“Are you trying to say that you met after your first husband?” Mandy asked, still pushing. “It must have been a lot for you two having to keep it away from everyone. Can I ask you why? Were you scared of something or were you trying to avoid something from happening?”
“I am certain Zayn already answered that during his proposal at the launch of his company’s branch in Hong Kong,” Rina answered without batting an eyelid. “Just in case you missed it, you can always have access to it on Instagram. A lot of people made videos and some stations were also there to record the moment.”
Mandy got the message immediately. She was doing too much at that moment, and it was Rina’s way of telling her that she wouldn’t take her bitching without a fight. With the way she sounded, Rina wouldn’t be surprised to find out Mandy was friends with Kayla, and that Kayla had made the station send that invite. But what they all didn’t know was that she wouldn’t sit back and allow life to happen to her like it did the last time.
At that moment, Zayn was proud of Rina. He gazed at her as Mandy took a few seconds to get past her response, and he pecked the side of her head, lingering for a moment. He loved how she smelt, how it seemed to get to him, even on days when he didn’t feel like it.
“I will sure keep that in mind and do that the first thing after we round up this program,” Mandy said. “Now, Mr. Graham, I know you already told us how you met and fell in love with Ms. Power here, but the audience needs an answer to a particular question sent in over the weekend. You met her when there were a lot of stories flying all around about her being a … There were videos, pictures, eyewitnesses, and the victims coming forward themselves to talk about how she had abused them. So, what was the attraction point for you? How did you get past all of that?”
This was Zayn’s moment, the one he’d been waiting for since he stepped foot into the building. He took Rina’s hands in his gingerly, a move that got caught on camera, then scooted to the edge of his seat. “There was nothing to get past,” he muttered, confidence oozing through him as he stared straight into the camera. “Rina is perfection in a being, and no matter what anyone tries to throw her way, it would never dim the light she radiates. It was one of the reasons I fell for her. Despite every lie that was woven and tossed her way, she kept her head high and her back straight. Not once did I see her waver, and try to give up. She wanted the whole world to get to know the truth, and I wanted to help her, to be right beside her when Scottsdale realize that the real culprit was behind their walls, and not the person that was blacklisted.”
Mandy blinked. “But you are one of the major stockholders of Scottsdale. Are you saying that…”
“I think carefully about every word before putting it on air because I know how much of an impression I give. Keep that in mind as you listen to me. I am a stockholder at Scottsdale, and it is the exact reason I could not do a thing since the blacklisting because Rina wanted me to do nothing so no one probed into it. But now that everyone knows we are together, I don’t have to be silent anymore. The first thing I am going to do is reevaluate Scottsdale’s decision, and find out if a proper investigation was done. As my fiance and my wife-to-be, it is my duty to the person I love.”
Rina could have laughed at the expression on Mandy’s face. She couldn’t get used to all the decisions Zayn was making because of Rina, and the public show of emotions. Her eyes narrowed in on his hand as it slowly brushed Rina’s shoulders, pushing a strand of her hair back. Mandy saw her shiver in response, saw her look into Zayn’s eyes with so much passion. It was like she was infringing on their privacy.
“From everything you’ve said, it would seem that you are accusing one of Scottsdale’s actors of the rumors about Ms. Power here. Is that it?”
“It is exactly what you think I mean.” He sounded like a new person like he could uproot the whole earth because of Rina until she got justice for how she was treated and for the defamation of her person. “But that is not why we are here, is it? In your letter, you said it was to discuss our relationship.”
“Of course,” Mandy murmured, swiftly getting past it. “We have the time to ask one more question, but rather than ask the ones I have here, we are giving our guests out there the chance to ask you directly. So we have callers on the line and the first one would be entertained.”
They nodded as Mandy nodded to her assistant. A voice flooded the room instantly. “Hi, My name is Mike and I am calling from Los Angeles. I want to ask what advice you have for people going through the same thing as you or who have gone through it. I am an upcoming actor and I know how brutal it is in that world. People lie against each other just to see their downfall and I believe it is what happened to you.”
“Choose your friends carefully in there,” Rina replied, her words laddened with meaning. “Their words can make or mar you, and you don’t want to put your life in the hands of someone who hates you deep down. It is the worst thing ever, trust me.” She turned to Mandy and smirked. “Also, watch who you liaise with, who hands you projects…They will leave the instant they realize their name is going to be on the line and you are going to be left with a lot of mess. Never forget that.”