Music serenaded the hall as guests slowly trooped in from the entrance adorned with intricately woven garlands. Smiles were etched into their features, and they gazed around in wonder and pleasure. Zayn had ensured that would be their reaction when he had given the job to the event planners. They were the best in Hong Kong, and the idea was to have the biggest and most impressive company launch the city had ever seen.
From the gallery, he watched the guests find their seats, chatter sliding through their lips. From his vantage point, he saw when his father sauntered in, holding his mother’s arm in his. They were the greatest source of his strength and he was happy they’d been able to make it. William let them to the table at the front where their names were written in beautiful calligraphy on a card. His mother’s eyes twinkled with pride and Zayn beamed from the sight.
Mia had just arrived in Hong Kong and was currently making her way down to the hall after making a quick stop to get ready. He needed her to be there before the event started, to take note of certain things that would be pivotal in the operations of the company. His phone dinged with a message. Mago. She was outside and considering being on the red carpet. Zayn smiled as he read the message, wondering when Mago and Rina became so alike. They were yet to meet each other, but their actions were quite similar.
“By all means, do,” he texted back, smiling as his fingers typed away. “It sure would create another wave surrounding the Graham name but I think it has been quiet for quite some time now. Having two things to talk about tonight wouldn’t be that bad.”
Her reply came in almost immediately. “Two things? Zayn Graham, what on earth do you have planned?”
“You’ll see.”
Nathan strolled in next, looking like he had a right to be there, when really, Zayn could have decided not to give him an invite, and to keep him in the dark totally about the launch. He might have found out during the last major announcement and by then, it would have been too late to make the journey down to Hong Kong. But Zayn had done it for the sake of his parents. Left to him, Nathan didn’t deserve to be there, because he always plotted his downfall. He had evidence back in his office but he was going to wait till the end of the night before doing anything about it.
He navigated the tables and found their parents, going to peck his mother by the chin and making a whole show out of it. Zayn shook his head and turned his gaze away, looking around the room for other familiar faces. He recognized the members of the board, the senators and politicians around, as well as famous personalities. Claire McGregor was seated there as well, looking regal in her timeless wine-toned dinner dress.
The reporters from TV stations were already out by the red carpet, throwing their mics into people’s faces. Zayn would have made the event a private one so his guests wouldn’t have to suffer that, but he had intentionally invited them as part of his big plan. When William’s next message came in, he got down from the gallery and went out through the front, the flashes of the camera attacking him the minute he was outside.
His men jumped in instantly, protecting him from the excited reporters. From the corner of his eyes, Zayn saw his sister smile sweetly at the red carpet, obviously enjoying the show. Her waist-length hair had been left to hang around her in perfect straightness and her white dress with a high slit made her look like the highlight of the night. For those few minutes, Mago was, and she made good use of it, announcing to the world that she was a Graham. Zayn could hear the whispers and murmurs erupt through the crowd as some feet hurried back to their vans to get the news published first. It was a wild game out there, but Zayn wasn’t concerned about that.
As he walked down the stairs, he caught William looking back.
“She’s stunning, right?”
“What?”
“Mago.”
William said nothing.
“When last did you see her? A year ago?”
“Zayn…”
“I’m not saying anything. At least not yet. Just…Have a great night.”
William nodded and walked ahead of Zayn to get the door of the car that had just stopped in front of the hall. Rina’s long legs were the first thing everyone saw, clad in silver heels that sparkled along with the night. She bid her time properly, allowing everyone to wonder who it was, before folding the rest of her body out of the car. Silence seemed to have fallen over everyone as she stood tall in her flowing black dress with a bodice that clung to her like a second skin, accentuating her curves before pooling at her feet. Because she was a fan of low-back dresses, she had opted for that, the back dipping to her waist, made apparent because her hair was put up in a pretty bun.
Zayn, even though he had prepared himself a million times for that moment, was lost for words. He stood there, staring at her in silence, his blood roaring in his ears. His lips parted slightly as he took her in, trapped in a heat he couldn’t dare put out. Remembering his line, Zayn stepped forward slowly and took her arms in his.
She smiled and gazed at him dreamily. Zayn had to remind himself that it was all a plot, that none of that was real. Still, he wondered, if he was the one who had pushed the possibility of that far away, if that smile etched on her features was as sincere as it looked.
The reporters were thrown into a frenzy as they had not recovered from Mago’s sudden announcement on the red carpet. The flashes from the cameras increased as they walked up the stairs. Ignoring the red carpet, they walked into the hall together, with the guests turning back to stare at the jaw-dropping couple that had just sauntered in.
It was going to be a great night.