“What happened to her?” Susan asked later that evening after they’d put her to bed. The drugs she was given at the hospital for the pain were bound to make her drowsy, and despite how hard she fought to remain awake, because George had come to see her, she still had to succumb to the pressure of sleep. It was important for the healing of her ankles and Zayn was finally relieved when he closed the door behind her.
“She tripped.”
“But that isn’t all. Something made her trip.” Susan read it easily from his eyes, tilting her head and waiting for a response.
“I’m not sure,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know you might think I am chasing shadows because of how much I have been trying to protect Rina.”
“I don’t think so,” Susan replied. “If somebody was trying to hurt her, you would be the best person to know. Nothing I say is valid if you believe in your guts that what happened earlier wasn’t an accident. And you shouldn’t give it a rest until you get to the end of this.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t that obvious? You are in love with her, Zayn.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” He sighed exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. “I am not in love with Rina. I have said it a thousand times, and I am going to repeat myself for the last time. I do not believe in the idea of love. All it does is complicate things, and make it hard for either party to step away when they get exhausted. I am not going to be that way with anyone, Rina or not. Relationships like this are meant to be arranged partnerships, with each party gaining something from the agreement at the end of the day, not some mushy feeling in the pit of my stomach a feeling that is not real.”
Susan shook her head slowly, with sadness in her eyes. “You sound like you are trying so hard to convince yourself, Zayn; like you find yourself falling into this same feeling you have promised yourself to stay detached from. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself. I have watched you grow into this fine young man right from when you were still in diapers, so I think I can say with confidence that I know you. And Zayn Graham, you have to admit, at least to yourself, that you are in love with Rina. Everybody can see it when you both are in the same room. You gravitate towards each other without even intentionally doing so. Yet, you claim that isn’t love.”
“I hate to say this, Susan, but you are wrong. All of this… The only thing I have to admit to you is the fact that Rina and I only came together because we needed each other. There is a contract lying in my bottom drawer, detailing the specifics of our arrangement. One of the terms is that we are going to be with each other for only five years, and then get a divorce after that. By that time, we would have already gotten what we each want, and there wouldn’t be any regrets. That is what you sense, Susan. Not love. We are allies in a game, and it is only natural for allies to stick together no matter the situation.”
“A contract?” Susan whispered disbelievingly. All this while, she had believed that it was just Zayn being nice to a woman who was going through a lot at the hands of her anti-fans, a woman who he decided to get married to because he felt something for her, even if not strong enough to be classified as love.
“Yes,” he breathed. “I’m sorry I kept it from you for this long, but I didn’t want to drag you into this.”
“Does my son know?”
Zayn nodded.
Just then, William walked up the stairs and into the hallway. He angled his head at the scene he met. “What are we doing in front of Rina’s room?” he questioned. “And what does your son need to know, mom?”
“It’s nothing,” Zayn murmured. “Who did it? Did you find out?”
“It was Mandy.” William got closer and stepped in between his mother and his best friend, sensing some sort of energy between them. “I couldn’t tell if she was working on her own or under someone. But she had tampered with one of the boulders on stage where the lights were being hung. That was what Rina tripped on. It would have been devastating if Zico hadn’t rushed in when he did.”
Zayn’s eyes twitched. He was displeased with the fact that he’d been too far away to save Rina from falling, and that someone else had had to do it.
“Mandy,” he mused. “I guess I need to pay her a visit.”
William nodded, immediately understanding what Zayn meant. He touched his mother lightly on her shoulder as he stalked away behind Zayn. They moved into his office, saying nothing until Zayn was seated and the door was closed behind them.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t want her to be able to ever act under Scottsdale or any other entertainment house for that matter. I need this to go out. Get a footage of her doing it. At least this time, the truth will be revealed on the internet rather than some falsehood. And William, I want it done in such a way that she would know it was because of what she did today, that I would never watch by the sidelines while a peasant treats my fiance in that matter. She has a broken ankle and someone has to take responsibility for that.”
William nodded in understanding and got up to leave. As he sauntered to the door, Zayn called him, making him halt in his steps and turning halfway.
“In all you do, ensure that Rina never finds out. That is very important.”