Zendaya couldn’t believe that she was naked, and she desperately hoped she was having a nightmare. However, the pain that hit her in her lower region told her that it wasn’t.
Seeing that Jayden was still staring at her naked body, she quickly reached out and yanked the duvet away from him so she could cover herself up. That was a big mistake as she was met with his naked body, which made her quickly turn away. “Cover yourself up!” She cried out as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She waited until after she heard the shuffling of clothes to look back at him. He had worn his pants, but he still hadn’t put a shirt on, and this was still distracting to her. “Why the hell are you at my house and naked?” Zendaya immediately fired at him. “Look around and tell me what you observe,” Jayden yawned in a bored tone as he sat up. Zendaya was confused as to why he was asking her to look around, but as soon as she did, she found the answer. This wasn’t her house! She yelled in her head. What the hell was going on? “Go ahead, think back to what happened, and when you find the answer, let me know,” Jayden urged her as he stood up and left the room. As soon as he was out, she quickly picked her clothes up from the floor and wore them before sitting to think back to what had happened. It was difficult to remember what had happened as her head felt like it was about to split in two. The last thing she remembered was going to a bar after finding out Matthew cheated on her, so how did she end up sleeping with Jayden? Her memories after that were blank, and so she couldn’t find an answer. Jayden didn’t seem like the kind of person to force her, which meant she must have agreed to it, but why?! Zendaya cried. She wouldn’t have bothered if it was any other person. Why did it have to be the man she hated the most in the world? The door opened and Jayden walked in carrying a tray. “Here, drink this, it should help with your hangover,” he said as he placed it beside her. Zendaya opened her mouth to refuse but with the headache had hit her once again, she quietly took the bowl and began to drink the contents. Jayden quietly watched her, and he didn’t speak until she was done. “Do you remember?” He inquired curiously. “No, I don’t,” Zendaya shook her head and as she did, she was hit by an image of Jayden on top of her. ‘Either you sleep with me or someone else will, but I’m getting laid tonight,’ she heard herself say, and she froze at the realization that she was the one who had initiated it. No, it couldn’t be, she tried to deny. “I should get going,” she remarked as she stood up. She was too ashamed, and she wasn’t ready to hear Jayden tell her once again of how cheap he thought her to be. “Sit!” Jayden ordered, and she immediately sat back down. Wait, why was she sitting? She frowned as she got back up. “You're not the boss of me,” she stated as she proceeded to leave. “And here I thought you'd be crying over the fact that your fiancée has been cheating on you.” His comment made Zendaya turn to face him. “How do you know?” She questioned, wondering if she had been foolish enough to tell him. “I found out about it ages ago. Plus, you mentioned it yesterday,” Jayden responded. “Wait, what do you mean you found out about it ages ago?” Zendaya asked Jayden. “It's exactly as you heard,” Jayden stated, and he quickly ducked when Zendaya threw a pillow at him in anger. “Why the hell didn't you tell me?” She hissed in anger as she glared at him. “Wait, how did you find out?” He had left before she met Matthew and had just returned, so how did he know? “Did you think I wouldn’t keep an eye on you, Clownhead?” Jayden asked her, and she clenched her fist over what he had called her. It was a name he had given to her when they were children, and he refused to let it go. “So you’ve been stalking me?” She scoffed. “I’ve been doing more than that,” he admitted shamelessly. “But that’s not important. The fact that you tried to have a one-night-stand after discovering that he cheated is.” She tried to? His words seemed to collaborate with what she had remembered. The fact that she couldn’t remember was beginning to frustrate her. “What I do or decide to do is none of your business?” She immediately fired at him. “In case your thick skull doesn’t seem to remember, that decision of yours led to us sleeping together again,” Jayden clapped back and Zendaya felt herself throb. “You weren’t drunk, so why didn’t you refuse to sleep with me!” she however ignored it. “Because you fucking seduced me!” Jayden snapped. “You kissed me and asked me to sleep with you.” “That seems like a ‘you’ problem,” Zendaya shrugged casually. “And besides, when have you ever listened to me if it wasn’t something you wanted to do!” she asked him, and he wasn’t able to provide an answer. “You wanted to sleep with me?” Her voice turned serious as she tried to decipher what was going on in his head. Jayden never ran out of words to banter her with. If he wasn’t responding, it was because she was telling the truth. “What do you think?” Jayden threw the question right back at her. “I want to go home,” Zendaya responded, as she wanted to be alone to be able to process her thoughts. “I’ll drop you home,” Jayden told her, and she shook her head as his presence would just further muddle her thoughts. “There’s no need for that, I’ll call a driver.” she looked for her bag and when she found it she brought out her phone to do just that, she saw that it was dead. She didn't have a charger, which meant that she wouldn't be able to call for a ride home. “Fine, you can drop me home,” she agreed. “Unnecessarily stubborn,” Jayden remarked as he grabbed his shirt and put it on. Without wasting time, Zendaya walked out of the room, and she let Jayden lead her downstairs. The ride to her home was silent, as she wasn't ready to talk to him, and thankfully he didn't say anything to her. When they got to her house, Zendaya frowned upon noticing Matthew’s car in her driveway. Due to what had happened with Jayden, she hadn't had time to process his betrayal, but it seemed she would have to face him whether she wanted to or not. “Are you going to overlook the fact that he's cheating on you?” Jayden asked curiously. Not like he would let that happen, but he still wanted to know. “I haven't thought about it yet,” Zendaya confessed, and Jayden was displeased with her answer, as there was nothing to think about. He, however, didn't say anything, and he watched Zendaya get out of the car. She immediately headed inside, and she saw Matthew pacing in her living room. Upon hearing footsteps, he turned to look at her, and her heart bled as the images of how he slept with another woman played in her head. “Zendaya, where have you been?” He asked her, and she broke out of her thoughts. “Why are you here, Matthew?” She asked instead of answering his question. “Because of this,” he responded as he showed her his phone. When she looked at what he was showing her, she saw that there were multiple pictures of her and Jayden outside the bar and of her leaving with him. Those darn paparazzi! She yelled in her head. Couldn't she do anything without them taking pictures of her? ‘Trouble in Paradise. Soon-to-be married Zendaya cheating with her supposed enemy?’ was what the headline read. “Yeah? So what?” She probed in a cold voice. “You're cheating on me, aren't you, and don't lie to me, I can see those hickeys on your neck!” Matthew growled in anger, and Zendaya's hand went to her neck as she cursed Jayden for not telling her that she had them. “No, I didn't cheat on you,”. Zendaya denied his allegation, and the next thing Matthew did, shock her as he forcibly grabbed her by the arm. She hissed as his nails dug into her skin. This was the first time he had behaved like this with her, and she wondered if it was really the man she loved standing in front of her. “Let go, Matthew, you're hurting me,” she inhaled sharply, but he didn't listen to her. “You always told me of how much you hated Jayden Gerano and you went running to his bed barely a day after he returned,” Matthew growled, and in the next instant his hold on her loosened. “That's no way to test a woman, especially one who is your fiancée,” Jayden’s voice rang behind Matthew. When the latter turned to face Jayden, he was met with a punch that sent him straight to the ground. “Jayden!” Zendaya gasped, and he looked at her with a bored expression on his face. “You bastard!” Matthew yelled as he got up to attack Jayden. Zendaya knew it was a terrible idea, as he was highly trained. Just as expected, it barely took Jayden any effort to send Matthew to the ground once more. “Stop it, Matthew!” Zendaya ordered as she put herself in between the two. However, Matthew being blinded by anger didn't stop, and he moved to punch her. Before he could however touch her, Jayden held his fists. “Are you going to keep on putting up with his ass?” He turned to face Zendaya. “No, now back away,” Zendaya told him, and it took a few seconds for him to listen to her. He however hovered around in case Matthew tried to get physical again. “The wedding’s off, Matthew,” Zendaya immediately told him. “What?!” Matthew yelled. “I can't believe you're calling off our wedding because of him!” “No, Matthew, I'm calling off our wedding because you've been cheating on me!” She yelled, bursting out in anger. The nerve of Matthew to try to get upset over the cheating rumour was disgusting. She was done with him the moment she caught him cheating, and so she didn't cheat on him by sleeping with Jayden. “What are you saying?” Matthew tried to feign innocence. “It's because of him, right, he's brainwashing you?” He then accused Jayden. “No, I was at your house last night and I saw you sleeping with another woman, after which you called me a fool for not seeing what was happening right under my nose,” Zendaya smiled bitterly. She was too calm, but she didn't have the energy to be aggressive. Wanting it to be over, she dipped her hand in her pocket and brought out the ring he had given to her. “I'm not going to accept this. We should talk it out!” He said desperately, and Jayden chuckled, which made the remaining two shift their attention to him. “Who are you to interfere in our private matters?!” Matthew seethed with rage. "I'm her boyfriend and if you don't get out of here, I'll be the man who will be responsible for putting you six feet underground," Jayden responded, shocking Zendaya.Two Months LaterThe Gerano mansion was buzzing with energy as the family and other well-wishers gathered to celebrate Jayden's birthday. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses as the sun began to set. Jayden stood near the center of the room, talking to friends when he caught sight of Lucas approaching him.“Excuse me,” he said to the men he was talking to and he walked towards Lucas.“Enjoying the party?” Jayden asked with a smirk.Lucas shot him a look, which showed that he had been forced to be there probably by his wife and daughter. “I still don't like you. Don’t push it,” he warned.Jayden pouted as he pretended to be sad. “Don’t say that father-in-law,” he said and he had to stifle his laughter at the horrified expression Lucas always gave whenever he called him that. After he was discharged from the hospital, he and Lucas sat down to have a chat about Zendaya and his relationship.Lucas' words were simple, “Hurt her and you die.”He wondered w
Jayden's losing consciousness lingered in Zendaya's mind as Lucas led her out of the dark, suffocating room. Her heart pounded as she hoped Jayden was okay. “Get an ambulance here immediately!” Justin barked at an officer as they exited the building.Zendaya stumbled slightly, her legs weak from exhaustion and fear. Lucas caught her, steadying her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder.“You’re safe now,” Lucas said gently.“But Jayden…” Zendaya whispered, her eyes never leaving Justin’s retreating figure as he carried Jayden toward an ambulance that had just arrived.“He’ll be fine,” Lucas assured her. “You need to rest as well.”Paramedics rushed to Justin, quickly taking Jayden onto a stretcher.Blood seeped through his bandages, and Zendaya’s stomach churned at the sight. She tried to follow, but Lucas held her back.“You need to get checked too,” Lucas insisted, gesturing to another paramedic who was approaching her.“No,” Zendaya protested, shaking her head. “I need to go wit
The deafening sound of the gunshot echoed through the room, and Zendaya braced herself for the end. But to her surprise, she felt no pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.Anil stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock. And her mouth fell open when she saw that he had been shot in the shoulder. Regardless, he proceeded to shoot her once again and another shoot to his legs brought him down on his knees."Step away from her!" a familiar voice roared with anger as he stepped into the room.It was Jayden. He looked disheveled, and her heart bled when she saw his physical condition. “Jayden?” Zendaya called her voice a mix of relief and disbelief.Anil snarled, raising his gun to fire, but Jayden didn’t hesitate. Another shot rang out, and this time, it was to his palm.Anil groaned in the weapon slipping from his grasp and Jayden kicked it away as he then pounced on Anil.“Jayden, he'll die,” Zendaya stated when Anil had turned into a bleeding mess.Her words
Zendaya’s head throbbed as she slowly opened her eyes. She saw she was in a dark room and a frown appeared on her face. Her body ached as she tried to move, only to find herself bound to a chair. Her wrists were tied tightly behind her back, the coarse rope digging into her skin as she moved. Panic immediately set in as she struggled, her breaths quick and shallow.The faint creak of a door opening sent chills down her spine as she turned in the direction of where the sound had come from. “Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice hoarse. “What do you want?”The figure didn’t respond immediately, stepping closer until the overhead light flickered on. The sudden brightness made her wince, but when her eyes adjusted, her blood ran cold as she saw who was in front of her.“Anil?” she whispered in disbelief.He stood before her, a cruel smile on his face that sent shivers down her spine. He looked different his usually composed demeanor replaced with something sinister and there was a
The fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway greeter Jasmine and Justin rushed toward the ER, their steps hurried and frantic. The receptionist’s voice on the phone had been calm but grave when she’d informed them of Jayden’s accident. Jasmine’s heart hadn’t stopped pounding since as her mind conjured every worst-case scenario about Jayden and how he was doing. Justin walked beside her, his face pale and tight with worry.“What do they mean someone hit him and then disappeared?” Jasmine muttered, her voice trembling. “Who does that? Who leaves someone on the road like that?”Justin placed a hand on her back, and he rubbed it gently. Though his expression was grim. “We’ll find out. Let’s focus on Jayden first.”The moment they reached the nurse’s station, a staff member gestured them toward a private room. “He’s stable,” the nurse reassured them quickly, seeing the panic etched on their faces, and it made them calm down a bit. “The doctors did a thorough examination, and his in
Jayden drove aimlessly through the city, the steady hum of the car engine doing little to drown out the storm raging in his mind. As he remembered his father’s revelation, he felt suffocated. His hands clenched the steering wheel with such intensity that his knuckles turned white, and the faint creak of the leather beneath his grip was the only sound competing with his labored breathing.Jasmine isn’t my mother.The thought repeated itself over and over, echoing in his mind. He couldn’t believe it. She was the woman who had raised him, loved him, been there for him through every high and low. She wasn’t his real mother.Every memory of her felt tainted now, overshadowed by the truth. The fact that they had hid it from him for all of his life and probably wouldn’t have told him had the article not come out was a slap to his face.The betrayal hit him in waves, each one stronger than the last. Why hadn’t they told him? Why had they waited until the news forced their hand? He thoug