CHAPTER 6: THE ANSWER
638 Words
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The ring caught the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Damien’s hand didn’t shake.
Mine did.
The whole board was staring.
Mrs. Cole looked like she was about to have a stroke.
Chloe had her phone out, probably to record my humiliation.
“Tasha,” Damien said softly. Just for me.
“No contract. No cameras. No 50 million.
Just me asking you. Do you want this? For real?”
I thought of Mile 1. The eviction notice.
The comments. _Gold digger. Thief. Die._
I thought of his hand on my back at dinner.
His voice on livestream: _“She’s worth it.”_
I took a breath.
“Yes,” I whispered. Then louder. “Yes.”
I slid the ring onto my finger.
Gasps around the room.
Damien exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for years.
He pulled me into a hug. Real. Tight.
Mrs. Cole’s voice cut through it.
“This is illegal,” she snapped. “He’s still CEO until EOD!”
“No,” Damien said, pulling back but keeping my hand.
“I resigned 10 minutes ago. Before I asked her.”
He looked at the board. “Email’s in your inbox.”
The head board member checked his phone. Went pale.
“You... you can’t just—”
“I can,” Damien said. “And I did.
Cole Group was my father’s. Not mine.
I’m done playing your games.”
He turned to me. “Let’s go.”
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We didn’t go home.
We went to Nice’s Haven.
For the first time in 3 days, the shop was quiet.
No reporters. No paparazzi. Just us and the smell of paint.
Damien looked around. Really looked.
“The vase in the window. You made that?”
“I did.” I shrugged. “When rent was due.”
He picked it up. Turned it. “It’s beautiful.”
We sat on the floor. Backs against the counter.
No suit. No ring drama. Just us.
“Are you scared?” he asked.
“Terrified,” I admitted. “My business is trending as a scam.
Your mother hates me. Chloe will never stop.”
Damien took my hand. Kissed my knuckles again.
“Then we build something new. Together.
No Cole Group. No board. Just Nice’s Haven... and us.”
My phone buzzed.
Amaka: _“BABE I’M CRYING. HE PROPOSED FOR REAL??”_
Then another buzz. Email.
Sender: _Unknown_
Subject: _CONGRATULATIONS_
Attachment: Photos.
Me and Damien. On the floor of my shop.
Taken 5 minutes ago. Through the window.
Body: _“You think you won? The Gala is in 5 days.
And I have one last card to play. -M”_
M.
Mrs. Cole.
Damien saw it too. His jaw tightened.
“She’s not done,” he said.
“What could she do in 5 days?”
“Ruining the Gala will ruin your reputation forever,” he said quietly.
“If she cancels vendors, spreads more lies, buys the press...
You’ll never work in Port Harcourt again.”
I stood up. Anger replacing fear.
“Then we don’t let her.”
“How?”
I looked around my shop. My mess. My dream.
“We host our own Gala.
Same night. Same city.
And we invite everyone she blacklisted.”
Damien stared at me. Then he smiled.
The first real smile I’d seen from him.
“Tasha Okoro, you’re insane.
I love it.”
He pulled out his phone. “I still have 200 million from my exit package.
Let’s burn it.”
My phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
_“Gala venue cancelled. All vendors pulled.
See you in 5 days, dear. -M”_
Mrs. Cole had moved first.
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END OF CHAPTER 6
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Next: _The Rival Gala + Chloe’s Secret Alliance_
- Writer
