THE CEO'S CONTRACT BRIDE

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW FROM HELL

CHAPTER: 3 - THE MOTHER-IN-LAW FROM HELL

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7:03AM. The doorbell rang like war.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

"OPEN THIS DOOR, DAMIEN! NOW!"

Victoria Kingsley.

Damien was already up. Black suit. No tie. Eyes sharp.

"Stay behind me."

He opened the door.

Victoria swept in like a storm. Chanel. Diamonds. Rage.

"Who is this child you married, Damien? She’s a nobody!"

Her eyes landed on me. In his t-shirt and shorts. Hair a mess.

"Disgusting."

"Mother." Damien’s voice could cut glass. "This is my wife. Show respect."

"Respect?" Victoria laughed. "I built this empire. You married her to save her broke company."

She turned to me. "You. What’s your name again?"

"Adanna Okafor."

"Right. Okafor." She said it like a disease. "Your father was a thief."

My hands balled into fists. "Don’t you—"

Slap.

Her hand cracked across my face.

Pain exploded.

The room went dead silent.

Damien moved. In one second he had her wrist in his hand.

"Touch her again and I will have you removed from the board."

Victoria yanked her hand away. "You’d threaten your own mother for her?"

"I’d protect my wife from you."

Wife.

Victoria looked between us. Something calculated in her eyes.

"Fine. Play house. But when this blows up, don’t come crying to me."

She dropped an envelope on the table. "Dinner. Tonight. 8PM. Kingsley Mansion. The whole family wants to meet the new Mrs. Kingsley."

She left. The door slammed.

I touched my cheek. It was burning.

Damien was in front of me immediately. Ice pack in hand.

"Let me."

His fingers were gentle. Too gentle.

"Why did she do that?" I whispered.

"Because she’s scared." He pressed the ice to my cheek. "And because she knows something about your father."

"The ₦500M contract."

He nodded. "And more."

My phone buzzed. The unknown number again.

AUDIO FILE.

I pressed play.

My father’s voice. Shaking.

"Victoria, please. I’ll pay it back. Just don’t tell Damien I signed. He’ll kill me—"

Click.

I dropped the phone.

"Did you hear that?"

Damien picked it up. Listened. His face went blank.

"That audio is edited."

"How do you know?"

"Because my father was already dead 8 months ago."

Oh.

Victoria’s husband. Killed in a plane crash.

"Then who—"

"Someone who wants us to turn on each other." He stood. "Get ready. We have a board meeting in 1 hour. Then dinner with the devil."

I followed him to his closet. It was bigger than my apartment.

"Pick anything," he said. "You need to look like you belong."

I pulled out a navy dress. Simple. Elegant.

"Good choice." For a second he almost smiled. "You clean up well, Mrs. Kingsley."

Mrs. Kingsley.

The board meeting was hell. 12 men in suits staring at me like I was a mistake.

"Damien, is this really necessary?" One of them asked. "A secret wedding?"

"Port contract requires a family man." Damien’s hand found the small of my back. "This is my family."

After, in the car, I couldn’t stop shaking.

"Anna."

"What?"

"Tonight is going to be bad. Victoria will try to break you."

"Let her try."

He looked at me. Really looked. "You’re stronger than you think."

8PM. Kingsley Mansion, Ikoyi.

Chandeliers. 30 people. All staring.

Victoria at the head of the table. "Ah. Our new addition."

Dinner started. Small talk. Knives.

Then Victoria stood. "I have a toast. To family."

She raised her glass. "And to secrets."

A screen lowered.

Video footage.

Third Mainland Bridge. 2:13AM. 6 months ago.

My father’s car. Stopped.

Another car behind it.

A man got out. Argued. Got back in. Drove away.

10 minutes later. Crash.

The man’s face was blurred.

"Who is that?" I asked.

Victoria smiled at Damien. "Ask your husband."

All eyes turned to him.

Damien didn’t flinch. "I don’t know."

"Liar." Victoria slammed her glass down. "That’s James. Your best friend. Your business partner."

Damien went pale.

The front doors opened.

Police.

"Mr. Damien Kingsley. We need you to come with us regarding the death of Chief Emeka Okafor."

Victoria smiled at me.

"Welcome to the family, dear."

Damien grabbed my hand under the table. Squeezed once.

"Run," he whispered.

[END OF CHAPTER 3]

CLIFFHANGER: Will Damien be arrested? Who is James and what did he do?