61
THE door widely opened and Terry barged in, he halted as soon as he saw Raghav sitted on the couch and fuming, huh? So he really came?
On the small table before him was a bottle red of wine, and an empty glass tumbler.
“Welcome Maharana”, he said walking up to him.
Raghav scoffed as he drank from the glass cup.
“You really did come? I heard from the guards outside that you did, but I doubted”, he sat beside him.
“What guts has she?”, he shouted.
Terry was taken aback, he didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Sorry my prince, I don’t really know what you’re talking about, what’s the matter?”, he asked.
Raghav turned to him.
“Didn’t you get to see the live interview on the television?”, he asked.
Oh! He had actually seen that, was that the reason he returned? Well yes, he supposed to, Bella was really getting on his nerves.
“I did, seriously she needs to be cautioned”, he said as he took the other glass tumbler on the table and began pouring himself some wine.
“Right now, my Rina isn’t in good terms with me, my sister as well, just because of that bitch”.
“Huh? Did you just say Rina?”, he asked.
“Yeah, we… we are having a difficult time”, he said.
“Too bad, it will be fine though”, he said.
Just then the door opened and Bella barged in, Terry looked up and saw her smiling sheepishly, dressed in a skimpy dress as usual. Her strong perfume filled the whole room, over passing the air freshener that was earlier in the room.
Huh? This wasn’t what she wore at the interview, she had already changed into something else, anyways. She closed back the door and walked up to them.
“Your grace”, she bowed, then turned to Terry.
“Hi Terry”, she said grinning.
“Mm”, he nodded a response.
“You sent for me Raghav, have you come to spend some time with me?”, she asked going closer to him.
Raghav wasn’t looking up, he had his head bowed and his coarse voice spoke, halting her.
“Do you want to die Bella?”, he asked.
Jeez! Bella freezed on spot. What kinda question was that?
“It’s a straight question that requires a straight answer”, he blurted and looked up at her, making her cringe the more.
“Do you want to die?”, he asked again.
Though she was kinda scared and afraid to utter a word, she braced up to speak out, she wasn’t gonna look scared before him.
“What kind of question is that Maharana?”, she replied with a question, turning to glance at Terry who just sat sipping wine.
“I’ve given you the answer, and I expect you to reply me with answers not question”, he barked.
“Alright fine… fine. I’m not ready to die, at least not when you; my love is still…”.
“Hey… hey”, he interrupted, raising up his left hand, she hushed.
“Repeat the first line”, he said.
“I’m not ready to die”, she stated.
“Then stay away from my affairs, from my life, and bring down the update on your social media handle”, his cold voice spoke.
“What!”, she exclaimed and immediately, cupped her hand over her mouth.
“I came all the way from my kingdom just to warn you, let me pretend I didn’t see the live interview”, he spoke.
“Huh?”, she replied.
Raghav scoffed and dropped the glass of wine on the table, picked up his car key and phone, then nudged Terry. He got up.
Bella watched in fear as he did all this and walked up to her.
“If you wanna be a dead meat, don’t do it. You know what I can do at least”, he whispered into her ears, then walked out.
Terry stopped to whisper to her too.
“You really do know what the prince gonna do if you disobey him”, and he walked out too, leaving her cringing in fear and shock.
“Go in there and get the lady out, then lock up”, she heard Raghav talking to the guard who stood at the door.
Bella was dazed, what was she gonna do now? She really wants him, she really wants to be his bride, and she’s been doing definitely all she could, and now….
The guard interrupted her thoughts, politely asking her to leave.
She glared at him for some seconds, gritted her teeth, then walked out the room.
*
*
? Lawson’s Mansion ?
Bella lazily staggered into the living room muttering to herself and sighing as she went, completely lost and oblivious to her environment.
A maid walked past her heading upstairs to her room with her bag.
Well, what just happened at the estate between Raghav and her was perilous.
She was just returning from the live interview when she was informed that Prince Raghav wanted to see her, happily she had gone, hoping it was for something good, only to get there and met the opposite.
“Ugh”, she groaned out, heading upstairs.
“Where are you coming from?”.
A coarse voice asked and she freezed on spot. Ohh jeez, it was Lawson, her manager.
She turned and saw him sitting on the couch and smoking weed, she hadn’t seen him on entry because she’s been lost, thanks to Raghav for that.
“From the interview of course”, she replied, rolling her eyes.
Lawson laughed sarcastically, startling her.
“Where exactly are you coming from Bella?”, he asked again.
Bella sighed.
“Excuse me, are you supposed to be asking me that? I mean, I owe you no explanation of where I go”.
“Of course you do”, he got up, almost interrupting her.
“And why?”, she asked.
He smirked, puffing out smoke from his mouth.
“Don’t dare ask me such question Bella, I own you”.
“Oh please you don’t”, she waved her left hand.
“Huh?”.
The maid returned, bowed and walked out.
“Yes, you don’t. That you are my manager doesn’t mean you should monitor my movements”, she said.
“Really?”, the argument continued.
“Yes”.
He nodded smirking.
“Alright, so after I’ve made you who and what you are today, you try to ditch me, to turn your back on me?”, he rhetorically asked.
Bella rolled her eyes.
“Lawson, it’s not like I didn’t play my part as well, the last time I checked, my part was well fulfilled, you had me on your bed, and you still are, so what’s your stress?”.
“Oh, was that why you did what you did at the interview? Claiming you are in a relationship with Prince Raghav?”, he asked slowly walking towards her.
Bella was taken aback by this rhetoric question.
“Prince Raghav and I in a relationship, how does it affect you? Or… do you manage such affairs too?”, she was astonished.
He simpered.
“You don’t still seem to understand this, I own you Bella. Why do you think I decided to help when you came crawling to me?”.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, is that it? Then I want to tell you Lawson, it isn’t gonna work between us, I’m in love with Raghav, we are in love with each other, take it or leave it”, she made to take the stairs.
“You lie Bella, I own you, and not anyone else, you should better take it, don’t leave it”.
She hissed.
“Please, I’m so tired right now and obviously not prepared for this, I beg to leave”, she began walking up the stairs as Lawson watched her in anger.
“And oh please”, she turned back to him, “if you need anything…sex, I’m in my room”, she pouted and walked away, swaying from side to side.
“Mmm”, Lawson gritted his teeth, fisting his right hand in anger. What was all this? How could she?
He had been the one whom had helped her to limelight, made her famous and popular, helped her bagged endorsements with several fashion houses, and now, was this how she was gonna pay him back?
Well, oh yes, he had earlier asked to sleep with her whenever he pleases as her price, but now, he had found out he needed her, not just for sex.
What was he gonna do to make her stop talking about that prince, he thought for a while. Then he picked up his phone from the couch and walked out the house, fuming.
*
*
?? Itanagar City ??
Wyson House
Naavya sat on the couch fuming in anger, tossing and turning from side to side, she was so peeved.
“How could Zashil? How could he?”, she suddenly shouted, raging as she asked.
“I don’t still seem to understand you Naavya, what are you trying to say?”, Meera asked, she was sitting on the couch opposite her.
Naavya sighed.
“Zashil, my fiance, didn’t you hear?”.
Meera shook her head.
“No, heard what?”, she asked.
“My goodness, Zashil jilted me, he left me for someone else”.
“What!”, Meera exclaimed. “How could he? I thought you both were serious?”.
“Of course we were, but you see, he was even gonna propose to me. I didn’t get to see him again and when I called, he told me off. I still didn’t know why, he jilted me as far as I’m concerned”, she said.
Meera furrowed her brows.
“Are you sure you did nothing? I mean, Zashil wouldn’t just leave you like that, he loved you”.
Naavya’s countenance changed as she glared at Meera.
“What kind of a talk is that? Are you now saying I cheated on him?”, she asked.
“Of course, that’s what it is. Prince Zashil wouldn’t just leave, didn’t he give you any reason for ending the relationship?”.
“He didn’t. Meera please leave that, that isn’t what I want us to talk about?”.
“Alright, so what?”.
“Meera, Prince Zashil wouldn’t have left me if the lady he presently with hadn’t reared up her ugly head, we need to do something about her?”.
Meera’s eyes twitched.
“Huh? Do something like what?”.
“Look, I need this girl out of the way, I’m the one who’s supposed to be the princess not her”.
“Hmm”, she heaved.
“I get you, so what you gonna do now? You know her?”.
“Of course, Zaina Sachin. She’s from Shimla kingdom, daughter of one Elder Sachin, graduated from high school seven weeks ago”.
“Hmm, you already know almost everything about her”.
“Why wouldn’t I? She’s about to steal my man, to take my prince away from me, and what do you expect me to do? Fold my arms and watch”.
Meera stiffened a laugh, Naavya was actually folding her arms in demonstration as she talked.
“It’s fine… so what do you intend doing then?”.
She hesitated for a while, then let out the bombshell.
“Kill her”.
“What!”