18

Natalia sat on the couch with a deep dark frown on her face. Despite the fact that she had numerous other offers from many profitable movies she couldn't forget the one she was striving for. Her stomach grumbled uncomfortably and she crumpled the script and threw it to the other couch in front of her. She was a completely different person now. Her demeanor, her expressions, everything emitted a hostile aura.

"How dare he? How can he choose someone else over me?" Her voice was hostile, also giving her a narcissistic air.

She sat there with vengeance filled eyes when suddenly the doorbell rang causing her eyebrow to lift. She wasn't expecting visitors and whoever had come unannounced didn't make her remotely happy. She got up from her couch and headed to the door, before opening she looked at the monitor to see a familiar figure but it was odd for her to be here.

Natalia opened the door and looked at her with a puzzled face before speaking.

"Mom?" She said to which the woman turned around. A tall and slender woman with a highly seductive face looked at Natalia. Her lush green eyes were sheltered with her heavy fake lashes and a dark eyeliner covering them. Her lips were thick and pouty with red lipstick on them.

"Why do you look so surprised? Can't I come to meet my daughter?" She said and made her way inside the house. "I see you have changed the password, no wonder I couldn't unlock it." She slowly started to take off her long trench coat and hung it, and then proceeded to walk in paying no attention to Natalia's confused face.

"You came back from the trip? I thought I heard you say that you were going to be away for at least three months."

Zarin looked at her with a blank look before speaking. "I left you alone for a week and here is what you did, Lost a once in a lifetime opportunity." She clicked her tongue in disappointment and turned around to take a seat because she was exhausted.

"It's not like that, I did my best but something went wrong on their side." Natalia made an excuse to which Zarin didn't seem slightly pleased.

"Cookie, I have told you hundred times not to make excuses, there was something you did wrong." She said, "You told me I shouldn't worry and that you will get everything into place but all that I see is a mess. ANd I am the one who has to handle it from here!"

"Mom! Please don't start with that again, I am already depressed and you are not making me feel any better." she threw herself over the couch when she said so. Zarin looked at her with total disappointment.

"I had to make an excuse to Gabriel while we were having such a great time on the cruise. I had to come back just because you couldn't handle a freaking role!! DO you know how much I have missed?" She said in a screechy voice making Natalia frown. She sat up on the couch as if she had realized something and she asked in a repulsive tone.

"Gabriel? YOU ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM?!! HOW COULD YOU? YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING ALONE?" Natalia grew increasingly frustrated.

Zarin's face paled, "I just met him there, I hadn't planned on going into the relationship." Zarin averted her gaze.

"Mom! You promised!" Natalia felt shattered and she felt the warmth of the tears roll into her eyes.

"I didn't!" Zarin spoke defensively.

Natalia was speechless at how easily her mother had changed her statement. While she stared at her trying to give her a response Zarin cut her in her thoughts and said.

"It's good that Oz has finally publicized your relationship with him."

Natalia was caught off guard and the only word that escaped her mouth was a brief, "Huh?"

"I mean to say you are finally sure that he was not fooling around with you all those years."

"Mom, WHy are you changing the pattern of the conversation? We were talking about you."

"I know darling, but it's more important for us to discuss you and your future." She said in a secretive manner, signaling Natalia in hidden words as if something was going to come in between Oz and her relationship. Natalia was not interested in it at first but her mother's tone made her curious and she asked. "What are you talking about?" a frown dancing in between her brows.

"I have heard some gossip on the cruise, MAny rich families have eyed Oz and are most probably making their efforts to make Oz fall for their daughters."

Natalia's face slowly turned into disbelief. "Mom, I know you are trying to change the subject." SHe said.

"You think so?" She asked with confidence."Do you want proof?"

Natalia, who was slowly slipping away from her trap, was caught again. "What kind of proof?"

She asked.

"Oz didn't tell you? That he has been offered huge assets in exchange for the marriage with some rich heiress?`` She made it sound extremely spicy. Natalia who was weak with this type of news felt a little struck.

"THat's not possible! HE would have told me if there was something like that going on…" She tried to hold up her walls but they came crashing down when her mother showed her a picture of Oz laying drunk and a woman unbuttoning his shirt for him. Natalia sat struck, her limbs were swollen and she dared not move. "How?"

"He hasn't told you but he had been drugged once at a business event, A rich heiress of the investor's family wanted to marry him so she tried to use this way. Lucky enough for him she was caught before anything could happen but he won't be that lucky next time, and who knows he might start to fancy one of the other women around him who are more skilled and talented than you are."

Natalia gulped in her saliva and asked in a shaky voice. "What… What should I do then? We have already gone public with our relationship." She was shivering just by the thought of losing Oz.

"There is an easy solution," Said Zarin in a plain voice. 'Ask him to marry you."

"What?" Natalia stood up in surprise.

"What are you so surprised about? YOu have been dating for almost five years already! ANy loving couple would have decided to marry until now unless one of them is having second thoughts about the relationship!" she replied in an annoyed voice to which Natalia started to ponder.