layer.
He angled his head as he watched all the emotions flash through her eyes. She was fighting this as hard as she could, and Zayn understood her reasons. She had just come out of a marriage and a friendship where she was stabbed in the back. It was only natural for her to not want to depend on anyone other than herself.
But Zayn didn’t have the patience for her to work around that. He needed to set his plans in motion as soon as possible. His family was forcing him to get married and he knew that the more he stalled, the higher the chances of his step-brother getting in the way.
Zayn needed to have this sorted out fast enough so he could face other integral parts of his life. He was seeking an expansion of his business to China. It was the reason he had gone there in the first place. But nothing could be set in stone unless Rina agreed to be his contract wife.
And with the look of things, she was having a second thought.
“Let me get this straight,” Zayn started, the words audible even though he barely moved his lips. “You want to get married, yet you don’t think I can come and go as I please?”
“You said you were going to return in three weeks. It’s only been two.”
“I don’t see how that affects anything,” he replied. “I handled the business there faster than I had predicted and I came right back home. We could still have the wedding in three weeks if that’s what you want. I don’t really care about that. All I want is for this to be put behind us. It’s like a loose thread.”
The analogy about the loose thread made Rina roll her eyes. Did he consider her an ordinary property that needed to be put in place before he went on with his grand plans for himself?
“I was thinking,” she breathed, unconsciously folding her hand across her chest again. It made Zayn take in a deep breath, consciously doing his best not to allow his gaze to stray. But it was hardly possible, not with how it seemed to call onto him softly.
“I want to do this on my own,” she continued, oblivious to the fix she had put Zayn in. “I was going to call you before you returned to inform you that I wasn’t interested in marriage anymore. The world probably thinks I’m the devil incarnate right now, and I don’t want to ruin that any further.”
“I think I would be doing the exact opposite for you.”
“Still, I want to do it on my own. I hope you understand.”
Zayn took in a dramatic breath and sat up, scooting to the edge of the couch. “When we get married, we don’t have to tell anyone about our union until you are absolutely sure you’re ready for the world to know. I can be on the sidelines, acting as nonchalant as you want me to be. I just need the damn marriage papers.”
“Why?” Rina asked. It was something she had never understood and it made her feel vulnerable. Zayn knew everything that had happened to her because it was out there, accessible to anyone even without the slightest interest. But where Zayn was concerned, it was hush all around. The only thing she knew was that it had something to do with his family. Nothing else.
Although Zayn Graham was a popular name, his personal life was still kept a mystery to everyone. He was mean, fierce, powerful, a dictator, yet admired by people. Rina had never understood why that was.
“It’s none of your business, Rina,” Zayn muttered, his eyes growing dark as they returned to her b*** again. He dragged in a deep breath, as his tone grew husky. “You have more to gain from this arrangement. So, you don’t have to know what’s in it for me. I can however assure you that it has absolutely nothing to do with you. I won’t betray you like your hus…ex-husband and your former best friend.”
Of course! He knew that too.
“But I don’t anyone to think that I got my stardom back with your help,” Rina argued weakly, so bothered about her outlook that she was yet to realize what she was doing to Zayn. “When I make my comeback, I want to be able to look everyone in the eyes and command their respect. I need them to know that I climbed up the ladder myself.”
“You know, it’s not a bad thing to accept help from others,” Zayn commented. “And it would still be all you at the end of the day. The only difference is that one is more lonely than the other. The journey is going to be one of the roughest you’ve ever encountered, and at the point where you would feel like giving up, you are going to need someone who’s by your side, who would tell you that he’s got your back and make you believe in yourself once again. Of course, detached from every emotion. And last I checked, you do not have that anymore. I doubt you ever did.”
“I have my manager, George. He used to play that role and I’m certain that he doesn’t mind doing it again for me.”
“Your former manager,” Zayn said, pulling Rina roughly back to the present. “Everything is in the past now. You need a completely new one now, and it is what I am offering.”
“But…”
“Please,” Zayn breathed. “Before you say anything else, could you please … not fold your hands across your chest? I might not be saying anything, but somewhere else is talking. Don’t make it demand.”