Reclaimed By My Ex-husband

After wrapping up her shoot, Riya headed to the green room. She sagged into a chair and casually unlocked her phone, only to spot a message from Zachary.

Her back stiffened instantly. It was as if he were somewhere close, watching her every move. Her gaze darted around the room, scanning every corner.

Her stylist approached, makeup tools in hand, ready to begin.

"Come back in a few minutes," Riya said briskly, signaling her to leave.

"Yes, ma'am," the stylist replied politely before slipping out.

After making sure the door was closed, Riya unlocked the message. 'I've heard your parents are planning to marry you into the Lawsons. Feeling great, aren't you?'

A chill rippled through her, as though an icy gust had swept over her skin. Her eyes widened, fear and disbelief wrestling for control.

Her thumbs flew over the screen: 'How did you know?'

They had just discussed her marriage only last night. How did he know about it already? Did he have eyes inside the Grant household? A spy among the staff?

The idea made her shiver.

Her phone buzzed in her palm. She flinched, almost dropping the phone.

'Nothing is hidden from me.'

Her stomach tightened as she read his reply. It intensified her doubt that he had someone inside the Grant family mansion.

The thought of someone in her house, quietly feeding him information, sent a wave of unease crawling over her. It felt invasive, creepy.

Riya's fingers flew over the screen. 'You are keeping tabs on us?' As soon as she finished typing, she hit send.

His reply popped up almost instantly, as if he had been waiting for her message. 'I told you—I keep track of the people who matter to me. I'm coming to pick you up. I'll take you somewhere.'

She hesitated, her first instinct to refuse. But then she thought better of it.

Zachary was probably already displeased about the news of her marriage. Rejecting his offer might only make things worse. It would be smarter to meet him and explain things face-to-face.

And truthfully, she wasn't ready to go home yet. The memory of their cold treatment in the morning still stung. At least with Zachary, she could distract herself from that humiliation, even if only temporarily.

'Fine,' she typed back. 'I'll be waiting for you.'

Barely a few minutes passed before her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered, half-wondering if he could have arrived so quickly.

"I'm outside," Zachary's voice came through.

"You came so soon," she said, caught off guard.

"I was already in the area for some work," he explained. "Thought I'd pick you up on my way back. Are you coming?"

"Yes, coming," she replied before ending the call.

She grabbed her bag, ready to leave.

Just then, her manager appeared in the doorway.

"Are you heading out?" she asked.

Riya gave a curt nod. "I'm meeting a friend."

"I just got a call about an endorsement contract," the manager said quickly. "A big client is looking for a fresh face for their brand, and they want to meet you as soon as possible to sign the deal. If we delay, they might choose someone else. Can you reschedule your meeting with your friend?"

Riya's eyes hardened into a glare. Cancel on Zachary? That wasn't an option. One wrong move with him, and he could destroy her in an instant.

"Meeting my friend is just as important as meeting that client," she snapped. "If it's so urgent, set the meeting after lunch."

Without waiting for a reply, she strode past her manager and out the door.

Left behind, the manager exhaled heavily, shaking her head in disappointment. "This attitude… it's not going to end well."

She had worked with plenty of actors and models before. She had seen the pattern. The ones who let arrogance outweigh professionalism eventually faded into obscurity, their fame evaporating as quickly as it came. And now, she could see Riya stepping onto that same path.

"You have barely tasted success," she muttered under her breath, "and already you are acting like you can't lose it. I hope you don't end up destroying your own career."

When Riya stepped out of the studio, she saw the familiar luxury car parked by the roadside. She cast a quick glance around before walking over and sliding into the backseat.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure lurking in the shadows had just snapped her photo.

Inside, Zachary sat beside her, his attention fixed entirely on his phone. He scrolled lazily through the screen, not sparing her a glance as if she were unimportant.

That cold, unreadable expression of his always made her heart tighten with unease.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Eat with me," he replied curtly, slipping his phone into his coat pocket.

The car pulled away, and once again, quiet settled between them. The stillness made her fidget. She stole a look at his face—calm, impassive, like the surface of a lake on a windless day. She couldn't tell if he was suppressing anger or simply didn't care.

Clearing her throat, she ventured, "Are you upset about the news? Look… I don't like Liam. I don't want to marry a playboy. I only agreed to meet him so my parents wouldn't be disappointed. But I've already decided to tell him it's impossible. I can't marry him."

"You are overthinking," he said flatly as if it didn't matter to him at all, and it almost startled her.

She was confused. She had been so certain he was angry, yet he seemed unfazed. Was he giving up on her? Was he actually going to let her go?

"What? What do you mean?" she stammered, a tremor in her voice.

The possibility that he might expose those damning videos flashed through her mind, and the thought alone drained the color from her cheeks.

"He'll reject you," Zachary said with quiet confidence. His gaze shifted to her, face utterly devoid of emotion. "Because he is in love with someone else."

"What did you just say? He loves someone else," she repeated with disbelief.

The words rattled in her head.

Nathaniel had said that Liam was nothing but a playboy, a man who cycled through women like passing seasons. How could someone like that possibly be in love?

"Are you sure?" she pressed, suspicion threading her tone.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel better," Zachary replied, his confidence so absolute it left no room for argument. "I already know who he has in his heart."

Her curiosity spiked. "Who is it?" she asked, eager for the answer.