Page 177 of She will Always be Mine

Fuck! I need to get to her. Pushing away from the chair, I shut my computer by ripping the cords off and grab my phone as I rush out of my office.

Snehil jumps back in shock and stands up from her desk when I slam the door open. “Riaan, is everything okay?”

“I have an emergency,” I reply without slowing down and step into the elevator.

I dial Nyra’s number to warn her but it keeps going to voicemail. Why is she not picking up? Worry stabs me when I’m unable to reach her.

I jog toward my car in the lot and slide into the driver’s seat. I run a few red lights like the last time as I speed faster, only slowing down once I’ve reached my destination.

Shoving open the door, my eyes zoom in on the one person who stabbed a knife in my back.

“It was you,” I accuse, and my mom whirls around in panic and guilt. “How the fuck could you do this, Mom?”

I knew she’d be here because I invited her so Nyra didn’t have to be alone until I got home. Had I known my own mother was behind it, I never would’ve allowed her to come anywhere close to us. Never let her in. I knew her blessing was too good to be true. I wouldn’t have expected her betrayal. It’s my worst nightmare come to life.

“Riaan,beta. Let me explain—” She stammers.

“You were never on our side, were you?” I sneer. “It was all a ploy so we wouldn’t find out you were blackmailing Nyra all along. I can’t believe you actually released the video. Did you really think you’d get away?”

“What? No. I didn’t upload the video, Riaan,” she says, her eyes wide in horror and shock. “I swear.”

“Stop lying,” I yell, stepping closer to her.

“Please,beta. Yes, I made it, but I never intended to share it. Besides, I only found out now when you told me that it got released.”

I shake my head, not believing anything that comes out of her mouth. The fact that she’s admitting to recording it says she’s manipulative, twisted, and a liar.

“Why would you betray me, Mom? Why hurt Nyra?” I demand.

Her eyes harden into slits and burn with a hatred so deep that I’m taken aback. She has always been a loving and caring person yet this is a sight of her that I’ve never seen.

With her spine ramrod straight, she replies, “I wanted to teach her lying cunt of a mother a lesson.” Shivers march down my back as I hear her voice. It lacks remorse. “Wanted to show her that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Did you know she accused your father of abusing her?”

Each hate-fueled word that spills out of her mouth has me angry and disgusted. Few pieces fall into place as I remember Nyra telling me about my aunt’s tragic past. I never suspected my father of being her assaulter as I stare at my mom’s angry face.

Is it even true?Our families have always been close, except for those last few years before my grandma died. My instincts tells me it has everything to do with this secret.

“No. I didn’t,” I reply past clenched teeth. “But to use Nyra for your revenge... That’s too low and vindictive. She was innocent.”

Her eyes slightly soften as she looks away before continuing, “I truly regret it. After I saw you both together at that restaurant, I thought she was using you. Or maybe Sara put her up to it. So, I asked her to break up with you and everything was moving according to plan, until Sara showed up. I didn’t stop her when Zain took her upstairs because I wanted her to find you both. I would’ve gotten my revenge for wrongly accusing my husband. But when I heard her threaten to put you in jail for the same crime, I lost it.”

“I couldn’t let her destroy your life like what she did with your father.” She growls unapologetically as she faces me. “So I continued blackmailing Nyra and asked for those pictures as evidence that she came onto you. I would only release it if Sara went ahead with her threat. I only did it to protect you, Riaan. I never wanted to hurt either of you.”

“Are you crazy? You ruined Nyra’s life. Because of you, I almost lost her,” I bark. “I trusted you.”

“I-I’m sorry,” she cries. “I swear I didn’t release the video.”

Suddenly, my body locks tight as I realize that in my anger, I forgot Nyra is nowhere to be seen. Ignoring my mom, I walk to the bedroom and find it empty.

“Where is Nyra?” I whirl around and ask Mom, who followed after me.

She swallows and her brows knit together. “She wasn’t here when I came.”

Deadly possibilities hit my chest and I lose my calmness.

“Where is your phone, Mom?”

“Your dad accidentally spilled water on it and took it to an electronics shop for repair,” she replies.

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