*Chapter 9: David Remembers
892 Words
David hated his brother’s office. Too much glass. Too much control. Too much Daniel.
But he went anyway. Because something about Ada Okafor was scratching at his brain, and he hated loose ends.
He dropped the contract files on Daniel’s desk without knocking. “You wanted the Eko Hotel renovation deal signed—”
Daniel didn’t look up from his laptop. “Leave it.”
David was about to leave when he saw it. A small brown envelope on the desk. Hospital logo. DNA Test Results.
His hand froze mid-air.
Daniel noticed. He closed the laptop slowly. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“Since when do I need permission to enter my brother’s office?” David picked up the envelope. “What’s this?”
“None of your business.” Daniel stood, faster than David expected. He snatched the envelope. But David had already seen the name on top.
`Ada Okafor.`
His heart did something stupid. It skipped. Then raced.
“Ada?” David frowned. “My secretary Ada? Why is she doing DNA test?”
Daniel’s eyes went cold. The dangerous cold that made board members resign. “She’s pregnant. With twins. Mine.”
The word `mine` hit David like a punch.
Pregnant. Twins. Ada.
His secretary. The quiet girl who brought him coffee every morning and always smelled like vanilla and desperation. The girl whose eyes looked haunted when she thought nobody was watching.
Pregnant. With twins.
David’s brain started doing math he didn’t want to do. 5 weeks ago. Eko Hotel. The woman with vanilla scent and a scar on her wrist who paid him 50k to forget her name.
“No,” he said quietly. “That’s not possible.”
Daniel smiled. Not kind. “What’s not possible, David? That I got a woman pregnant? Or that you’re jealous?”
David shook his head. “No. I mean… the timing. 5 weeks ago. I was at Eko Hotel. There was a woman—”
Daniel’s expression changed in 1 second. From cold to lethal. “What woman?”
David opened his mouth. Then closed it. Because saying it out loud would make it real. Would make him the reason his brother’s “woman” was lying. Would make him the other man in a billionaire scandal.
“I don’t know what I’m talking about,” David lied badly. “Forget it.”
But Daniel knew him too well. 32 years of brotherhood. “You remember her. Don’t you?”
David walked to the window. Victoria Island stretched below. He saw Ada running yesterday. Saw her face when he offered coffee. Saw the panic in her eyes.
Why would she panic if the baby was Daniel’s?
Unless…
“DNA says 99.99%,” Daniel said behind him. “Science doesn’t lie, brother. Those are my children.”
David turned. “DNA can be wrong.”
“Not this DNA. Not this lab. Not this money.” Daniel walked to him. “You look pale, David. Guilty. What did you do 5 weeks ago at Eko Hotel?”
Nothing. David almost said it. Nothing. Just a desperate woman and a desperate man and one night that was supposed to mean nothing.
But Daniel was watching him like a hawk. Like he already knew.
David forced a laugh. “Relax, big bro. I’m happy for you. Twins. Congrats. When’s the wedding?”
The word `wedding` made Daniel pause. He hadn’t thought that far. Marriage wasn’t in his 5-year plan. Control was. Ownership was.
“Wedding is her problem,” Daniel said finally. “She’ll marry me. Or she’ll lose her job and her mother’s hospital bed. Her choice.”
David’s fists clenched. “You can’t force her—”
“I can force anything,” Daniel cut him off. “I’m Daniel Okafor. Remember that.”
David left the office before he said something he’d regret. Before he told Daniel the truth.
In the elevator down, he pulled out his phone. Searched his email. 5 weeks ago. Eko Hotel receipt.
`Room 1204. Paid: Cash 50,000. Name: A. Okafor.`
A. Okafor. Ada Okafor.
His blood went cold.
The elevator doors opened. Ada stood there, holding a file, about to step in. She looked up and saw him. Her eyes widened. Fear flashed there for half a second before she masked it.
“Mr. David,” she said quietly. Stepping back to let him out.
David stared at her. Really stared. At the scar on her wrist. Same scar from that night. At the way she bit her lip when nervous. Same habit from that night.
`It was her. It was always her.`
“Ada,” he said softly. Too softly. “Room 1204. 5 weeks ago. Was that you?”
Ada’s file slipped from her hands. Papers scattered on marble floor. She didn’t pick them up. She couldn’t breathe.
Because David’s eyes weren’t confused anymore.
They were remembering.
And Daniel’s office was 20 floors above them, and he was watching the elevator camera feed on his computer.
His jaw tightened.
`So he knows.`
Daniel picked up his phone and dialed security.
“Watch David Okafor. And watch Miss Okafor. If they speak alone for more than 2 minutes, bring them both to my office. Immediately.”
Downstairs, Ada whispered one word. One word that would destroy everything.
“Yes.”
- Writer
