She was the one behind those fake Instagram accounts?
She was the one who’d asked the paps to swarm my car every morning?
I don’t know why I was surprised, but I was.
“Because I love Gallan, that’s why,” I said easily. I shifted on my feet, and bit back a curse when a new wave of pain shot through my right leg. “I don’t want him because he’s someone unattainable, or someone who is successful and rich and handsome. I want him for him; because I truly lovehim. I see parts of him that you would never even think of searching for. All you care about is wealth and spotlight, but Gallan and I – we see the good in each other; we complement each other. Wefittogether.”
“Bullshit,” Aubrey spat, just as one of her friends said, “Aubs, you’re gonna get wrinkles all over your face if you get any angrier.”
Aubs?
…Just…wow.
“You don’t love Gallan, Zaira; you’re only with him for his money and fame,” Aubrey sneered. “When he realizes what you really are, he’ll dump your down-market ass and come back to me.I know it.” She giggled.
I swiped my hands over my eyes from under my glasses. “Don’t be ridiculous, Aubrey. You really think you can get away with this?” I told her. “You really think your stupid bout of spite is worth everything you’ve earned? Are you really ready to lose it all in the name of unwarranted pettiness?”
“As long as you learn your lesson, yes.”
I snorted. “Are you being serious right now?”
“As a heart attack,” she almost sang the words. “Anyways…I’m done talking. I gotta head home and get my beauty sleep. I hope you feel perfectly accommodated in there.” She cackled, that hyena. “Until then, bitch. Good-fucking-bye!”
I heard sharpclacksof heels against the ground, followed by receding snickers.
Fear gripped me further, and beads of sweat began running down my face, neck, arms, and back.
“Aubrey!” I once again slammed my palms against the gate. “Stop being stupid and open the fucking door!”
There was no response, and a few seconds later, the lights in the entire studio went off, in turn bathing me in greying darkness.
With my heart in my throat, I looked to my left, and found a touchpad on the wall next to the shutter. My breathing quickened. “Martin?” I asked, and when no one replied, I screamed, “Martin!”
“What?” came his voice. Regret and shame were crystal-clear in his tone.
“So what, you’re gonna stand guard outside for the rest of the night? You really think I can escape?”
He was silent for a while.
“I couldn’t leave before I apologized,” he said so slowly that I hardly caught it.
“You’resorry?” I asked, and then laughed humorlessly. “I trusted you, and you played me.You fucking lied to me!You’re just as much a part of this as Aubrey and her girl-gang.”
“I know, okay? I know.” He cursed. “She offered good money, Zaira, and I know that’s no excuse for what I’ve done, but it was something I couldn’t let slip from my hands. I need the cash, especially now that Kira is expecting and filming is done. I don’t know if Ross will hire me for his next project, so until then, I’ll have this money to keep me and my girl going.”
I closed my eyes and cried. I couldn’t help it; it just happened. I’ve never felt more helpless and weaker than I did in that moment.
“I’m sorry, Zaira,” Martin said. “You’ve always been kind to me; you’ve always been eager to help. I just…I guess my greed blinded me. I’m sorry.”
“What’s the passcode to unlock the gate, Martin?” I asked as I opened my eyes.
“Wh-what?”
“The passcode – what is it? Only the supervisors and Ross have it, so I’m sure you know the numbers that open this gate. I’ve seen you enter them in the past, so don’t even try to deny it.” I punched said gate for emphasis. “Tell me what it is. Aubrey isn’t smart enough to know that you gave it to me. We’ll be even, I promise. Just…just please…” My voice cracked a little, so I cleared my throat and swallowed. “Just tell me the code, Martin.”
“I can’t.” He sounded helpless, which was laughable because it wasmewho was in a bad situation, not him.
“Can’t, or won’t?”
