Velvet chains

Chapter 16: scandal and skin

Zara woke up to a quiet morning in Damian’s fancy London apartment. The storm outside had finally passed, but inside her head, things were still pretty chaotic. She lay there, barefoot, wrapped in one of his oversized button-down shirts, just staring out at the skyline. The night before had been long and full of deep talks rather than anything physical. They opened up about a lot—venting the pain of old hurts, touching on the betrayal that lingered, and sharing their desire to create something real, something that mattered more than just power.

At some point, around midnight, Damian had reached for her hand. She didn’t pull away. It was electric, like fire dancing around her fingers, filling the room with a warmth that felt so right. But that calm didn’t last long.

By noon, all hell broke loose. The news headlines were everywhere:

- “Tech Queen’s Dirty Secret: Zara Okonkwo’s Family Ties to Scandal-Ridden Minister Revealed”

- “Whistleblower Leaks Zara’s Confidential Ownership Docs”

- “Zara Built Her Empire on Blood Money?”

She couldn’t believe her eyes; her heart sank. The story broke wide open with old, sealed documents linking her father—who used to be a disgraced minister in Nigeria—to shady investments in her very first startup. She thought those old papers were buried and long forgotten. Suddenly, she felt cold all over.

Just then, Damian burst into the room, phone in hand, urgency in his voice. “We’ve found out how it happened—Segun’s crew got into your archived email server. It was Ngozi who tipped them off. She handed them the key.”

Zara’s body shook with anxiety. “He’s digging up my past. He’s going after my name.”

Damian stepped closer, keeping his voice steady. “Then we fight back, louder and stronger. Together.”

She looked up at him, feeling her barriers beginning to crack. “You still want me, even after everything that’s happened?”

He cupped her jaw gently with his hands, his gaze intense. “Zara… I’ve always wanted you.”

And without another word, their lips met. At first, it was soft and shy, testing the waters. But then it turned into something deeper—full of need, passion, and raw emotion. She held onto his shirt, pulling him even closer. His hands roamed over her waist, along her spine, tangling in her hair. It felt like all the years they had spent apart were collapsing into this one earth-shattering kiss.

But just as they were lost in each other, the door swung open with a bang. It was Ngozi, her face pale and her eyes wide with anger, a gun in her hand. “You ruined everything, Zara,” she spat out, and the reality of th

eir situation hit hard.