Chapter 28: chapter 28

---The news that hf wanted to swap their brand ambassador quickly spread like wildfire through the Mumbai fashion industry.Even Atharv, the boss of AR Entertainment, heard about it during his short break. Honestly, if this had happened in AR, even their lowest-ranking model wouldn’t have celebrated—such deals were common for them. But for Inaya, it was something more. She had taken back what rightfully belonged to her—from Layla.Feeling proud, Atharv immediately dialed Inaya’s number.  "You did well," he said calmly.Inaya let out a soft laugh, her voice filled with warmth. "Hearing your praise makes me happier than anything else.""I’ll be waiting… to see you back at the top again," Atharv added.Inaya didn’t say much. Just two determined words:  "I will."But now, it was time to go back to Nova Entertainment and face Layla’s drama head-on.---While all this was happening, Layla Joshi was still fast asleep in Neil’s house. Last night, she had gone straight from Apollo Hospital to his place, using guilt and tears to emotionally trap him—refusing to let him speak even a word to Inaya.Layla always believed—what she had, no one else should dare to touch. Especially Inaya, who always seemed to be a thorn in her path.Suddenly, her assistant rushed into the house, panting and nervous. He showed her the latest headlines.At first, Layla stared in disbelief. “hf already finalised me as their spokesperson! They can’t just change it like that.”Her assistant looked both frustrated and anxious. “Layla, it’s real. Mr. Gulati received a direct call from hf this afternoon. They said it clearly—either they get Inaya Desai, or they’ll cancel the entire deal and go to some other company.”He pointed to the news article flashing on his phone screen. “Tell me, what did Inaya do? And why did she have to snatch your deal?”Layla’s face darkened. Her pride, her ambition—it all came crashing down with those words.“Let’s go back to the office,” she said coldly. “I want Neil to explain this to me—in person.”She knew if they spoke over the phone or at home, Neil would just butter her up with sweet words, make excuses, and avoid the real issue. But in the office, he would have no choice but to face her properly and give her a clear answer.Her eyes burned with anger, but deep inside... there was also fear.Because for the first time in a long time, Inaya was no longer a name to be ignored.She was rising again.---