He stood up abruptly, pulling her up with him thanks to the handcuffs, and pinned her against the wall. His grip on her wrist tightened.
Ni-ki leaned in closer, his voice a cold whisper. "You're playing with fire, angel. Don't think for a second tha...
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THE SUN BEAMED SOFTLY THROUGH RHAINE'S CURTAINS as she groggily opened her eyes. She rolled over, pulling the covers tighter around herself, her mind drifting back to the day before at the amusement park.
She didn't expect to actually enjoy herself, but somehow, with the games, rides, and her friends, she had fun. More than she ever thought she would with Ni-ki involved.
The moment the screen lit up, she nearly jumped out of bed. The number of notifications was overwhelming. Instagram followers, texts, DMs—it was as if overnight her life had exploded into chaos.
Scrolling through her messages, her heart skipped a beat when she saw one from her best friend.
rami when did you start dating NISHIMURA RIKI?????
Rhaine stared at the message, wondering what to do. She knew she owed her best friend some sort of explanation.
"Crap," she mumbled under her breath. Of course, it had gotten out. The paparazzi, the photos, the "couple moments." It was only a matter of time before word spread like wildfire.
That was the plan after all.
She sat up, rubbing her temples as she mentally prepared for the inevitable questions and assumptions she'd have to face.
She scrolled further through her notifications and found several messages from Mr. Jin.
Mr. Jin Well done, Rhaine! It's working!
Mr. Jin You and Mr. Nishimura are trending everywhere! Keep this up, and we'll be in the clear sooner than expected!
Attached to his texts were a few screenshots of headlines. Her eyes widened as she read them:
Headline 1: Future CEO Nishimura Riki spotted with mystery girl—are they officially dating?
Headline 2: Nishimura Riki in a relationship with the girl who publicly fought with him years ago? A shocking turn of events!
Headline 3: Has the notorious Nishimura Riki softened? Sources say his new romance shows a different side of him!
Rhaine stared at her phone, the initial shock starting to wear off. She never imagined her face would be all over the media like this, but part of her felt a small sense of accomplishment. Everything was playing out just as planned, and while it was still strange to see her name next to Ni-ki's in the headlines, she felt a bit more at ease knowing it was working.
She tossed her phone onto the bed and leaned back, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Guess I'm not doing too bad at this."
With the world starting to believe the act, maybe this fake relationship wasn't such a mess after all.
