Nora's POV

Two pink lines.

I stared at the pregnancy test in my hand, hoping the lines would disappear. But that was not even possible.

Three other tests lay around with the same result.

“No. No, no, no...”

This can’t be happening now.

My life was just starting to make sense after the hustles and struggles and fights to make my way into the entertainment industry.

I had survived endless auditions and heart-crushing rejections that had constantly thrown me into depression.

Most people would have given up, but I didn’t.

Eight months ago, I landed a minor TV role. Not huge, but enough to get noticed.

That was how I meet Nathan Everard, my manager and boyfriend. He had always said I was different, that I had real potential.

I sighed.

He should be happy. Ecstatic even. He was going to be a father.

But what about me? Wasn't it too early for a long break?

I was just nineteen, fresh into theatre arts, and barely starting life.

This shouldn't be happening now.

But Nathan loves me and I believe our relationship was meant to be.

I grabbed my phone from the bed.

For a moment, doubt crept into my mind.

What if he gets angry?

What if this ruins everything?

I shook the thought away quickly.

He’ll be surprised, or even shocked. But we’ll figure it out together.

That’s what couples do.

Taking a deep breath, I dialled Nathan's line.

It rang once and went to voicemail.

I didn't bother calling the second time.

I just got up and got ready to go see him.

Nathan’s office was on the nineteenth floor of the building. I had been here countless times before, but today felt... very different.

My hands were sweaty as I rode the elevator up. My mind kept racing through different ways to tell him.

Should I just say it directly. Or over dinner?

Or a surprise visit to his apartment?

But Nathan hates surprise visits at his home.

The secretary said he had an appointment, so I waited for almost an hour.

I finally stood up after I decided to just go prepare a surprise dinner at his apartment, but then the supposed client he had been with stepped out of his office.

I recognized her as a newbie in the industry. Couldn't place her name.

But damn, she was gorgeous and ice cold. Not even a hi to me.

Well, she wasn't my problem.

Nathan was sitting behind his desk, scrolling on his tablet. His shirt was unbuttoned at the neck and his tie lay at a corner of his large desk, almost falling off.

“Nora,” he said, glancing up. “What’s so urgent?”

My heart did a funny beat then. I didn't know why I suddenly felt unsure.

"I need a hug," I said as I went around his desk. Something about his cologne felt... off, but I didn't think much of it.

He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a kiss.

I withdrew immediately, suddenly feeling nauseous.

"You okay?" he asked.

I smiled at his handsome face and shrugged.

“I’m… not sure. But...” I dug into my bag and held up the test.

"What's that?" he looked genuinely ignorant.

I slumped on the chair opposite him.

"I'm pregnant."

The change in Nathan's countenance was drastic.

He narrowed his eyes at me and tilted his head, "You're what?"

I twisted my fingers together nervously.

“I had to repeat the test 'cause I wasn't sure initially. Even though I..."

"Did you say you're pregnant?"

"Yes," I stared at him intently hoping for the best of reactions.

Well,...

"I'm too busy for jokes right now Nora. You should go. I have another meeting," he stood up, glancing at his Patek Philippe.

"It's not a joke, Nath. I just showed you the PT."

He gritted his teeth, “How could you be this careless?”

I blinked, opening my mouth to talk but going dumb.

"Do you have any idea what kind of disaster this could cause?”

Disaster?

"Nathan, I... I never meant for this to happen, but I thought we could figure it out together."

Somehow I sounded like I was pleading. Pleading for what?

“There’s nothing to figure out. You’re getting rid of it,” he said coldly.

My heart drop down to the bottom of my belly. “What?”

“You heard me," He looked at me like I was some street urchin. “Schedule an appointment with a doctor and take care of it immediately.”

My head swooned. I suddenly felt light and faint. I gripped the desk for support and tried to breathe.

"You need to get going now Nora. I have somewhere to be."

How could he be so... stone cold?

"Nath... I can't... I can't do that please," my voice cracked as tears blurred my vision.

He slammed his palm on the desk.

"What do you mean you can't, Nora? This was not supposed to happen but you let it. You’re a rising actress. A pregnancy scandal right now would ruin everything. Are you too daft to realize that?”

My legs shook.

“But... this is our baby, Nath.”

He glared at me. "No. That... is your baby and not mine. And don't you dare start that emotional nonsense.”

I broke down, "You're being... very, very mean. You know that? I thought you loved me. Why...?"

"I love everyone I work with. My employees, clients, and the market. Not just you, Nora. Take two weeks off. Or a month. And fix that problem.”

I sniffed, “And if I don’t?”

He looked into my eyes. And for a fleeting second I wanted to cling to whatever flicker of hope I could lay hold.

"You can say goodbye to your career."

That was a very much paralyzing blow to my entire being.

"Would you leave now, or should I call security?"

Somehow, I managed to walk quite a distance away from Nathan's office. Not even taking the brand new Porsche I had come with.

I later took a taxi.

By the time I got to my apartment, my head felt like it would explode, everything was a blur.

I didn't even bother turning on the lights. Just collapsed on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

Nathan's cold voice replayed over and over in my head.

I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to stop the tears as exhaustion took over.

I must have dozed off. When I opened my eyes, the neon clock showed 10:15p.m.

Someone was ringing my bell. By this time?

I frowned. Who could that be?

For a second, I had the faintest hope that it could be Nathan.

Maybe he had calmed down,... and was here to apologize.

Maybe...

The bell rang again.

I dragged myself to the door and opened it.

A familiar face stood there. Part of the crew from the movie set.

One of the assistant producers, I guess.

"Hey... sorry for coming this late" he said awkwardly, "Heard you weren't feeling well."

"Did Nathan send you?" My voice was hoarse.

He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.

At that moment, I was too emotionally drained to question anything.

I stepped aside.

"Come in."

He entered carrying a small bag.

"I brought some groceries," he said. "Thought you might not feel like cooking tonight."

That small act of kindness almost made me cry again.

"Thanks," I whispered.

He placed the bag on the table and pulled out a bottle.

"You look really stressed," he said. "You should drink something and relax."

He poured the drink into a glass and handed it to me.

I hesitated, then took it.

The liquid tasted slightly bitter. But I was too exhausted to care.

Within minutes, I felt lightheaded.

My vision blurred as the room began to spin around me.

"Wha... what did you...?"

He didn't say anything. Just watched me with a blank expression.

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was him pulling out his phone.

My head was pounding when I woke up. My throat felt dry and my body felt heavy as I pushed myself up from the bed.

I managed to get up and walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My apartment was very spacious and beautiful, a delight I had worked hard to earn.

I passed by the grocery bag the visitor from last night had brought and memory came crashing back.

Nathan's response to me at his office, the heartache, the night visitor,... The drink.

I rubbed my temples and hurried to get water.

I returned to my room to get my phone, then back to the sitting room, trying to think of what had happened last night.

My phone vibrated on the table. I couldn't ignore it 'cos it kept buzzing and beeping repeatedly.

That was odd.

Frowning, I reached for it.

My heart skipped several beats.

Fifty-seven missed calls, dozens of text messages and hundreds of social media notifications.

“What the...”

My fingers trembled as I unlocked the screen. The first message was from my PA.

"Don't bother showing your face around today. It's a lot, but I'll see what I can do from my end."

Another was from a colleague from the current movie set I was working with.

"The heck, Nora Finnian. Did you have to blow up this movie production? You'll be in a lot of trouble, hope you can handle it. Call me when you see this."

I was literally shivering, feeling goosebumps all over. I struggled to breathe properly.

Confused, I opened my social media notifications and froze.

My name was trending. It was there at the top of the screen. But obviously, unlike other times when it was for a movie debut or advert or public recognition, this was for... Disaster.

Nathan had mentioned that word yesterday.

I tapped the first post. And my whole world shattered.

There was a picture of me sprawled across a couch. My dress was pulled up and a man was lying beside me, shirtless. His arm draped over my waist.

His face was hidden. But mine wasn’t.

The headlines and hashtags and comments got my head spinning. I could breathe anymore.

I scrolled, only to see more pictures, in different angles and scenes.

There was the one in my bedroom, and on the floor.

This was just so much. I clutched my shirt, struggling to breathe.

I didn’t remember any of this. But it was very recent, I could tell.

Then the memory hit me. Yes, that drink. There must have been something. I remembered blacking out after the drink.

And the visitor...

“Oh God...”

My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor before I did.

I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

This wasn’t an accident. Someone had done this to me.

My phone started buzzing again. The scandal was spreading like wildfire.

My career, my reputation, my life...

With shaking hands, I grabbed my phone again and dialed the only person who could help me fix this.

It went to voicemail. I called again. And again. But still voicemail.

“Oh Nathan, please I beg you... please.”

There was no way I could go out there now.

Tears blurred my vision as I kept dialing. Up to fifteen times but he didn't pick.

Finally, a message appeared. My heart leapt with desperate hope as I opened it.

But the words that greeted me crushed that hope instantly.

“Are you trying to ruin me? Don’t ever call or text me again.”

That was it?

A broken laugh escaped my throat. Then I screamed and threw my phone across the room.

I broke down crying and tearing at my hair. It felt like my eyes were going to pop out of their sockets.

After a while, I paused and tried to think.

I had been set up. By who? Nathan?

No, that could not be possible. He had told me to take some time off and get rid of the baby.

Could he have...?

No, no. He loved me. I almost slapped myself at that thought. Love? After all these recent reactions.

Unfortunately, I didn't even know the name of the guy who had visited last night. Wasn't even sure if he who was who I thought he was anymore. How could I find him?

I rubbed my aching head and tried to remember his response when I had asked if Nathan sent him. But I couldn't remember. I was such a mess yesterday.

I stood up and went to the bathroom, not lingering at the mirror, I blew my nose and washed my face.

I shouldn't be such a weakling and fight this through, right?

"This kind of thing happens to celebrities sometimes," I told myself.

There was always one scandal or the other and sometimes they're able to survive it and come out better.

I took a deep shaky breath and poured myself a glass of juice in the kitchen. I needed to think clearly, though my head was banging like crazy.

The CCTV outside my apartment.

Yes, I should get a clip and show to the police, the guy who had set me up. But that didn't make sense. With the scandal, everyone would think it was just one of my many flings. There was no hard evidence. And then,... There was my baby.

The little determination and strength I had mustered up to survive this crumpled down immediately. I felt weaker than ever.

Of course, if I don't get rid of the baby, in a few months time, the scandal will turn out to be true.

No one would believe that Nathan was the father of the baby.

I closed my eyes as the tears spilled again and I cried my heart out.

What do I do now?

Get rid of the baby? Then what next? What if I died in the process or information leaked to the public?

What do I do?

Fight? Against who?

Run? To where?

Should I throw myself off the bridge, or ingest something poisonous, or...?

I looked up at the knife hanger, and selected the sharpest with a pointed edge.

I stared at the blade for a while and put my left hand to my chest. Would it even end everything quickly? I wasn't sure.

I placed my hand on my stomach. A new innocent life was forming in there. What if I ended up stabbing the child only and I survived?

I dropped down on the floor with the knife clattering aside and wept uncontrollably.

There was just one thing to do right now...

Six years later

Louis' POV

The moment I walked into the boardroom, I knew something was wrong. Actually I'd had a bad, uneasy feeling lately... of doom.

My uncle, Richard Everard, sat his heavy ass at the head of the table. His chunky palms clasped together, and his golden rings reflected the light from the room.

His younger brother, my late father, had been more athletic. He had kept fit with jogging, golf and a bit of sport once in a while. Unlike my uncle here, whose hobby was eating, splurging, eating and eating. It was a miracle the company hadn't gone down after dad died ten years ago.

His son, Nathan, lounged beside him, scrolling lazily through his phone as if the entire meeting bored him. It should though.

I noticed some board members avoided my eyes.

Interesting.

I pulled out a chair and sat down slowly.

“Well,” I said, leaning back slightly. “This looks ominous.”

Nathan snorted.

Richard didn’t smile.

“Louis,” he began in that calm diplomatic voice he used whenever he was about to stab someone in the back, or front, “we’ve been reviewing the company’s current structure."

Here we go.

I folded my arms.

“And?” I asked.

“We believe it would be beneficial for you to oversee one of our expanding regional branches.”

I almost laughed.

I could tell where he was heading.

“Which branch?” I asked.

Nathan finally looked up from his phone, the corner of his mouth lifting.

“The Riverdale branch.”

Ah. That was it.

Riverdale. A small city and new branch with low influence.

In other words, I've been exiled away from the very headquarters my own dad had sweated over.

I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on the table.

“And who exactly made this brilliant decision?”

My uncle didn’t hesitate.

“The board.”

Nathan chuckled under his breath.

Coward. He always liked letting other people deliver the blows.

I tapped my finger slowly against the table.

“Interesting,” I said. “Because the Riverdale branch is barely five months old.”

“Yes,” Richard replied, now rubbing his palms together. “Which makes it perfect for someone with your... er... capabilities.”

I smiled.

"If it is about capability, I thought you've always insinuated that Nathan was more capable than I am. Why confer this 'honour' to me then, and not him?"

Nathan couldn’t hold his laugh this time.

I looked at him.

My cousin had always been arrogant, but these last few years, the arrogance had brought out different ugly sides of him.

And lately, he had been acting like the company already belonged to him. Like my father’s name meant nothing. And like I didn’t exist.

“Congratulations, Nathan,” I said calmly. “You must be thrilled.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“Why would I be thrilled?”

“Because this smells a lot like promotion for you.”

He grinned, “Maybe the board just thinks I’m better suited for leadership.”

Richard cleared his throat.

“Gentlemen.”

I folded my arms. I had endured enough with them in this company. It was high time I took actions. I wouldn't let this slide this time around. No way was I going to go there.

“Fine,” I said. “When do I leave?” I'ld tread cautiously and take them unawares.

Nathan raised a brow. Clearly, he expected more of a fight.

“Next week,” Richard replied.

I nodded slowly.

“Sure.”

The meeting ended five minutes later.

An hour later, I was in my office staring at a folder spread across my desk.

Nathan Everard.

For the past three months, I had been quietly digging into everything my cousin had been doing inside the company, with the right kind of help. I always knew there was more to the fake smiles he presented to the public.

At first, it was just business irregularities, suspicious investments, unapproved spending, but then the pattern shifted.

And I started seeing something else.

Women.

Assistants who suddenly resigned, models who mysteriously vanished from contracts, actresses whose careers collapsed overnight.

It was just a slow, ugly trail of ruined reputations. Even after he left the entertainment group to take a position here at the headquarters.

But Nathan always walked away clean.

I tapped my fingers against the folder as I flipped through another document.

One case caught my attention again.

Nora Finnian. A fast rising actress and model who had fallen as fast as she had risen, six years ago.

There had been a scandal, drugs issue, and leaked photos which had ended her career in less than twenty four hours.

Unlike others who had back and forth with the media peddling the scandal, there had been nothing from this girl, Nora.

She had just disappeared overnight. There had been rumours of suicide and the usuals but nothing from her, nor her manager with whom she was rumoured to have also had an affair. No public appearance since after the scandal.

And Nathan, had been her manager at the time.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling and thinking hard.

I pressed the intercom button on my desk and summoned my secretary.

A moment later, she knocked and stepped inside carrying her tablet.

She paused when she saw the file spread across my desk.

“What do you need?”

I slid the folder toward her.

“This information is incomplete. I want more on her current location.”

She glanced down at the folder.

“Ok. I'll do more digging.”

“I'll need it before the end of today."

She opened her mouth to protest, but read my face and shut her mouth. Everyone must have heard of my imminent transfer.

As soon as she left, I opened my laptop and typed Nora Finnian's name into the search bar.

Old headlines flooded the screen. I clicked through article after article. Every single one of them told tales that didn't even align at times. None of them actually proved anything, except the photos. And then, it wasn't impossible to edit and Photoshop some pictures.

It was obvious that the story had been written for the media, not discovered by it.

Two hours later my phone buzzed. I answered immediately.

“You found something?”

“Possibly,” my secretary replied.

I sat up straighter.

“Go on.”

“There’s no record of Nora Finnian after the scandal. But I found a woman who fits her profile.”

“Where?”

“Riverdale.”

My fingers went still on the desk.

"I just sent you an email," she added.

I opened the new email that had appeared on my screen. There was a photo attached.

“Are you certain it's her?” I asked

“Not yet,” she admitted. “But the facial recognition comparison shows a strong possibility.”

I stared at the screen, still studying and comparing the picture of the woman busy at a cafe. The former Nora was a blonde, this one had a different hair colour.

Riverdale. Of all places.

I leaned back slowly in my chair.

The very place the board had just decided to send me. Very interesting.

Nathan thought today’s meeting had been a victory. My uncle probably believed the same thing.

Send me away, keep me out of the real decisions, then slowly and quietly remove me from the company my father had built.

I chuckled as I closed the email and shut my laptop.

They thought Riverdale was punishment.

But if Nora Finnian had suffered from Nathan's maltreatment, then she might also be the one person capable of bringing him down.

And now I knew exactly where she was.

That made my transfer a lot more interesting.

I pushed back my chair and stood. For the first time since the board meeting, a wide grin played on my lips.

I grabbed my car keys as I put on my coat.

My uncle hadn’t exiled me after all. He had accidentally handed me the one piece I needed.

Funny how things worked out, because now I really had a reason to go.

Nathan thought he was winning.

He had no idea the real game had just started.