Accidentally, Met My Fated Billionaire

6 An Unexpected Acquaintance

Tara blinked before she reached for Rena's phone to see for herself. "That's not possible. She doesn't have the experience to conduct a big interview like that by herself."

"Hmm," Rena hummed as she paid a visit to Gina's f*******: page. Sure enough, there was the same photo on it, but with the caption of, "My mother got me Shawn's autographed picture. I'm thinking of getting a photo with him soon."

Tara set her utensils down and started to think. "Rena," she said after a few minutes, "I know you have the ability to complete the task independently, but Gina has the connections to approach Shawn Whitmore."

"Tara, I have a connection to approach Shawn as well," Rena countered. "I only hope to have a fair shot to compete with Gina."

Tara looked at Rena with a look of both skepticism and admiration. "You know, I can see my younger self in you," she said sincerely.

With that small amount of encouragement, Rena became determined to prove everyone wrong by meeting with Shawn. She sent him a message when Tara left to pay for the bill, and not long after, he was texting her back.

The two of them set to meet tonight at eight o'clock at the same hotel that Leo had been. Though Rena wasn't a fan of the location, she made herself feel better knowing that she would see Shawn again. 

It was just after seven when Rena and Tara finished their meal. After they said goodbye and parted ways, Rena took a bus over to the hotel. The bus got stuck in traffic, which made her anxious about being late, but she arrived outside Shawn's room on time.

Rena took a deep breath to rein in her excitement, as it had been close to six months since she had last seen him. The last time she saw his face was at Christmas time.

She knocked on his door and waited for a response. When a minute passed, and nothing happened, she knocked again and said, "Shawn, it's me, Rena."

When there was still no response, she grew impatient and tried to open the door as a woman's voice came from behind her.

"You won't be able to see him tonight." 

Rena turned around and saw an unexpected acquaintance.

Her name was Sarah Ashby. She was the daughter of William Ashby, who was the richest man in Savannah. She was four years older than Rena, and the two went to the same high school. Back then, she hated Rena even though Rena had no contact with her.

When Rena first came to their junior high school, Sarah felt that her status as the most beautiful girl was threatened. After she heard how Rena and Shawn were "destined" to be together since birth, she hated her even more.

Shawn was the boy Sarah secretly admired since childhood. She had dreams of marrying him, and even her father agreed that strengthening ties between the Ashby and Whitmore families would be beneficial. When William hinted at the possibility of Shawn and Sarah could have a marriage, Shawn's father rejected the idea on account of the age gap between them.

Sarah was eight years younger than Shawn, but the age gap between Rena and Shawn was even more significant at a difference of twelve years. She couldn't understand why the idea of a girl from a low-income family could marry Shawn and not herself.

And now, she stood before her sworn enemy at last. 

Rena didn't like the way Sarah looked at her, and her smile made her uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she steeled her expression and gave her a cold stare in return.

It was clear that Rena was more attractive than Sarah, but Sarah had the upper hand when it came to fashion. Every time she was out in public, Sarah dressed in only the most fashionable clothing.

Sarah was an art student and left Savannah after junior high school to continue her education in Washington. She attended a high school there, and then entered an art program at a university. Her wealth came from a family-owned company in Washington.

However, after only two years of being in the art program, Sarah felt that something was missing. She switched to an acting major and has never looked back. 

After she graduated with a degree in performance art, she started with several small roles in a few TV series. A year later, she snagged two supporting roles in two TV series through investing in their productions. Although her acting skills were average, she gained a little fame mainly through the hype and being typecast as "the spoiled rich girl."

"Well, look who it is," Sarah scoffed with a sarcastic smile. "Rena Marsh. I thought you were a streetwalker."

Rena didn't know what Sarah wanted, but she didn't have any time to be part of a drama. She stared at Sarah for a few seconds, before she c****d her head to the side. "I believe a situation like this is more suited to you, Sarah," she said sweetly, her eyes sharp. "Sleeping your way up got to where you are, is it not?"

Sarah's eyes went wide with disbelief, and she took a step closer to Rena. "Listen here, b***h," she snarled. "Your family is bankrupt, and your father is nothing but a lousy sculptor. Don't even think of marrying Shawn, because you didn't deserve him!"

After that, Sarah turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway.

Rena took a deep breath to relieve the stress that came from the interaction. She had a feeling that Sarah was even more dangerous than Gina was.

Four years ago, the Ashby Family destroyed the Marsh Family. And now, Sarah tried to walk over her like she was a doormat.

Why is Sarah here? Furthermore, where is Shawn? Rena thought to herself. 

She looked back at the door and took out her phone to check for messages. When she saw that her screen was blank, Rena frowned and searched for Shawn's number to dial it. Before she could press the appropriate number, her stomach began to hurt. 

Rena suppressed a cry of pain as she doubled over. Hit with a sudden wave of cramps, she started to feel dizzy as the sensation intensified. She pressed her hands against her stomach as if they had healing powers.

She reached out to use the wall as support and tried to formulate a plan in her head. A few moments later, Rena heard a deep and familiar voice next to her while she stared at the ground. 

"What are you doing here?"

Rena blinked at the shiny black shoes that appeared in front of her eyes. When she looked up, she saw Leo standing there, dressed in a black suit. Why... why does it have to be him? She moaned internally.

She gathered her strength and tried to stand up fully, but as soon as she did, her vision went black, and it was the last thing she remembered.