The entrance was abuzz with celebrities posing for the many flashlights aimed their way. As she got out of George’s car, Rina didn’t hesitate one minute. She walked straight ahead, her huge hat blocking her face, down the alley on the right. She hoped George wouldn’t take too long to get there because it was only a matter of minutes before someone saw her.
Rina wanted to pace the small inconspicuous door, but realizing that was bound to draw more attention to her, she leaned instead on the wall, pulling the hat further down her face. She was dressed in a pair of white pants and a matching shirt, with a brown trench coat and a pair of brown heels. The hat completed the power look that anyone who saw her would stop to admire the outfit before thinking too much about how huge the hat was.
It was meant to be a fashion statement, but Rina was using a stone to kill two birds.
She heard the clank from behind the door and stood out of the way for George to get it open before sneaking in.
“Remember that I wasn’t the one who let you in,” he warned before slinking away from view.
Rina took a deep breath and pushed the hat lower as a result of her nerves before walking into the room. She sat at the last row and kept her head down, barely paying attention to her surroundings. There was a loud resounding noise inside her head, spun by fear and the sense of embarrassment. Kayla was bound to be there too, and the last thing Rina wanted was to get into a fix with her.
Risking a glance up, Rina saw that no one paid her any attention. She made herself a bit more comfortable, listening to the host of the event as he read a long list of names, welcoming them to the session. Deja vu hit Rina as she recalled a time when her name used to be on that list too. She would wave as her name was being called, and the crowd would go wild in excitement.
But now, this was what she had been reduced to – a seat at the back, dodging the curious gazes of the people next to her.
After the chairman’s speech, the panel session started and Rina looked up in surprise when one of the panelist’s names was called – Zayn Graham. Her heart did a fast lurch as she remembered the meal she had eaten on her kitchen floor with a smile on her face. It had taken mental strength for her to decide what to do with the note, but in the end, she had decided to throw it out.
There was no need to hold on to anything of his. The tulips were an exception. They belonged to her in that sense.
Zayn was incredibly smart, and Rina knew that. But the awareness hit her again hearing him speak about the entertainment industry and how his company thought about branching into that. He wove a story about his need to dominate the country, mincing no words about his true intentions.
While others would have narrated their love for the industry or the fact that they’d once been interested in acting, Zayn was not that type of person. He knew what he wanted and went straight for it. He wasn’t a sentimental person. His need for power was more obvious, and he didn’t bother hiding it.
Rina scooted to the edge of her seat as her eyes took in the person next to Zayn. He was a business tycoon as well, but his younger sister was an actress and a producer. She had a charity organization that sought to help people who were trying to get into the movie industry, and Rina thought she would have a shot at that.
Smiling at her prospects, she relaxed to enjoy the rest of the session, sometimes paying too much attention to Zayn. She noticed the permanent scowl plastered on his face, and how that seemed to be watered down when he was with her. She wouldn’t have ever noticed it if she hadn’t seen him in public.
Rina didn’t know how to feel about that, so she shoved it to the back of her mind. Instead, she focused her attention on the business tycoon, properly wording her speech in her head. She was going to start from how all the accusations leveled against her were plotted by someone. Maybe she should refrain from mentioning Kayla’s name for now since she was such a hot shot in the industry.
The minute the session was over, Rina shot out of her seat, hoping to reach the man in time before anyone else hijacked him along the way. She skillfully navigated through the crowd, with a hand safely hooked on her hat to prevent it from being tugged off her head.
She breathed in relief when she got to the front of the hall, seeing that he was still in his seat, going over some papers. Rina didn’t want to have to go up there, but the chances of seeing him again after this minute were slim. She knew what she wanted, so fear shouldn’t be in the way of her attaining that.
Taking a deep breath, Rina decided to fuck the consequences, as well as George’s warning glare from across the room as she walked to the side and took the steps. His men were nowhere near him, but Rina figured they must have gone to clear a path for him outside to smoothen his journey back out. She took good use of the opportunity, walking over to him.
She remembered his name at the last minute.
Albert.
“Hello,” Rina stopped in front of him and swallowed. She had planned this so well in her head, but now that she was there, his penetrating gaze searching her obscured face, Rina found herself tongue-tied.
“You can speak to my secretary,” he said at once, dismissing her.
“No!” Rina blurted. “Please. You’re practically the only person I can talk to right now. Help me.”