HIS FORBIDDEN REJECTION
The memory flashed — Zane cornering me, whispering threats, Ray bursting in, fury and fear mixing like wildfire.
“I—It was a misunderstanding,” I managed. “Ray was protecting me.”
Vanessa tilted her head. “Protecting you… or controlling you?”
The audience murmured again.
My pulse spiked. I could feel every gaze — every judgment — pressing down on me.
“No,” I said firmly. “You don’t understand. Ray has been—”
And then it happened.
The giant screen behind us flickered. The host’s smile widened like a predator catching scent of blood.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Vanessa purred, “we’ve just received an exclusive clip. Something our viewers might find… enlightening.”
Bab Populer