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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IT WAS LATER THAT DAY. Rhaine had laid down, staring at the ceiling again. The idea of McGill still lingered in her mind, offering a distant escape from everything she was dealing with now. She wasn't interested in Ni-ki—no, she wasn't about to fall into that trap. But she couldn't deny he was part of her life for the time being, even if it was all just pretend.
She grabbed her laptop again, opening it lazily. Maybe it was just curiosity—after all, she knew next to nothing about him other than what he allowed her to see. And what was the harm in a little digging? It wasn't like she actually cared. Typing his name into the search bar, she hit enter without thinking much of it.
Articles, photos, videos—all detailing Ni-ki's life. Red carpets, parties, magazine covers, fan accounts. There were tons of fan pages, some filled with admiration and others criticizing his cold demeanor.
The headlines were all too familiar: Ni-ki spotted at luxury event with socialite girlfriend, Kumiho heir's icy reputation lives on, Playboy prince of business empire parties with elite crowd.
Rhaine clicked on one of the more recent ones from a tabloid. It had pictures from the ball a few days ago—the one where she was supposed to be his date. In one of the photos, Ni-ki stood with Rei, his ex. Rhaine frowned, reading the caption underneath.
Rumors of rekindling romance between Ni-ki and former flame Rei?
Is Ni-ki cheating on his non-celebrity girlfriend?
Rhaine hesitated for a moment, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She had just scrolled past those pictures of Ni-ki and Rei, the girl everyone seemed to think he was destined to end up with. Something inside her ticked—maybe it was curiosity, maybe annoyance. Either way, she found herself typing "Rei" into the search bar.
Within seconds, her screen was things about Rei. She was stunning—elegant, poised, and from a well-off family. The kind of girl who seemed like she had everything figured out. Rhaine scrolled through images of Rei at galas, walking red carpets, always perfectly put together. It was no wonder people paired her with Ni-ki; they looked like a match made for the tabloids.
But as Rhaine read more, she learned that Rei wasn't just a pretty face. She was involved in family businesses, charity work, and seemed deeply ingrained in the elite circles Ni-ki was part of. It made sense why Mr. Jin wanted them back together—Rei would be a perfect business partner, someone who could fit into that world effortlessly.
Rhaine let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Seeing all this made her realize just how far removed she was from Ni-ki's life. She wasn't Rei. She didn't belong in his world, and she never would. She was just part of the show, a temporary fix for Ni-ki's image.
Why did that bother her?
While she skimmed the headlines, something caught her attention outside her window. Tapping persistently against the glass was a black bird.
