“You heard me,” Rina retorted. “Are you done talking?”
Finn stepped back a few paces, looking at Kayla for help. It made Rina remember the number of times during their marriage, how Finn expected her to do the things he was supposed to do, relying on the same image and power that he had helped Kayla ruin. Finn had always been that kind of mine, attaching himself to people just because he knew they had a certain level of influence in the country, knowing fully well that it would help his business and affiliations.
She sure helped him while they were together, as his software enterprise grew remarkably. Everyone in the industry knew to go to him when they needed his services, and they’d introduced him to foreign clients. But now that Kayla was with him, he might just go even farther, playing the depressed husband who hadn’t had a clue that his wife had been cheating on him.
Rina was angry with herself that she hadn’t seen through the facade and gone right ahead to marry him. She never would have if the scandal hadn’t happened. That was the only thing she’d gained from this.
“Where are you coming from?” Kayla questioned, a tease in her voice. She was trying to get back the upper hand in the conversation. “Don’t tell me you were out pleading with some producer to take you back? Or did you decide to warm their beds instead? It’s pretty late for you to just return from a producer’s office since they would have all gone home or to their locations by now. You can’t blame me for thinking …”
“That’s an old story, Kayla. Aren’t you tired of flogging it, or are you suddenly becoming dull? Think of something else to get me upset. You did it once. I’m sure it wouldn’t take a lot from you to do it again since that’s all you are made of anyway.”
“Rina!” Finn scolded glaringly. It only made Rina chuckle.
“All I’m trying to say is that you should work harder. I think I’m worth that much.”
“You’re worth nothing!” Kayla pronounced each word with so much fervor, ensuring it hit every part of Rina like a whip. “And by the time we take this building away from you forever, leaving your ass out on the streets, pleading for a roof over your head, maybe then, you would learn that we are not on the same level. You will understand that we do not bluff, but by then, even though you go on your knees begging, we will never give you what you ask for.”
Rina tried to find the anger for the way Kayla used ‘we’ when referring to her and Finn like they were solid items, but she didn’t find it. Instead, all that remained was the awareness that they deserved each other.
“You seem to have forgotten who I am, Kayla. Rina Powers never begs, and you both won’t be the first people to make me do it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve had a long day and I need to go into my cottage. So, why don’t you get into your car, and drive off to wherever you hide these days?”
“How funny!” Kayla scoffed, shaking her head. “You’re the one hiding out here so no one finds you, using disguises each time you go out. You think I don’t know that much?”
“You forced me into hiding, Kayla, but don’t think I have any intention of remaining here longer than necessary. I am going to get back at you, and the moment I do…”
Kayla burst out laughing, a loud mocking sound that echoed in the air and seemed to hold Rina’s heart in a cold grip. For a fleeting second, she doubted she was ever going to get back at Kayla since she had her family backing her. And Rina didn’t want Zayn to help her. Since their proposed marriage was purely arranged and contractual, Rina didn’t want to owe her success story to him when it finally came.
Rina was scared of him leaving, just the way Finn and Kayla had suddenly turned around and walked out the door. If that happened when she learned to fully rely on him, Rina didn’t think she would be able to handle it. It was the reason she forced him away at times, wanting to learn to stand without him guiding her. And even though she couldn’t deny the fact that it bruised her each time she did that, Rina knew it was for the better.
Or rather, she thought so.
“You seem to be thinking way ahead of yourself,” Finn sneered, walking to Kayla. He wrapped a hand around her waist, and pulled her in for a peck on the side of her head, watching Rina all the time.
Although, she didn’t as much as flinch, if Finn had looked away from her face for just one second, he would have seen her hands fold into tight fists, and her limbs shake in anger at the sight.
“Why don’t you at least win ownership of your cottage before you make bigger plans? I can guarantee you that it will be a waste of time if you go about hating Kayla when you have your roof on fire.”
“Kayla is the one setting my roof on fire,” Rina retorted. “But I guess you don’t see. She’s had you wrapped around her finger, just like the way I was when I thought she was my best friend. I would have felt pity for you if I didn’t think you both deserved each other.”
Just then, a soft purr got their attention, and all heads whipped in that direction. A red BMW got into the driveway, and Rina’s eyes widened in panic at once. Zayn was the only visitor she had here at the cottage, so Rina didn’t try to guess who it was. The windows were tinted so she couldn’t get him to turn around immediately.
On the spot, Rina started thinking of an excuse to come up with as to why Zayn Graham was visiting her in her cottage. Kayla wouldn’t believe it if she told them he had gotten lost, and Rina didn’t want her one wild card to be revealed this way.
It was just too soon.