Rina’s first stop was at Kayla’s office in her father’s company. She pulled over in front of the building, checking her rearview mirror to confirm Igor was right behind her, though conspicuously, before alighting the car. Planting a condescending smile on her face, she made a fuss with locking the doors of her car, so the beep sound alerted everyone around. The doorman tried telling her parking wasn’t allowed there, right in front of the building, but Rina tilted her head at him and said in a sweet voice, “Oh, I won’t be long. I just want to see my best friend, Kayla. You know us together, don’t you?”
The doorman in fact did, because Rina used to go there a lot when she still thought Kayla was her friend. Some of their evenings were spent in Kayla’s office, specifically on the white couch, talking about funny instances they had encountered during a shoot. It was much fun when they worked the same set, as they relived the stories, their laughter carrying across the room, and their carefree nature such a refreshing feeling.
Rina wondered if all of that had been feigned, that Kayla was already planning to ruin her reputation at that time, and was only laughing with her because she needed to play according to her plans. Shrugging the thought away, Rina took her time to walk the large waiting room, while everyone stared at her, yet didn’t dare approach. She took a left, walking the path she knew all too well, and stepped into the elevator.
As she leaned to hit a button, someone rushed in to join her before the doors closed. The young man looked behind, and the minute he recognized her, panic spread across his face. Rina knew him well. He was Kayla’s right-hand man and was never more than a few feet away from her unless she sent him on an assignment. If he had seen Rina before getting on the elevator, he would have turned around to alert Kayla, but now, he couldn’t do it. Not with her watching.
But Rina didn’t really care about that. In fact, it would be such a bliss for her if he called Kayla. She wanted her former best friend to worry about her sudden arrival in her father’s company, and question what her aim was. Rina wanted Kayla to pace the length of her office, enraged that Rina had dared appear before her. Only then would she understand that the game was indeed on.
The elevator doors dinged open, and Kayla’s man disappeared in a flash. It made Rina chuckle to herself as she continued down the hallway, taking her time to get to the door in the middle with Kayla’s name written on it in gold. Not bothering with the art of knocking, she pushed the door open, totally ignoring the secretary who got on her feet at once. Rina headed straight inside through the second door, flashing that condescending smile again on her face as Kayla came into view.
She was huddled over on her desk with her right-hand man who was speaking so rapidly that Rina would have thought they were both scared of her arrival. Or could they have been? Kayla nudged her man to step out of the door, saying nothing until it was closed once again, leaving the both of them in the room.
“You redecorated,” Rina noticed, her eyes gazing around the white walls. “White. It is a nice color. Although, I would miss the former pale yellow. It looked…perfect.”
“You have such guts coming in here after everything the country knows you did,” Kayla snared.
“White doesn’t suit you,” she continued, allowing Kayla’s words to roll down her back like a glass of room-temperature water. “It’s too pure for someone who knows nothing but darkness, don’t you think? Perhaps, something more on the not-so-bright side, like brown. I heard black paint could be gotten as well.”
Kayla laughed, her head falling back and her shoulders shaking. “I really appreciate your concern about my redecoration, but I’m certain that isn’t the reason for your sudden arrival at my company.”
“Your father’s company,” Rina was quick to correct. “But that isn’t any of my business anyway. I just wonder what your father would think if he learned that you were the one who fabricated all those stories, killed my baby, and stole my husband.”
“I didn’t…”
“The last bit doesn’t count,” she cut in. “You and Finn deserve each other, so that was such good riddance. But how would he feel about the others?”
“You don’t still get it, do you? We can never be on the same level, poor Rina. I’m way up there and you are…well, where I left you. Although I must say you really got me when you revealed yourself as the anonymous model of O. S. N. It irks me that I said all those nice things about you. But the country knows who they prefer and it is definitely not you. So, do us all a favor, and just get lost.”
“You are so full of yourself.”
“I’m glad you have discovered that,” Kayla sneered. “And as for telling my father, do you think he would believe you, a blacklisted and deadbeat actress, over his own daughter? You probably do not understand the importance of familial trust because you don’t have a family as powerful as mine.”
“Kayla,” Rina said slowly. “I want you to take note of this moment and absorb every detail because I’m not going to sit back and do nothing. I’m going to fight you with all I have.”
“Bring it on, darling. I will always win. You are such a loser, and would always be. That is the reason Finn left you to be with me.” Kayla said it to spite Rina, but nothing about Finn could affect her when she’d met better.
“Let’s see how long you both last.” Rina strolled to the door, then halted with her hand on the handle, turning back to look at Kayla. “One more thing. I know you were the one who leaked my address on the internet. You don’t know what you just did, but then again, see you at the top, Kayla. And enjoy the moment because you won’t be standing there for so long.”