Hidden Motive

Arrival at Kainos Group Glistening in the Lagos sun, Kainos Group's glass facade loomed over Victoria Island's skyline. As her heartbeat accelerated, Mma Chukwuma took a deep breath before exiting the taxi. Her career at one of the most prominent corporate law firms in Nigeria began over today. Mma, are you sure about this?" Ngozi, her best friend, had asked the night before. "I hear the CEO is ruthless." "It's the opportunity of a lifetime, Ngozi," Mma had replied. "I can handle ruthless." Now walking up to the massive building entryway, the convo with Ngozi replayed in her head. Before going through the rotating doors into the spacious reception room, she smoothed her pencil skirt and navy jacket. The coolness inside starkly contrasted with outside heat. Chandeliers gleamed overhead, and the overwhelming smell of brewed coffee met only with the breathable faint scent of polished wood. “Good morning, Miss Chukwuma." The receptionist was immaculately dressed in a beige suit and smiling at her. "Welcome to Kainos Group. Please take the elevator to the twenty-fifth floor. Mr Okoye will be expecting you." Holding the hopes of an aspiring diva, Mma nodded, controlling the butterflies in her stomach. That thought churned her in excitement. Eze Okoye – a man worth billions, a hauntingly intimidating negotiator, and a man whose influence flew far beyond Lagos. A place built from ground level up into an empire, and now she was going to work with him. The trip in the elevator was very speedy, and she was greeted with a soft chime upon its arrival. Flipped open and presented her to a very sleek modern office space, alive and sound. In precise synchronisation, employees moved with barely whispered conversations filled with urgency. "Miss Chukwuma?" A woman with sharply defined cheekbones in an elegant black dress approached and directed her swiftly. "I'm Ifeoma, Mr. Okoye's executive assistant. Right this way." Mma trailed behind, with the clicking of her heels echoing on the marble floor. The corridor stopped at double doors, which Ifeoma opened to reveal a huge office with windows from floor to ceiling that flashed the Lagos skyline. Eze Okoye stood with his back to her and gazed out at the city. When he turned around, Mma suddenly felt breathless. He was more heavily built than she had believed he would be, dressed in an elegant charcoal suit hanging on him like a lucky finish. His glossy brown eyes contained an intensity that jolted her. "Welcome to Kainos, Miss Chukwuma," he said, in a smooth yet commanding voice. "Let's see if you indeed live up to your reputation." Mma has endured a lot of challenging interviews, yet there must be nothing quite like what Eze Okoye has put her through with his critical appraisal. He sat behind a desk carved in polished mahogany, examining her CV very slowly. "Top of the class in the University of Lagos," he said as he continued flipping pages one after the other. "And three years at Amadi & Partners; and you even went on to successfully close a multimillion arbitration case last month." She stared back at him, keeping her posture balanced. "Yes, sir." "What's that important about Kainos?" He said his face was a possibility to read. "Because I want to be part of something bigger," she said unflinchingly. "Your company is setting the standard in corporate law. I believe I can contribute significantly. Eze looked at her with a smirk. He said, "I like the way this goes; you've got confidence," and the deafening silence that followed had been stretched in between for a while until he sank back on his chair. "You are hired. Welcome to the team," Mma wished she could jump with joy, but it would have been too unprofessional. Nodding would suffice, scaling the high-stakes interview. "Thank you, sir. I won't disappoint." Another loud beep came through to her phone as she walked out of her boss's office. Dinner. Eight o'clock. Zuma. -E.O. A breath lodged in her throat. Zuma was the place in vogue; was it business now or just play? Mma stared at the text on her phone, her heart racing. Dinner. Eight o'clock. Zuma. -E.O. She was not naive. Zuma was the restaurant where Lagos' business deals were struck and relationships, both professional and personal, were forged. Whatever Eze Okoye asked was never an innocent proposition. Fingers flew over the keyboard. Is this about business? She typed it up but was unable to press send. She had yet to make up her mind when another message appeared. It's business. Be on time. Gasping, she continued. Just a meeting. An informal one to chat about her role with Kainos. As she gazed at the wall clock, absentmindedly, the chiming of the four o'clock hour jerked her back from her reverie: she had four hours to get set. A touch of understated luxury was present in the ambience of the restaurant, the warm dim lights washing over polished wooden floors. Mma walked in at eight sharp wearing an emerald-green gown that caressed her figure gently, professional and bold at the same time. The waiter led her to an isolated booth already possessing Eze's inscrutable expression cut in perfection in a suit. Rising, he ceremoniously pulled out her chair. "Punctual," he remarked, sizing her up. "I keep time," she said, unfurling the napkin folded meticulously across her lap. With a flicker of a smile teasing his lips, he said, "And that is a big asset at Kainos." Dinner was ordered, and Eze began to discuss business in relation to expectations he had of her in the company. Until late into dinner, its gastronomical overtones were unmistakably gaining strength. "And I have been watching you," he said suddenly while twirling his wine glass. Mma lifted an eyebrow. "Professionally, I hope?" Eze chuckled. "Certainly. But I can see ambition when it stands in front of me. You are bright and courageous. That is a rare combination." Heat crept up her neck. This was dangerous territory. "Thank you for your compliments, Mr Okoye." He responded, "Call me Eze," lowering his voice once more to that gentle, personal tone. "We're on a first-name basis outside of the office.” Mma's heart raced. Things were definitely beginning to escalate. The next day was all about shedding the past night's tension, and Mma stepped into the office quite determined. She was building a career here; there was no self-throwing into personal dramas at work. There was no way of avoiding Eze. The moment she entered the boardroom, she practically felt him in her bones before she even registered him sighting. "Miss Chukwuma," he said, his smooth voice sliding over the words, almost sulking. "Mr Okoye" was her acknowledgement. He smiled the slightest bit but didn't say anything more till the meeting ended. The ongoing affairs of the Kainos Group were now going through a high-profile acquisition stage, for which Mma was expected to assist in her role as newly appointed legal adviser. During the meeting, she pointed out the overlooked clause in the contract. An ominous silence fell as looks were passed between the senior executives. Eze leaned forward and scrutinised her. "Are you suggesting that we renegotiate the whole deal?" If you don't," she retorted. "Kainos is looking at losing millions in arbitration fees." An extremely long moment of silence then passed, twisting Eze’s lips into an approving smile. "Noted. Make adjustments to the contract." The meeting finished, and she was about to pack her things when Eze called, "Miss Chukwuma, a word." She sort of turned sideways and followed him into his office with her stomach knotted. Leaning on his desk and crossing his arms, he shut the door behind him. "You like to upend authority, yes?" She held his gaze. "I like to get things right." Slowly, that grin began to form upon his lips. "I like that." Mma almost found her way overboard. Dangerous, very dangerous. The week had barely begun when the message arrived: Dinner, six-thirty, Churrasco—come prepared to discuss the legal restructuring of Kainos. Mma's eyes lingered on the message, reading it over and over again. It was from Eze. Professional, but blunt enough for her to wonder if maybe it wasn't all work, business, or otherwise. She consulted her calendar again; a busy day was still on the cards. But her attention lingered on the screen, and something nagged at her. Dinner with Eze again. The pull of his strong presence, the way his confidence actually seemed to pull her in, left her wanting more. By the time Mma came into the upscale steakhouse in Victoria Island, it was already a sultry golden tint in the evening. Luxury ambience, soft humming of quiet chatter in the air. On entering, a waiter took her to the private booth where Eze was waiting. He stood up, his sharp eyes taking her over by the time she approached. Mma wore a slim-fitting, fitted black dress that caressed her contours without being overly s****l, attempting to be understated in her attire. It was undeniably appealing, even though it had fallen into businesslike simplicity. "You are radiant," he whispered low, watching her lips before she turned to the waiter to order. The two spoke for some time purely of business: of the legal restructuring being undertaken by Kainos, the mergers, acquisitions, and the legal nightmares associated. This caught Mma’s attention as she remained enthralled in the conversation, still suppressing her eagerness to discuss work with him. But it was perhaps the moment when the conversation got rather personal that everything changed in the room. "Speaking on a personal note, Miss Chukwuma," Eze said, leaning forward, his eyes piercing hers, "what brought you to law?" Mma leaned back slightly in her chair, her fingers caressing the rim of her wine glass. She hesitated for a moment; how much she wanted to tell. Most thought she had gone through all the standard routes – her affluent family, her good school performances all along her way, and ambition. But there was more. The fear of failure. The need to prove to herself that she was capable, not only of handling the law but also of carving a path for herself outside her family's expectations. "It hasn't always been my choice," she began softly. "My parents pushed me to do law like they pushed me into everything else. They wanted me to be the perfect daughter, the perfect lawyer. But somewhere in the middle, I found an affection for this thing. Not just the law, but the power that enabled things to happen, to fix problems. It became a passion of its own for me." Eze’s gaze softened just slightly as she spoke, an electric current of unsaid understanding sparking between the two. His tapping fingers against his glass synchronised in rhythm. "I can relate," he whispered. "For me, it was never about passion – it was about revenge; my father’s legacy was crushed, and I have been clawing my way toward the top through sheer determination to destroy the same people who took everything from us.” Mma’s heart went wild, and her breath caught in her throat. Of course she had heard some rumours – some rumours about Eze’s mysterious past and how business rivals tore down his family's empire – but hearing him actually talk about it was quite unsettling. "I did not expect that from you," she said, her voice smaller than intended. Eze leaned forward just a tad, his tone now near-whispered. "I suppose no one does. But sometimes, it's about revenge more than it is anything else." She studied him for a moment, trying to read him. There was a fierce intensity behind those highly discerning eyes and a hidden darkness that made her uneasy but also somehow drew her in. She realised then that Eze was a man with many layers, layers that she had yet to uncover.