Velvet chains

Chapter 15: Face to Face

London was drenched in a steady rain that made the windows of Adewale Innovations HQ shimmer, like the city was washing itself clean. Zara burst in, soaked to the bone but holding her head high. Her hair was tied back, she wore a simple black turtleneck, and her intense gaze could cut through steel. There was no point in stopping at reception; she didn’t need anyone’s permission to go where she was headed. With purpose, she marched right to the boardroom.

Damian was already there, sitting alone, as if he’d been waiting forever. When he caught sight of her, she could see something flash in his eyes—maybe regret, maybe relief, maybe a hint of fear. It wasn’t easy to read him, especially not now. She placed a flash drive on the table and confronted him.

“You bought another company without telling me,” she said, not sugarcoating anything. “You took control of mine. Why would you do that?”

There was no hesitation in his response. He didn’t even flinch. “I was trying to protect what we built. You weren’t thinking straight. People were ready to pounce on any weakness. I needed a way to have leverage.”

Zara let out a bitter laugh that echoed in the room. “You’re not protecting me. You wanted a puppet queen in a fancy castle, not a partner.”

Now she was pacing, letting her anger take over. “I believed in you. I loved you completely.”

For the first time, Damian stood up from his chair. “And I still love you, Zara.”

“No,” she said firmly. “You love the idea of who I am. The fighter, the brand. But you never truly trusted me, the person behind it all.”

Silence hung between them, thick and heavy. Then he took a step forward, closing the distance. “You’re right. I craved control, but I don’t want that anymore.”

With a deliberate motion, he slid a folder across the table. Ownership transfer papers. He was handing everything back to her.

Zara blinked, trying to process what was happening. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I’d rather lose the company than lose you,” he said simply.

Their hands met for just a second, brushing the edge of the folder. Old feelings stirred—the familiar sparks, but also the pain of their shared history. They didn’t lean in for a kiss, and there were no tears. They simply stood there, two powerful forces stripped down to their raw selves, facing each other.

But outside, through the glass walls of the building, Segun was watching from a sleek black car. He seemed unfazed by the rain, a predatory smile on his lips. His driver leaned back and quietly asked, “Should we go in?”

Segun chuckled coldly. “Let them have their moment. It’ll be a lot more fun

to watch them crash later.”