Chapter 2
1165 Words
He’s already here.
I didn’t run to the bus park. I ran to the market. Lagos Island. Crowds. Noise. Places Damian Adebayo would never go.
I thought I was safe for at least one night.
I was wrong.
I was buying suya when I felt it. Eyes on my back. Not curious. Hunting.
I turned slowly.
And there he was.
Mr. Adebayo. Same black suit. No tie now. Sleeves rolled up like he’d been looking for a while. He wasn’t alone. Two men stood behind him, but his eyes never left mine.
“You’re terrible at running,” he said.
My heart dropped to my stomach. “How did you find me?”
He stepped closer. The market noise faded. All I could hear was him.
“Because I told you to run,” he said, voice low. “So I would know which direction you’d take.”
He reached out. I flinched.
He didn’t touch me. He plucked a suya skewer from my hand instead.
“You skipped dinner,” he said. “You’ll need your strength.”
“Strength for what?” I whispered.
For the first time, he almost smiled. Almost.
“For surviving me,” he said.
And just like that, I wasn’t fired anymore.
I was claimed.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
“Don’t answer,” Elias said.
I did anyway.
“Ava?” A woman’s voice. Cold.
“Yes?”
“This is Vera. Elias’s fiancé.”
My blood froze.
“The board meeting is tomorrow,” she said. “9 AM.”
“Okay?”
“If you show up, he loses everything. His company. His money.”
“What do you want?”
“Stay away,” she said. “Or I’ll make sure Lagos knows you’re a gold-digger who kissed her boss.”
She hung up.
She hung up.
Elias took my phone. Read the call log.
“She threatened you,” he said.
“Yes.”
He looked angry. Not at me. At her.
“I’m not letting her win,” he said.
“Elias, if you lose your company...”
“I’d rather lose it than lose you.”
The room went quiet.
“Come to the meeting,” he said. “With me.”
“Are you sure?”
“No,” he said. “But I’m doing it anyway.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
I couldn’t sleep that night.
Vera’s voice kept playing in my head.
“Gold-digger.”
“Stay away.”
I looked at the ceiling. Lagos was noisy even at 2 AM.
My phone buzzed.
Elias.
A text.
“Can’t sleep either?”
I typed back.
“No.”
“Come to the balcony,” he said.
I did.
He was
The boardroom was cold.
Glass walls. Lagos skyline behind them.
Elias sat at the head of the long table.
Vera sat to his right. Red dress. Red lips. Smirk.
I stood at the door. My heart was beating too fast.
“You came,” Vera said. Her voice was sweet. Too sweet.
“Yes,” I said.
Elias looked at me. His eyes were serious.
“Sit,” he said.
I did. Far from Vera.
“The vote,” the chairman said. He was old. Tired. “Elias, or Vera takes over the company.”
Vera smiled.
“Choose her,” she said to Elias. Loud enough for everyone. “And you lose the company. Your shares. Everything.”
Everyone looked at him.
Some looked angry. Some looked curious.
Elias stood up. Slow.
“I choose,” he said.
He looked at me. Only me.
“Ava.”
The room went silent.
You could hear the AC.
Vera stood.
“You’re making a mistake,” she said. Her smile was gone.
“No,” Elias said. His voice was firm. “For once, I’m not.”
He walked around the table.
Took my hand.
“We’re leaving,” he said.
Vera’s face went red.
“You’ll regret this,” she said.
“Maybe,” Elias said. “But not today.”
We walked out.
We got to his car.
Lagos traffic. Horns. Heat. Sweat.
Elias let go of my hand at the door.
“Are you sure?” I asked. My voice was small.
“About what?” He didn’t look at me.
“Me. Over the company. Over everything.”
He looked at me then.
“Yes,” he said.
“Why?” I asked. “I’m nobody. Vera is your fiancé. She’s money. Power.”
“Because you’re real,” he said. “Vera is business. She’s strategy. You’re… you. Messy. Scared. Honest.”
My chest hurt.
“I could ruin you,” I said.
“You already did,” he said. He smiled. Small. Tired. “And I don’t care.”
He started the car. The engine was loud.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Anywhere but that boardroom,” he said.
My phone buzzed in my bag.
Vera.
A text.
“You think you won? This is just the start. I’ll take him back.”
I showed Elias. My hands were shaking.
“Let her try,” he said.
He reached over. Held my hand again. His palm was warm.
“Vera wants control,” he said. “I want peace.”
“And I’m peace?”
“You’re chaos,” he said. “But my chaos.”
And we drove off into Lagos traffic.
The city was loud.
But for once, my mind was quiet.
We got to his car.
Lagos traffic. Horns. Heat. Sweat.
Elias let go of my hand at the door.
“Are you sure?” I asked. My voice was small.
“About what?” He didn’t look at me.
“Me. Over the company. Over everything.”
He looked at me then.
“Yes,” he said.
“Why?” I asked. “I’m nobody. Vera is your fiancé. She’s money. Power.”
“Because you’re real,” he said. “Vera is business. She’s strategy. You’re… you. Messy. Scared. Honest.”
My chest hurt.
“I could ruin you,” I said.
“You already did,” he said. He smiled. Small. Tired. “And I don’t care.”
He started the car. The engine was loud.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Anywhere but that boardroom,” he said.
My phone buzzed in my bag.
Vera.
A text.
“You think you won? This is just the start. I’ll take him back.”
I showed Elias. My hands were shaking.
“Let her try,” he said.
He reached over. Held my hand again. His palm was warm.
“Vera wants control,” he said. “I want peace.”
“And I’m peace?”
“You’re chaos,” he said. “But my chaos.”
And we drove off into Lagos traffic.
The city was loud.
But for once, my mind was quiet.
TO BE CONTINUED...
THE END. For now.
- Writer
