Chapter 16: Epilogue
1892 Words
Two weeks later, Lagos felt quieter.
Not the city itself—Lagos never slept—but Ada’s world had slowed down. No more late-night threats. No more gunfire. No more waking up to Kene’s arm around her like she might vanish if he let go.
She stood in Kene’s kitchen, barefoot, stirring jollof rice he’d insisted on “helping” with. He was terrible at it.
“You’re burning it,” Ada said without looking up.
“I’m caramelizing,” Kene corrected, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. He looked ridiculous in an apron that read _King of the Kitchen_.
Ada laughed. “Sure you are.”
Kene grinned and stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder. “Smells good to me.”
Ada leaned back into him. “You’re biased.”
“Maybe.” He pressed a kiss to her jaw. “But I’m allowed to be.”
The doorbell rang.
Kene groaned. “If that’s Oscar with another board report, I’m firing him.”
Ada laughed and set the spoon down. “It’s probably my mom.”
It was.
Madam Ngozi walked in like she owned the place, carrying a basket of plantains and a suspicious look. “I came to see if my daughter is being fed properly.”
“Mama,” Ada said, flushing.
Kene stepped forward and extended a hand. “Mrs. Okeke. Good to see you again.”
Madam Ngozi eyed him, then nodded and took his hand. “Mr. Okonkwo. Sit down. We need to talk.”
Ada groaned. “Mama, not now.”
“Now,” Madam Ngozi said firmly.
They ended up in the living room, Kene and Ada side by side on the couch like teenagers caught sneaking out.
Madam Ngozi sat across from them, arms crossed. “So. You’re really married.”
Kene nodded. “Yes, ma.”
“For real this time?”
“For real,” Kene said.
Madam Ngozi looked at Ada. “And you’re happy?”
Ada glanced at Kene. He was watching her, waiting.
“I am,” Ada said quietly. “Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
Madam Ngozi’s expression softened. She reached out and took Ada’s hand. “Then that’s all I care about.”
She turned to Kene. “You hurt her, Kene Okonkwo, and I will deal with you myself. Board or no board.”
Kene smiled faintly. “Understood, ma.”
Madam Ngozi stood. “Good. Now feed me. I smell burning.”
Ada and Kene exchanged a look and burst out laughing.
---
Dinner was chaotic.
Madam Ngozi took over the kitchen, Kene got demoted to chopping onions, and Ada sat at the counter watching them bicker like they’d known each other for years.
“You’re cutting them too big,” Madam Ngozi scolded.
“I like big onions,” Kene said defensively.
“No one likes big onions, Kene.”
Ada laughed until her sides hurt.
This was her life now. No contracts. No lies. Just Sunday dinners and burnt jollof and a man who looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered.
After dinner, Madam Ngozi left with a promise to come back next week.
Kene locked the door behind her and turned to Ada.
“Tired?” he asked.
Ada shook her head. “No. Happy.”
Kene walked to her and took her hands. “Good. Because I have something for you.”
Ada raised an eyebrow. “What?”
Kene pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a simple gold band, thin and elegant.
“No diamonds,” Kene said quickly. “You said you hated flashy things.”
Ada’s eyes stung. “Kene…”
“I know we’re already married on paper,” he said. “But I want you to have this. A real ring. For a real marriage.”
Ada swallowed hard. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know,” Kene said. “I want to.”
Ada held out her hand. Kene slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
“Real,” Ada whispered.
“Real,” Kene agreed.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, slow and deep, like he had all night and planned to use every second of it.
---
Later, they sat on the balcony wrapped in a blanket, watching the city lights.
Ada’s head rested on Kene’s shoulder. His arm was around her, warm and solid.
“Worth it?” Kene asked quietly.
Ada thought about it. About the garage. About the warehouse. About the nights she’d spent scared and alone.
“Worth it,” she said.
Kene pressed a kiss to her temple. “Good.”
“Your turn,” Ada said. “Was it worth it?”
Kene was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, “Ada, I would burn my entire empire to the ground if it meant keeping you safe.”
Ada’s breath caught.
“So yeah,” Kene said. “Worth it.”
Ada smiled and snuggled closer.
They didn’t talk much after that. They didn’t need to.
The city hummed below them, alive and loud and endless.
But up here, on this balcony, with Kene’s arms around her and his ring on her finger, Ada felt still.
Safe.
Loved.
Kene’s phone buzzed on the table. He ignored it.
Ada noticed. “Aren’t you going to check that?”
Kene glanced at it, then back at her. “It can wait.”
Ada smiled. “Good.”
Because for the first time in a long time, nothing felt more important than this moment.
*One Month Later*
The compound was alive with music, laughter, and the smell of suya drifting from the grill outside.
Ada stood at the edge of the garden, watching her mother dance with Aunty Funmi to an old Sunny Ade song. Kene’s family had finally met her mother properly, and the tension from months ago was completely gone.
“Happy?” Kene’s voice came from behind her.
Ada turned and smiled. He looked ridiculously handsome in a white agbada, his arm still in a sling from the warehouse fight, but he refused to let anyone help him.
“Happy,” Ada said. “Are you sure you’re okay doing this party? You could have rested.”
Kene stepped closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “This is worth resting for. My wife deserves a celebration.”
Ada’s cheeks warmed at the word _wife_. It still felt new, even a month later.
The contract was gone. Victor was in jail. The board had stopped complaining after Kene’s speech at the dinner. And today, they were hosting a small thanksgiving party for family and close friends. No business talk. Just food, music, and love.
Oscar walked over with two glasses of Chapman. “Mrs. Okonkwo, your husband asked me to bring this. He says you need to stay hydrated while you’re glowing like that.”
Ada laughed and took the glass. “Thank you, Oscar.”
Oscar winked at Kene. “Sir, the board called again. I told them you’re unavailable because you’re busy being happily married.”
Kene grinned. “Good. Tell them to call next quarter.”
As Oscar walked away, Ada looked up at Kene. “Do you regret it? All of it? The contract, the danger, the board fighting you?”
Kene shook his head immediately. “Not for a second. If I hadn’t met you that day, I’d still be alone in that empty house, thinking business was all I needed.”
Ada reached for his hand. His fingers laced through hers instantly, warm and sure.
“And you?” Kene asked quietly.
Ada thought about the girl who’d been scared in that garage, who’d thought her life was over.
“I got more than I ever asked for,” she said. “I got you. I got my mom safe. I got a life that feels real.”
Kene pulled her into a hug, careful of his sling. “Then we’re even. Because you gave me all of that too.”
The music changed to a slower song. Kene held out his good hand.
“Dance with me, Mrs. Okonkwo.”
Ada laughed. “Here? Now?”
“Why not?” Kene said. “No contracts. No deadlines. Just us.”
Ada placed her hand in his, and they swayed slowly in the middle of the garden while everyone else danced around them.
Madam Ngozi spotted them and clapped her hands happily. “See! I told you he was a good man!”
Aunty Funmi wiped a fake tear. “I’m so proud. My baby is married to a billionaire and she’s happy. God is good.”
Ada hid her face against Kene’s chest, laughing.
When the song ended, Kene didn’t let go. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
“I meant what I said at that dinner,” he said. “I choose you. Every day. Forever.”
Ada looked up at him, her eyes bright. “Forever sounds good to me, Mr. Okonkwo.”
Kene smiled and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
Later, when the party was winding down and the guests had started to leave, Ada and Kene stood on the balcony together. The city lights stretched out below them, golden and endless.
“Do you ever think about what would have happened if you said no that day?” Kene asked quietly.
Ada leaned against him. “All the time. And I’m grateful I didn’t.”
Kene wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Me too.”
They stood in silence for a while, just listening to the faint sound of laughter drifting up from the garden.
Ada felt it then — that deep, settled peace she hadn’t felt in years. No fear. No contracts hanging over her head. Just her, Kene, and a future that was theirs to build.
Kene kissed the top of her head. “Ready to go inside?”
Ada nodded. “Ready.”
As they walked back into the house, hand in hand, Ada glanced at the ring on her finger. Simple gold, no diamonds. But to her, it was worth more than anything.
Because it was real.
Because he was real.
Because _they_ were real.
Kene squeezed her hand as they stepped inside.
“You know,” he said, voice low, “when I first saw you in that office, I thought you were trouble.”
Ada laughed. “And now?”
“Now I know you’re the best kind of trouble,” Kene said, pulling her close. “The kind I never want to let go of.”
Ada rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. Outside, Lagos was still loud, still moving. But in here, everything was quiet.
Safe.
Home.
She closed her eyes and whispered, “I love you, Kene.”
He smiled against her hair. “I love you too, Ada. Always.”
And for the first time in a long time, both of them believed it would stay that way.
*The End.*
- Writer
