CHAPTER:5
626 Words
APTER FIVE: COLLISION COURSE
The gala ended, but the storm had only begun.
Zaria barely made it past the entrance of her penthouse before Tade followed her inside, his presence like a shadow she couldn’t shake. The moment the doors shut behind them, the mask of civility they had worn all evening cracked.
Tade spoke first, his voice low but charged with restrained fury.
“Kainjo Falana.” He said the name like it was an offense, each syllable weighted with meaning she wasn’t ready to unpack. “Of all the ghosts from your past, it had to be him?”
Zaria turned sharply, glaring at him. “Since when do I owe you explanations about my past?”
Tade stepped forward, closing the space between them. His tuxedo jacket was unbuttoned now, his tie loosened. The practiced elegance of the night was peeling away, revealing something raw underneath.
“Since we became business partners,” he said coldly. “And when someone like Kainjo drops hints that you’re hiding something, that makes it my problem too.”
Zaria let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, I see. You’re upset because it wasn’t you who dug up the dirt first?”
Tade’s jaw tightened. “I don’t like being blindsided.”
She folded her arms, her posture defiant. “Then maybe you should’ve done better research before forcing me into this engagement.”
The tension in the air thickened.
Tade exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair before fixing her with a measured look. “What happened between you two?”
Zaria hesitated. Not because she feared the truth, but because she knew how men like Tade worked. The moment she gave him something, he would use it against her.
“I made a mistake,” she admitted finally. “A mistake that almost cost me everything.”
Tade studied her, waiting for more.
She sighed. “Kainjo and I were involved a few years ago. He was ambitious, smart, and he knew exactly how to say the right things. At first, I thought he was someone I could build something with. But then…” She hesitated, old wounds threatening to resurface. “Then I realized he was using me. Not for my money—he had his own. But for access. Connections. He's got close enough to learn things he shouldn’t have, and when I finally cut him off, he tried to use what he knew against me.”
Tade’s expression darkened. “Blackmail?”
Zaria’s lips pressed together. “Not directly. But he made sure I understood the consequences if I didn’t cooperate. He leaked just enough to create problems for me.”
Tade’s fingers flexed at his side. “And now he’s back.”
“Yes.”
He was quiet for a moment, his gaze unreadable. Then he said, “You should’ve told me.”
Zaria scoffed. “Why? So you couldn't use it as leverage later? Please, Tade, don’t pretend this changes anything between us.”
His eyes locked onto hers, something sharp flickering in their depths. “That’s where you’re wrong, Zaria. This changes everything.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How?”
Tade took a slow step towards her. “Because if Kainjo is a problem, then he’s my problem too. And I don’t like loose ends.”
She frowned. “I can handle him.”
He let out a humorless chuckle. “Clearly, you didn’t, the first time.”
Anger flared inside her. “You think you can just fix everything by throwing your weight around?”
Tade’s smirk was slow and deliberate. “I don’t fix things, Zaria. I eliminate threats.”
A chill ran through her.
She had no doubt that Tade Okoye meant every word.
- Writer
