Reclaiming Her Heart

Larry and Rachel were gunning for Ronald, which kicked off the whole contract mess.

Tonight, Ronald showed up to save Nicole, but turns out, she was down with it.

He kept his mouth shut; her choice, her problem, not his.

Too bad though, she was a real looker, still had her best years ahead.

Rachel gave him a pat on the shoulder. "People gotta face their fate. You try to save 'em, but they wanna take the easy way out. Maybe it's time to rethink your principles. Don't you have another chick under your wing?" She was eyeing that girl too.

Ronald adjusted his glasses and brushed Rachel's hand off. "None of your business."

Rachel's face turned icy. "Ronald, think about it. If you can't cough up four million bucks, you're going to jail."

"I said, it's none of your business."

"What if you send her over? She might do it for you."

Ronald's eyes went cold. "Ms. Dorie, you might have no limits, but I do."

Rachel slapped him as soon as he finished talking.

Ronald's lip was bleeding, but he just wiped it off, his eyes dark.

"Ronald! How dare you talk to me like that? You're just my lackey. If I want you alive, you live. If I want you dead, you die. Who do you think you are to lecture me?" Rachel yelled. Ronald sneered and turned to leave, but a bunch of bodyguards blocked his way.

Rachel clearly wasn't letting him go tonight.

She'd used Nicole to bait him here.

"Tomorrow, the headlines will be all about you, saying you're messing around with your female artist. I'll even drop some photos," Rachel said.

Ronald had been in the game for years, always keeping a clean rep and a respectful distance from his female artists.

Rachel wanted to destroy him, make him pay the breach of contract fee, and ruin his career, shutting every door in his face.

That was Rachel's style, her go-to move.

Ronald was finally pissed.

But he also knew the sad truth: he couldn't take Rachel down.

Like she said, he was just her pawn. Until the contract was up, she controlled his fate.

A smirk crossed his face as he heard the bodyguards closing in.

Just then, Rachel spotted Selena.

Selena had been watching from a distance, recording everything on her phone.

"Selena, what the hell are you doing?" Rachel's eyes blazed with anger, signaling her bodyguards. "Grab her!"

Selena raised an eyebrow, pocketed her phone, and bolted.

But the hallway was packed with Rachel's goons.

Rachel had gone all out to trap Ronald tonight.

Selena didn't get far, and her phone was snatched by the bodyguards.

Rachel had been so wrapped up in Ronald's drama, she hadn't heard any gossip.

She already hated Selena and didn't expect her to stir the pot again.

She'd let her off once before, but Selena hadn't learned.

Rachel smashed Selena's phone against the wall.

"Hold her!" Rachel shouted.

Selena was about to pull out her pepper spray when she caught Larry's eye, a hint of interest in his gaze. "Who's this?" Larry let go of Nicole, his eyes gleaming with greed.