Once Rejected, Now Rising Chapter 06

Once Rejected, Now Rising Chapter 06

The officer turned to the passenger seat, where Azura’s face 

had gone pale. 

“Before the fire, witnesses saw you lock the door from outside. There were people inside at the time.” 

Azura clutched Rinaldo’s arm desperately. “Rinaldo! It wasn’t me! How could I do such a thing? I just wanted to check on Nerissa. The lock was broken, so I closed it, didn’t know anyone was inside, didn’t know it would catch fire! Rinaldo, 

believe me!” 

Rinaldo patted her hand. “Officer, you’ve got this wrong. She’s so timid, she wouldn’t hurt a fly. The worst she does is play little tricks, never start a fire, never lock anyone in to hurt 

them!” 

The officer said nothing, instead pulling out a phone and playing surveillance footage. He handed it to Rinaldo. 

The video clearly showed Azura. She approached a guard room, glanced left and right, fiddled with the lock, yanked the handle to make sure it was secure, then hurried away. 

Soon after, smoke began to rise from that direction. 

Rinaldo’s face darkened with each passing second. 

“Ms. Crowe, you need to come with us,” the officer insisted, opening the car door. 

Azura panicked, gripping Rinaldo tightly. “Rinaldo! Listen to me! I did it because I love you!” 

“Nerissa is always in the way, you’ll never truly look at me with her around! I just wanted to teach her a lesson. I didn’t mean to burn her! I didn’t know it would get this bad! Rinaldo, 

I love you!” 

Rinaldo yanked his arm free. “Azura, how many times have I told you? I don’t like you, I will never love you!” 

The officer pulled her into the patrol car. 

As it roared away, Rinaldo drew a deep breath. He spoke to the car window, voice low but steady, “Go with them. Don’t be afraid. I’ll get you out on bail later.” 

Rinaldo stood frozen, face like iron. 

He pulled out his phone and called a private investigator. 

“No matter what it takes, no matter the cost, find Nerissa 

immediately.” 

I woke in a hospital bed, an IV in my arm. 

Niccolo was sitting beside me, the same man I had met in 

prison. 

His sister had been sent there by my stepmother, and he’d run 

into me on the way to see her. 

His hand held mine tightly, brow furrowed in worry. 

“You’re awake? How do you feel?” His voice was hoarse. 

“I’m okay,” I croaked, throat dry. 

“Okay?!” Niccolo’s anger broke through. “Do you know what condition you were in when I got here? Why didn’t you call me sooner?” 

I tugged at my lips. “I just… wanted to get some things of Nola’s.” 

Niccolo said no more, handing me a phone. 

I opened it. First, a message from Rinaldo: [Where are you? Are you okay?] 

Below it, a flood of alerts, news, social media, notifications, all about him trying to find me. 

He admitted he was wrong, declared he loved me, promised a city–wide grand wedding if I returned, pledging he’d do anything I asked. 

I stared for a moment, then shut the screen. 

“What do you want to do now?” Niccolo asked. 

I looked at the pale ceiling and said slowly, “Revenge.” 

Once I recovered, I became a different person. 

I cut my hair short, dyed it, wore heavy makeup, tight dresses 

and heels I would never have touched before. 

The woman in the mirror had cold eyes, there was no trace of 

who I used to be. 

Niccolo looked at me and said simply, “I’ll help you.” 

Rinaldo quickly posted bail for Azura. 

He released a long statement online, words soaked in guilt and tears, proclaiming he loved only me, that Azura had 

misunderstood, that it was all one–sided. 

He begged me to return, saying he couldn’t live without me. 

A week later, at a business gala, I walked in on Niccolo’s arm, immediately drawing attention. 

Rinaldo was there, speaking to someone, casually glancing around, then his eyes locked on me. 

He stared for several seconds, then hesitated, disbelief clear, and walked over, blocking my path. 

“Nerissa?” 

His voice trembled. He reached out to touch my face. “Is that you? Why are you here? Do you know how crazy I went looking for you? Why didn’t you come home? Did you see the messages I sent?”