Chapter 9: Is it love?
1299 Words
It was morning, Sumayah woke up very early and got prepared for work.
She was meaning to leave the house before Omarion wakes up.
She walked down the stairs and met with all the staffs that won’t stop greeting her.
“Good morning Ma’m, I hope you slept well” The house manager asked with lots of smile on his face.
Sumayah wasn’t ready for the respect she had been getting.
“Please can you call me Sumayah” she politely told the man.
He smiled, “That won’t be possible ma’m please breakfast is ready and the table has been set for you and Mr hills.”
“Oh no I have to skip breakfast, I’m late for work. Kindly tell Mr hills I left already.”
She didn’t wait to hear the next word from the staff as she ran out of the mansion to the cab she had booked earlier. She took out her phone after settling and saw different news being spread about their engagement.
Every major business outlet had picked it up.
“BLACKWOOD DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO “CONTRACT MARRIAGE.”
“IS HILLS’ ENGAGEMENT A CORPORATE SCHEME?”
Sumayah stared at the phone, her stomach trembling.
“This is insane,” she murmured.
She arrived the company 20min early and walked directly into the office. She was shocked to find Omarion and other team members working.
Omarion stood near the window, phone pressed to his ear, voice clipped and controlled.
“Set the board meeting for noon. I’ll handle it.” He said to a staff.
He ended the call and turned toward her. “You came, you should be resting.”
She wasn’t expecting him at the office, “What happened.” She asked.
“They’re pushing for a review of the will’s clause,” he said. “If they can prove this marriage isn’t legitimate, they’ll delay the transfer of ownership.”
“And delay means ?” She asked looking confused.
“Government oversight steps in,” he finished.
Silence fell heavily between them.
Sumayah panicked as she walked round the media room.
“So what do we do now.”
His gaze sharpened.
“We give them proof, strong enough for them to believe us.”
It was past 12pm and board meeting was set as they both walk inside, it felt colder than usual.
Twelve executives sat around the long mahogany table, their expressions a mix of curiosity and skepticism. These were men and women who had known Omarion since he was a teenager shadowing his father. They trusted his leadership.
But marriage?
That was personal.
And his personal life was unpredictable.
Sumayah sat beside him, her posture straight, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She wore a soft blue dress, elegant but understated.
Media training had drilled into her the importance of appearance. Calm, Confident, Unbothered.
She felt none of those things.
One of the board members cleared his throat. “Mr. Hills, we were not informed of a relationship prior to this engagement.”
Omarion’s hand moved naturally to rest over hers on the table.
The touch was warm. Steady.
“We chose to keep our relationship private,” he said smoothly. “For obvious reasons.”
The older woman at the far end narrowed her eyes slightly. “And how long has this relationship existed?”
Sumayah’s pulse pounded in her ears.
This was the moment.
Omarion glanced at her briefly, giving her space to speak.
She swallowed.
“Almost a year,” she said clearly. “We didn’t want office politics to complicate things.”
Her voice didn’t tremble, she was so confident.
Another board member leaned forward. “Miss, are you aware of the weight of this position? Being Mrs. Hills is not ceremonial.”
“I’m aware,” she replied. “I’ve worked closely with Mr Hills for two years. I understand this company and I understand him more.”
Omarion’s thumb pressed gently against her hand, a silent acknowledgment.
The questioning continued for nearly an hour. Financial stability. Public image. Contingency plans.
Finally, the chairman spoke.
“If this marriage is legitimate,” he said carefully, “then the clause will stand.”
Omarion met his gaze steadily. “It is legitimate, I am ready to spend the rest of my life with Sumayah.”
She looked up at him, those words hit deep and for some reason she wished it was real and he meant it.
The chairman nodded once.
“Then we expect to see a wedding date.”
“Definitely we would get that sorted soon.” He replied.
The meeting went on for a while and ended with smiles.
The executives left and the boardroom was left with Sumayah and Omarion. They looked at each other as Sumayah cleared her throat and they both walked towards the elevator.
The moment they stepped into the elevator alone, Sumayah exhaled sharply.
“I think I forgot how to breathe in there,” she muttered.
“You did well,” Omarion said.
She looked at him. “You touched my hand.”
“It looked natural.”
“It felt…” She trailed off.
“Like what?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
The elevator doors opened.
But as they stepped out, they were met with a wall of cameras.
Reporters, Microphones, lights.
“Mr. Hills! Is this engagement a business arrangement?”
“Miss Smith, did you sign a prenuptial agreement?”
“Is this marriage real or strategic?”
The noise was overwhelming.
Sumayah instinctively stepped closer to Omarion.
Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her waist.
The gesture was firm. Protective.
She stiffened at first, but the crowd surged forward, shouting louder, pushing closer.
He pulled her against his side.
“It’s alright,” he murmured low enough for only her to hear. “Stay with me.”
Stay with me.
Something about the words steadied her.
He faced the cameras.
“I understand the speculation,” he said confidently. “But my personal life is not a corporate strategy. I am marrying the woman I love.”
The word echoed in her mind, “Love.”
The reporters erupted with more questions.
And then, before she could process what he was doing
Omarion tilted her chin up gently.
And kissed her.
It wasn’t aggressive.
It wasn’t staged.
It was slow. Deliberate. Convincing.
Her breath caught against his lips.
For one suspended second, the world disappeared, the cameras, the noise, the scrutiny.
All she could feel was the warmth of his mouth and the firm hand at her waist.
When he pulled back, flashes exploded even brighter.
Proof.
That’s what it looked like.
But as they stepped into the waiting car, silence filling the space between them, Sumayah touched her lips lightly.
“That wasn’t in the plan,” she whispered.
Omarion stared ahead, jaw tight.
“They wanted proof.”
“You could have given me a heads up.” She was still shocked.
“I just had to do something at that moment.” He spoke
”That felt real,” she said quietly.
He didn’t answer immediately.
When he finally spoke, his voice was lower.
“It needed to.”
The car drove off.
In just a few minutes, the headlines were already changing.
HILLS SILENCES RUMORS WITH PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION.
Inside the car, tension crackled like something alive.
Sumayah turned to look at him.
“You said this would stay as business.”
“It is.”
“Then why did that feel like more?”
His eyes met hers then dark, conflicted, intense.
“Because,” he said softly, “we’re very good at pretending.”
But neither of them were entirely sure that was still true.
- Writer
