Rihana woke up late in the morning. She had gone to bed very late the previous night, and her eyes were swollen because she had cried a lot all night. The pain in her eyes and the exhaustion on her face were clearly visible. As soon as she got out of bed, she went straight to the washroom, washed her face, and tried to compose herself. A while later, Rihana left for college.
Meanwhile, Sofia had already reached college. She was quite surprised because Rihana always arrived before her, and today she was late. Sofia immediately called Rihana, but she didn't answer the phone.
A few minutes later, Sofia saw Rihana arriving. As soon as she saw her, she rushed toward her.
"Rihana, why are you so late today?"
In a low voice, Rihana replied, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I went to bed late and couldn't wake up in time."
Sofia looked closely at her face.
"Rihana, what happened to your face? Why are your eyes so swollen? Did something happen?"
"No, it's nothing. Maybe something got into my eye," Rihana replied, avoiding eye contact.
Sofia didn't believe her.
"Rihana, don't lie to me… I can see everything. You've been crying, haven't you? Tell me the truth."
Rihana slowly nodded.
"What happened?"
Rihana told Sofia everything. Hearing it, Sofia got very angry.
"Rihana, don't be afraid of them. I tolerated what they did to me, but I won't let anything wrong happen to you now. I'll go talk to them today itself."
Rihana tried to stop her, but Sofia didn't listen.
"Leave all this for now; we're getting late for class."
The two headed to class.
After all the college classes ended, both were sitting in the canteen. Rihana looked downcast, her eyes kept welling up. The events of the previous night were still piercing her heart. Seeing her so upset made Sofia restless.
"Rihana, please don't be like this. I don't feel good seeing you like this."
After a brief silence, Rihana said, "Sofia, I want to go far away from here for a few days; please take me somewhere."
Sofia looked into her eyes, hearing the pain clearly in her voice.
"Okay, tell me where you want to go?"
It was the first time Rihana had asked Sofia for something. How could she refuse?
After thinking for a few moments, Rihana said, "I want to go to Sorrento. Since childhood, I've wanted to see the sea up close, very close."
Sofia smiled and said, "Alright, let's go tomorrow itself. Go start packing right now."
For the first time, a big smile appeared on Rihana's face… but within seconds, it faded again.
"What happened now?" Sofia asked immediately.
"What if your dad doesn't let you go?"
"Don't worry, Rihana, we'll definitely go. I've already agreed to marry Davide as per his wish, so he'll have to agree to one of my wishes now. And if he doesn't, I'll make him. If it were just about me, I would've stayed quiet, but now it's about you, and your happiness is most important to me. Now go and pack; I'm booking the flight tickets."
Sofia dropped Rihana at home and headed to her own house.
When Sofia reached home, her mom, dad, and Alex were sitting there. Seeing Alex, Sofia's anger flared up. She went straight to him and stood in front of him.
"Where were you last night?"
Alex stood up too and laughed meaninglessly, "Wherever I was, what's it to you?"
"You were at Rihana's house, right?"
Alex was a little shocked; the color drained from his face. He thought, "Looks like Rihana told her everything."
Seeing Sofia angry, her dad asked, "What's going on, Sofia? How are you speaking to Alex like that?"
"And how else should I talk to him, Dad? Do you know what he did last night?"
"What did he do?"
"He went to Rihana's house last night and tried to force himself on her."
Kamini was shocked to hear this. "What nonsense is this? My son could never do something like that."
"I have proof. There was a CCTV camera at Rihana's house. Look at this; I'll show you."
Sofia took out her laptop and played the recording in front of everyone.
"Now say it—don't you believe your own eyes?"
Looking at her father, Sofia said, "I can tolerate the way you people treat me, but I will not tolerate anyone doing this to Rihana. Stay away from her; that's best for everyone.
"We are going to Goa tomorrow. Rihana is very disturbed by what happened, and she needs a break."
Saying this, Sofia walked away. No one said a word.
Robert glared angrily at Alex, "Have you lost your mind? Couldn't you stay calm for just a few more days before the wedding? Once the marriage happens, you can do whatever you want with that girl… but not now. You know how possessive Sofia is about her. If she refuses the marriage now, everything will be ruined. Got it?"
Alex nodded with his head down.
Meanwhile, Sofia went to her room and started booking Goa tickets. Soon, she found a flight for 9 AM. She called Rihana and shared all the details.
Leonardo was sitting in his cabin, working on something. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even notice anything happening around him. Just then, a girl walked in wearing a very short dress. She went up to him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
"How are you, Leonardo darling?" she asked sweetly.
Hearing her voice, Leonardo's eyes turned cold. Anger surged within him, but he somehow managed to control it.
"What are you doing here, Anna? I told you not to come during my office hours. Whatever you want to talk about, do it after office. I'll meet you at some restaurant in the evening. Talk then; now leave."
Saying this, he got back to his work.
Hearing his words, Anna felt really hurt.
"Why do you talk to me like this? What's your problem? I'm your fiancée; we're engaged, yet you've never let me come to your house. Even my visiting your office bothers you. Why do you treat me like a stranger?"
Leonardo, who had been controlling his anger till now, lost his patience. He stood up from his chair and looked at Anna furiously.
"Let me make one thing clear to you. I'm not interested in you. You're forcing yourself on me, and I'm tolerating you out of compulsion. The day that compulsion ends, I'll throw you out of my life for good. And stop flying high with this fake engagement of ours. Get out now. I don't have time for your nonsense. Will you leave on your own, or should I call the guard?"
Anna looked at him angrily, then stomped out of the cabin.
As soon as she stepped out, she bumped into Nick. Seeing Anna leave Leonardo's office in such anger, Nick easily figured that Leonardo must have said something harsh.
A crooked smile appeared on his face.
"Hello, Miss Anna. How was your meeting with your dear fiancé? Had a good dose of humiliation again, did you?"
Anna felt like strangling him right then and there, but she kept her calm. In her mind, she thought, "Laugh all you want, Nick. Just let me marry him once. Then you'll see what I do to you."
She glared at him and walked away.
Meanwhile, Nick walked into Leonardo's cabin, still smiling.
Leonardo had a file in his hand and was reading it intently.
Nick went and sat beside him.
"Hmm... what was she doing here?"
Leonardo closed the file and replied, "Nothing; just came to talk nonsense. I don't even like seeing that girl's face. I hate her."
Nick laughed and said, "Well, I feel the same about her."
Meanwhile, after leaving Leonardo's office, Anna sat in her car, fuming with anger.
"So much attitude, huh, Leonardo Singh? Just let me marry you once. Then I'll make you dance to my fingers."
After a while, Anna's car stopped in front of a grand mansion. She got out and went inside directly.
She asked a servant working there, "Is Miss Lucia home right now?"
The servant replied, "Yes, ma'am, she's here."
Anna asked, "Where is she?"
"In the study room."
Anna walked into the study. There sat a woman, probably around 50, but with a youthful glow on her face. She was reading a newspaper.
Anna sat down on a chair near her.
Seeing Anna, the woman put the newspaper aside and asked, "What happened? Why are you so angry?"
Anna replied, "How can I not be angry? Leonardo keeps insulting me again and again. He even said today that he'll never marry me… and the moment he gets a chance, he'll throw me out of his life. You tell me, what should I do?"
Lucia let out a deep breath and said, "Do nothing. I'll handle everything. Don't worry; you will marry Leonardo. No matter what he says, don't pay attention. I know exactly how to control him."
Hearing this, Anna felt a bit relaxed.
"Alright, I trust you. I'll take your leave now," she said and walked out.
Just then, a man entered the room and came up to Lucia.
"Ma'am, what was Anna doing here?"
Lucia replied, "Nothing, Jordan. Just here to vent her insecurities. This girl is so irritating. Sometimes I feel like killing her before I deal with Leonardo."
Jordan laughed and said, "Do it, ma'am. Just wait until your job is done."
"Yeah… to make that happen, I have to endure all her nonsense. But something must be done about Leonardo soon. He's growing more powerful every day, and it's getting hard to stop him."
Jordan said, "Don't worry, ma'am. We have his weakness. He can't do anything to us."
"I know, Jordan. But don't underestimate Leonardo. You never know when the tables might turn."
Jordan is Lucia's assistant.