Rivana left the house, a prison that had once swallowed her entire life. A bitterness settled in her heart, her earlier frustration melting away. All she ever wanted since childhood was to be loved, to be treated as one among them. Yet, everyone exploited her weakness, her yearning for affection, and stepped all over her.
But now, fate had given her another chance through this rebirth. Rivana vowed to work hard, not for others, but for herself. She would learn to shut her heart, steel it to stop looking for such privileges, leaving no room for betrayals and heartaches.
Callum, holding back the impatient Azrael from barging in and making a scene, sighed as he saw Rivana descending the stairs. Some battles needed to be fought alone for their heart to release their heaviness. Luckily, it seemed Rivana had given her best.
Rivana reached them and apologized softly, "I-I am sorry for making you wait."
"It's fine," Azrael replied, relieved she wasn't hurt, though her expression clearly showed she was aching inside.
"Let's go!" Callum cut short their conversation, opening the front passenger door and hopping inside.
Azrael narrowed his eyes at Callum and sighed. Opening the back seat door, he turned to Rivana. "Get in."
Rivana nodded and stepped forward. Azrael placed a protective hand over the door to shield her head as she slid into the car. Once she was settled, he closed the door and entered from the other side.
Silence engulfed the car, everyone was lost in their thoughts. Rivana sat quietly, her mind swirling with worry. Azrael, on the other hand, was hesitant to ask if she was okay, while Rivana hoped he wouldn't, fearing breaking down. She didn't want to waste any more tears on the worthless.
Callum glanced at them, wondering how they had drifted apart to complete strangers. From the videos he had seen, they were almost inseparable in childhood. Now, the distance between them seemed too wide to mend. If his dumb friend had made a move a few years ago, they wouldn't be here, awkwardly staring out at the night sky in silence.
Just then, Callum's phone chimed, breaking his thoughts.
"What the fuck?" he grumbled, eyes widening at the notification. Feeling the couple's confused gazes, he quickly handed the phone to Azrael.
"There's a voice recording of her circulating online," Callum said, glancing at Rivana with slight suspicion.
Rivana's heart raced, wondering what new scandal had pulled her in. Azrael frowned, reading the content of the article before playing the attached audio.
"Hahahaha, marrying that loser? Not even in my nightmare!" her voice filled the car.
"So you weren't serious?" another voice asked, one that the netizens recognized easily. It was an infamous model, and also Rivana's once best friend, Leonora Ronvy.
"Nah, I was just playing around with him," her voice continued, laughing wickedly. "Who knew he would propose to me?"
Rivana gasped, her eyes widening in shock. It sounded almost exactly like her voice, and with the background noises of a crowded club, anyone would be quick to believe it was her.
"So what are you gonna do? Your father will chop you if you cancel the wedding." Leonora continued in the audio.
"I'll just go cry in front of his stepbrother, telling him how Viktor cheated on me with my own stepsister. He will pity me and take me in."
"That sounds straight out of fiction, Riv!" Leonora's chuckle followed.
"Hahaha, it's cliché, but it always works, doesn't it? Moreover, that illegitimate bastard deserves someone like my sister. How dare he dream his future with someone like me?"
The audio ended on a venomous note, the intent to smear Rivana's name further clear. Rivana scoffed, underestimating her family's desperation. They wanted to stir Rubina clear of this drama, while also trying to set up not just Viktor but also Azrael against her.
Callum looked at Rivana suspiciously, waiting for her explanation, while Rivana's eyes were fixed on Azrael. The way his jaw was clenched, his grip on the phone tightened, he looked furious, like a dragon ready to breathe fire. Would he believe her if she said it wasn't her?
"This isn't you, I know," Azrael said, his words shocking everyone in the car, including the driver. "You don't need to explain anything," he continued, turning to her.
Rivana's heart skipped a beat, her mouth slightly agape. "How are you so sure?" she stammered, feeling he was trusting her too much, too blindly.
Azrael's lips curled into a slow, sly smile. His gaze softened as he replied, "Even among hundreds of such fake audios, I can easily recognize your voice, baby girl."
And there he went again, making her feel like she had never felt before. His words raced her heart with a strange emotion, warm enough to ease its worries.
Is this how it felt to be genuinely cared for by someone? Rivana rarely got such privileges as everyone around her only cared about how to use her.
"And don't worry, Candy will clear this mess by sunrise," Azrael declared, causing Callum to look at him in disbelief.
Callum blinked and pointed a finger at himself, wondering if he had heard wrong.
"Yes, you," Azrael confirmed, making Callum grit his teeth.
No, he wasn't paid enough to do this assistant job for more than a day. His uncle, Ezekiel Dynar, would surely back him up! Just then, Callum's phone chimed with a notification.
[If her name doesn't get cleared from this by tomorrow, you will die!]
And sadly it was from Ezekiel, making Callum cry internally. He had such a peaceful life back in Draxton and wanted to return soon!
"T-thank you," Rivana murmured, confused. It seemed Callum was reluctant to help, so she decided to take matters into her own hands.
"But I think I will be able to find the person who made this fake audio," Rivana started, intriguing both men.
"Oh? That would be great!" Callum grinned, remembering she was a genius in the hacking field. He could handle the rest without disturbing the workers in Draxton.
Rivana nodded with a small smile. "I… I just need a laptop." She had left everything back at Faye mansion. She'd send someone from her company to get everything tomorrow.
"You can use mine," Azrael suggested, and Callum agreed with a nod.
"Yes! Use his laptop and send me the information once you catch the culprit. I will handle the rest," Callum smiled in Rivana's direction, who nodded in agreement.
As soon as they reached home, Rivana hurried to Azrael's study. Meanwhile, the two men stayed in the hall, discussing important meetings about Draxton Enterprises.
Rivana tied her hair in a messy bun and walked over to the sleek brown table in the dimly lit room. A faint thrill flickered through her, excited about diving back into the world of coding and hacking, her haven amidst any chaos.
Typing in the password, Rivana quickly opened the laptop. A frown tugged at her lips as she saw the calendar tab open. She decided to close it but her eyes squinted in confusion at a specific date marked.
"Death?" Rivana murmured in confusion, staring at the note written in bold letters on the date.
Her heart pounded as she tried to make sense of it. A gasp left her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized it was her anniversary date, two years from now. And also the day she had died.