<(￣︶￣)>

SHe needs to cancel her subscription to these overthinking. She seriously needs to do it. If possible, immediately. After she returned to her apartment she is yet to stop thinking about him. She wouldn't think about him if possible because mostly they fought and he was a jerk. However, the last part is constantly on her mind.

Ugh!

She needs to stop!

She heard her phone ringing when the first ray of sun was out and she groans because she knows now there is no chance of sleeping. She has big days coming in. She often sacrifices her sleep on these occasions.

She decided to answer the call before her manager decided to bang on her door which can lead to noise complaints which was a thing in higher society. They will even kill animals for making a sound in their streets. It is that horrible. She had heard a couple of gunshots around the area and she remembers crying because she didn't have the power to help those poor strays. What she did was have an animal rescuing organization take all the stray while she paid for everything. Even now, she was assisting financially with those animals.

She answered the call as she heard screaming from the other side, immediately she moves the phone away.

"Good morning to you too, Sarah". She said rolling her eyes, "To what do I owe this screaming for?"

"I thought we were clear that you will not cause any trouble when you went to your friend's wedding". Sarah growled and she quietly agreed, "Then explain to me why #Ayira is trending on all social media platforms?"

She frowns, "What? What's the hashtag?"

"There is a video and bunch of photos of you and The Ayaan Zafar. Do you realize he is B5's son? Do you know how this rumor can affect all our hard work?"

She groans, because for sure she knew she will regret speaking to that man and she has just spent all night thinking about him. She didn't need to think about some hashtags now.

"I don't want to deal with this, Sarah. Clear it all. We just argued because he was being a jerk and that's all. There is nothing more. Deny and put an end to it". She said, shutting down the phone

She has greater things she needs to do. She has way better things to do than worry about him. Or even think. Yeah, definitely don't have enough time to do that.

Today is her meeting with the first cosmetic brand that offered her an ambassador position. The only problem that she seems to face after deep research is that this company promotes "whitening" solution to youth who is already lost and insecure. She knows exactly what insecurities feel like.

The company was massive with products selling at a promising rate. Previously many known artists, celebrities, and actors signed with them. The amount they were offering was beyond amazing. The company was manipulating and the only reason she is meeting is that her manager won't let it go. To have a project with this brand means to open gates for more opportunities even appearing in a movie or drama.

The thing is these actors and actresses who already promoted these products shamelessly asks people to not even speak against them. They will delete the comments who are criticizing just so the post don't appear as bad as it is. They will guilt the people by saying how they hurt their feeling. Yet, they don't stop. They don't stop to think how much these whitening products caused damage to our people and society.

She sighs.

Insecurities always creep into her. She had faced enough people to know how they feed off these insecurities. How they make you feel inferior and break you apart. She has broken apart once and she swore she will never let her heart pierce again. Once was enough.

She prepared herself for the day as she looked in the mirror to start her makeup. She always does the base herself and lets the other take it from there. As her eyes looked at herself, the vulnerability was there. The same pathetic girl was standing there looking at her. The one she abandoned to be The Aaria Rehaan- a supermodel who is taking over the world with her beauty.

She blinks adjusting her makeup which was sharp so no one finds or even thinks about stepping on her. For the world, she was a cold-hearted woman who was climbing the ladder of success and there were quite a few sharks who wanted to drag her. She will never allow that.

Her manager banged on the door approximately a few minutes after she was done with her make-up. She will skill breakfast since she eats sweets last night. She gathered her phone and bag and looked at the full-size mirror straightening her shoulder and lifting her cheek with her eyes void of emotions. She will not be dragged down.

She went outside of her room to open the door so her manager can scream at her one last time. While she went back to hold her cat, smooching her with kisses while she hisses at her. She laughs, placing her cat down as she proceeds to freshen her breakfast and water. Once she was sure her cat will survive for another day, she turned to her manager who was still screaming.

"Are you done?" She asked coldly, "Because we have a meeting to attend and I would rather do that instead of listening to some rumors that will die down soon".

Her manager closes her mouth for the rest of the ride. She listens to why they definitely need to sign with these people. She continues to look through her schedule and interviews. Her social media followers were closed to 80+ million and that was the highest for her country's people.

She was still trending when they exit in the building. She could hear the shouts from the paparazzi and one disadvantage of living in the UK was that the paparazzi will never leave you. There was absolutely no way to be safe.

She was sitting in the conference room waiting for the man to show up. She looks out of the window at the poster when she found his face on it. The words blurred around his face and the only thing she focus is the way he was talking. The way his lips were moving so smoothly. He looks so passionate about whatever he was talking about. That passion took her out because she never thought the man ever showed emotions.

As she continues to stare at his face she heard someone calling for her. She turns around to find the owner of this company standing proudly in front of her.

"Aaira". The owner, Ryan said, "It's nice to meet you". She nodded, "I guess we should get into it". And he started explaining his long hard work stories after stories while her ears bleed, "The thing is now people complain about anything and everything. We make products to help with whatever they want and then they will fire it back to us".

"And?" She asked nonchalantly

"My company's main product is a whitening cream that is sold worldwide. It is easy to sell in Asian countries, however, recently we are facing some issues, especially influencers saying we are promoting trauma and insecurities".

"You are not?"

"Of course not". He cried, "Why do you have insecurities then? If one cream is affecting you that much why have insecurities? It is their fault. We only provide with what they ask for".

"So, what's the solution?"

"We are focusing to hire Asian woman to promote our brands for diversity. People like it when companies bring diversity to their work. We will change the name from whitening cream to glowing cream. The base is set in people's minds anyway so it shouldn't be that hard".

"Right". She said shaking her head, "Because that makes everything so much better". Her manager glares at her, "Listen to me clearly, Ryan. You are a capitalist asshole who likes to manipulate women by using their insecurities. You are insecure. You know you are far worst in insecurities than anyone else but you enjoy the fact that you can get your bags full by their insecurities".

Ryan's face turned red, "What did you just say?"

She stands from her seat, glaring at him, "I just told you to fuck off very nicely. I will not be bait for you to lure women and exploit their insecurities".

"You will be nothing without my company. I will turn everyone against you. You don't have anyone to save you".

She laughs, walking closer to him as she leans in front of him, "I have heard that threat since the day I joined. Yet, here I am".

She straightens herself walking out of the room. She knows everyone in this building heard what she said. Do she care? No. Not really.

She place her sunglasses on her eyes once she was in the sun. Summer in the UK can be extremely hot. She loves winter more. She turns to look at the billboard and she doesn't know why she did that?

Was she expecting to see him again? Was she desperate to see his face again?

No. No. She wasn't. Absolutely not.

The drive to the next photoshoot was filled with her manager nagging. She knows the man she just cursed at was something of a big deal. He was well connected and could do anything. She was not afraid of that. She had met too many people in power offering all kinds of things.

She remained calm as she finished all of her shooting for the day. By midnight, she was exhausted and ready to hit the bed. She groans as she places her key in her apartment door. Before it could click, the door open spooking her. Her door is filled with high alarms and security for any intruder. That is one of the reason she chooses to stay in this building. The owner was someone she worked for before and he had offered this place specifically after a mishap that happened during the shoot.

She had some wild people coming after her. Some stole her personal belongings. One of the men was found in her dressing room as she was going to change into the dress provided by the designer.

To keep the matter low, the police were called and the man was arrested and escorted by a different route to avoid any negative attention. At that time, she was still fresh and out of the experience and she remembers she tremble for months after that. In the end, she needed therapy for years, and even now on some days when the feelings become unbearable.

The fear tickle her skin as she enters the place dialing her manager's number as she kept the phone on the side table that was at the entrance. She switches on the lights and in less than a second a shadow crept at her. She struggles against his hard hold on her mouth and he twisted her, throwing her on the table that was in the middle of her living room.

The screams and clash simultaneously occur as her vision blurs because of the hard fall she had taken. She was sure her head hit the corner of her expensive couch by the way it hurts. The man didn't stop as he leap forward grabbing her hair and dragging her over the broken table and glass which pierce different areas of her body and her screams and cries increased.

He continues to drag her body until he lifts her against the wall. She feel the blood dripping down her face and as she looks at the man's eyes she felt that was teleported back to her past. A past she had kept hidden for so long.

"Why am I here?"

"Because someone daddy doesn't know when to quit".

"I was a good girl. Why are you hurting me?"

"If you continue being good. I won't hurt you as much as I want to".

Her breathing labored as he chokes her and a knife moved closer to her face as the man spoke, "You should have kept your mouth shut and acted pretty when you were asked".

Just as his words registered she felt the black dots starting to appear and she heard screaming and the hold on her loosened yet she wasn't conscious enough to know exactly what had happened.

+++

If he can control his life, he will probably choose something more to do with it. Being a child of B5 is not an easy task especially when you want to establish your own line of work. His father was a co-partner with uncle Akbar for import and export as well as his mother. After they decided to retire early and leave it to Azaan and him, there have been some issues.

Their sister was twenty- three and is still looking for what she wanted to do. While they were twenty-five and the company was given to them when they were twenty (a little too early, he believes). At that time, they were still learning about the world. It was too early, indeed.

After a betrayal, they faced one of the people they believed in. They learned pretty quickly to never be the same. Azaan was more lively and carefree. He was a businessman but he had a more lenient personality which is why Ayaan took the role of the devil. The more fear he installed in people, the better. They learned that no one should mess with B5 children if they don't wish to be ruined. One mistake was enough to teach everything.

Yet, he was not interested in the front business. There was something else he craved more. Something that he wanted to work on. As he mentioned, Azaan was always the carefree soul who watched and observed him. Until he sat down with him to discuss the final version of what they wanted.

Azaan took over the family business with little help from everyone. While Ayaan was still on board to make sure no one messes with his brother. He took savings from his account to invest in the cosmetics business. It was something he had watched his sister and mother obsessed over. Every dinner, every event, every other occasion they would speak volumes about brands and make-up. Not just his family. The ladies of external families were the same too. The curiosity was inbuilt since he was always around those two females especially since his father never liked men around them.

Something he also picks from him. Anyways, his business started as slow and was now growing into something more. Setting new values from other manufacturers was very difficult. Wherever he turns to learn it was filled with trashy men who think they own woman and such.

He stopped for the longest time until he had inspiration again. He remembers that day clearly and so, he was on his way to set new values and boundaries. He grounded himself to be the best for others. But never let anyone in too close. Working in this department meant constantly being in contact with women. Which can sometimes end in issues.

He has enough security to secure his personal space. He absolutely hates when someone invades it. There is no way he will ever let anyone come close to him. Never.

He gritted his teeth when this meeting went on for two hours. His temper was not something to mess with.

"What's the solution?" He growled, banging his hand on the table as everyone moved back to create some distance

Apparently, the model they hired was caught in some explicit activities and selling their products (which were gifted to her) illegally. They filed a  case against her, however, their image was on a thin line. He knows now everyone will create any rumors to bring them down.

That's exactly what happened.

One moment he was meeting and next he was looking at his computer where the absurd hashtag was going on with videos and pictures of them. He cringed at the sight of her, again.

There was this picture posted it was so clear that he wanted to hire this person as their photographer. The picture was when they met and argued and their eyes were filled with fury.

Now, that he remembers, the first time he saw her he paused for a moment. Her aura was so different and better until she opened her mouth. My God, the minute she started speaking she didn't stop. He remembers how much he wanted to shut that mouth of her yet the sight of her was so.... distracting. For sure, it was distracting, yes, that was what it was.

Anyways, this hashtag was a direct hit to his company. The rumors and everything just started pouring from everywhere.

"People say you both look good together". His manager for the foundation unit spoke (he doesn't remember the name because he never cared), "They said that your, um.." His manager winced,".. chemistry was really good".

Chemistry? What they had was a ball of fire that they threw at each other. There was no chemistry, biology, or whatever. What fantasy were people building this time?

He growled, causing his manager to back up in fear, "What is wrong with you all? Is this what I pay you all for?"

"S-Sir". His manager started, "If we can get Ms. Aaira on our next project we can settle everything even the rumors of being involved in explicit activities".

That was that. The model involved in those activities was blaming their company and people bought her story. She said that the company made her do it and now since they were B5 children who are blessed with exceptional blessings were the target. They obviously will be because of the golden spoon they were born with.

He can't let anyone hurt his family.

He closed his eyes, breathing in, "Set a meeting with her, and I need a full file of information about her on my table in five minutes".

If he was going to do it, he needs to be prepared.

(☉｡☉)!→