Tangled Fate, just that Night

Chapter Six

The Next Morning — Desire’s Home

It was early, and the warm smell of toasted bread wafted through the Lopez home. Desire, dressed in her usual soft sweater and jeans, was getting the boys ready for school.

“Mummy?” Shine asked as he kicked his legs at the table.

“Yes, baby?”

“Our teacher asked us to draw our family tree,” he said, munching cereal slowly.

“Then draw it,” Desire replied casually, unaware of what was coming.

“But…” Snow said quietly, “our daddy won’t be in the picture.”

The spoon in her hand paused.

Desire glanced up at them, her breath hitching slightly. “Snow, eat your cereal. When you get back, I’ll make your favorite meal, okay?”

He looked down, nodded slowly, and continued eating.

She blinked back emotion and turned away to fix their water bottles.

---

Braylor Empire- Mid-afternoon

At the Braylor Empire, the sleek hallways were hushed, as employees eyed Rylo Bradley with a mix of awe and curiosity. He wasn’t just another heir of the Braylor Empire—he was a living legend in his own right. His reputation had already spread across the industry, but his recent return from abroad sent waves through the company like a storm. Despite his quiet presence, he had a magnetic air about him—different from his father and his brother Tyro.

As Rylo walked through the bustling corridors, his casual approach made many of the staff glance twice, unsure if they were seeing a celebrity or a genius—perhaps both. The elevator doors opened, and Rylo stepped out, exchanging polite nods with the staff, who watched with bated breath as he made his way to his father’s office.

Desire’s day went from tense to terrible. While booting up her system, her screen froze. Lines of code flickered, then vanished. Her entire design folder—gone.

“No. No. No…” she whispered, frantically clicking.

Just then, Sheila, stepped in. “Desire, Mr. Braylor wants your final designs on his desk. Now.”

“Please—just give me a few more minutes,” she pleaded, trying to hide the panic in her voice.

“I’ll tell him,” Sheila said sharply, then turned.

Not long after, Camilla walked in and noticed her distress. “Desire… what’s wrong?”

“My system’s been infected. All my work—it’s just gone.”

"what could have happened?" Brielle asked in Worry.

Within the hour, Desire was called to Miles’s office.

Tyro wasted no time. “I’ve been waiting for your submission all morning, Desire. You’re late.”

Desire sighed. “My system was infected with a virus. I’m doing my best.”

Miles face twisted with frustration. “Well, your best isn’t good enough. You think you can just keep pushing deadlines?”

Desire wasn’t prepared for what happened next. In one swift motion, Miles moved toward her. His hand gripped her face with an iron-tight hold as he leaned in, his breath hot against her skin.

Without warning, Desire shoved him back, her hand connecting hard with his cheek.

“You don’t touch me,” she snapped, fury rising within her.

Miles's eyes narrowed as he recovered from the blow. “How dare you—” He advanced, anger flashing in his eyes. His hand shot toward her neck, gripping tightly.

“b***h, how dare you!” he snarled.

Desire gasped for air, her fingers clawing at his hand, her breath coming in short, desperate bursts. Just as she was about to lose control, the door to Miles's office swung open with force.

A calm, almost icy voice cut through the tension. “Is this how Braylor treats his employees?”

It was Rylo.

With one swift move, Rylo pulled Desire from Miles’s chokehold, his hand firm on her arm. Miles stepped back, his face filled with disbelief and anger.

“What the hell is going on here?” Rylo demanded, his eyes flashing with fury.

Desire coughed, trying to clear her throat. “He—he wouldn’t listen,” she gasped, trying to regain her composure. “I told him my system was infected, but he kept pushing me. I told him I needed time to fix it, but he wasn’t hearing me. And then he came too close.”

Rylo’s gaze hardened. “I don’t care what his excuse is. No one should treat anyone like that, especially not here.”

Miles, his jaw clenched, hissed, “She hit me first—”

“She’s an employee here, Miles,” Rylo interrupted sharply. “You’re supposed to manage, not intimidate. If this is how you run things, I’ll make sure Braylor doesn’t survive the next quarter. Is that clear?”

Miles stood frozen, his pride bruised but his anger rising. “You think you can threaten me like this? Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m Rylo Bradley, the largest shareholder,” Rylo said, his words cutting through the air. “And I suggest you reconsider who you pick fights with.” Desire's was stunned but she comp

With a final glare, Rylo turned toward Desire, his voice softening. “Take me to your desk. I’ll fix your system.”

Desire, still shaken, nodded and led him to her office.

Rylo followed Desire to her desk, where she sat nervously, watching him take a seat in front of her computer. She had been anxious about losing all her work, but Rylo’s calm demeanor reassured her.

He swiftly began his work on her system, diagnosing and clearing the virus. Desire hovered near him, trying not to breathe too heavily. But something about being this close to him stirred a strange feeling in her. The familiarity of his scent made her heart race.

Was it him?

Desire shook her head, dismissing the thought. But the more she watched him, the more the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place. Could Rylo really be connected to her children? Could he be their father?

The realization made her heart skip a beat.

After about thirty minutes, Rylo stood up. “It’s done,” he said simply.

Desire smiled, relief washing over her. “Thank you.”

He nodded, then caught her gaze for a moment longer than necessary.

“Would you like to join me for dinner?” she asked hesitantly.

Rylo’s lips curled into a small smile. “Who am I to say no to a beautiful lady?”

As he left her office, Miles watched from a distance, seething with anger. Rylo had not only taken control of the situation but had also outshone him once again.

Back in his office, Miles seethed. “You think you can just walk in and take everything, Rylo?”

He picked up the phone, dialing his brother’s number.

“You think you can intimidate me? Just wait until you see what I’m capable of,” Miles muttered to himself.

Chapter Twelve: Good News, Great Trouble

As soon as Rylo got back to his penthouse, the conversation with Nate replayed in his mind.

He wasn’t sure what to think—but if Nate was who he claimed to be, then Rylo didn’t want to waste time.

He walked over to his sleek workstation, pulled up Nate Lopez’s email, and drafted a formal employment letter.

---

Congratulations – Welcome Onboard

Dear Nate Lopez,

I was impressed by your knowledge, creativity, and enthusiasm during our meeting. You are exactly the kind of talent I need on my team.

You are hereby offered a full-time position as my Technical Assistant, with an annual salary of ₦32 million, access to upgraded systems (delivered within 48 hours), and a company car: Mercedes CLA 250.

Welcome to the beginning of something greater.

Yours,

Rylo Bradley

---

The house was unusually peaceful—until a loud scream erupted from Nate’s room.

"YEEEESSS!!!"

The shout shook the quiet out of every room.

Nina, in the kitchen, nearly dropped a spoon. Samuel, quietly reading the newspaper, lowered it with a grunt. Snow and Shine, who were on the floor building LEGO towers, leaped in excitement.

“Uncle Nate has gone mad again!” Shine shouted gleefully.

“I told you not to give him extra fried meat, now look!” Snow added, face deadpan but voice mischievous.

They both collapsed in giggles.

Nina, already marching to Nate’s room, burst in with her slippers flapping against the floor. “Nate! Are you crazy? You want to disturb the entire neighborhood?!”

She pulled his ear like she was rewinding an old cassette. “Tell me why you're shouting like a man chased by a demon!”

“Mum! Mummm!! It’s good news!” Nate wailed, laughing and wincing at the same time.

“What good news? You found a wife?” Nina’s brows lifted in suspicion, eyes narrowing as if already planning the wedding menu.

Nate paused. “Uh... not exactly.”

Samuel poked his head in, arms folded, expression neutral but amused. “She’s pulling your ear and you’re still grinning like a goat. What’s going on?”

Desire appeared in the doorway, arms folded, smirking. “What happened? Are we finally meeting the mysterious girl you’ve been hiding?”

Nate turned red. “You people don’t take me seriously, abi?”

“Not even a little,” Desire and Nina said in perfect sync.

But then he pulled out his phone and showed them the email.

Desire blinked. Once. Twice.

Then gasped. “Nate! This is... this is massive!”

Nina stopped fanning herself with the kitchen cloth. “Wait, he’s giving you a company car? And these gadgets? Just for assistant?”

“Yep,” Nate said, chest puffed.

Desire placed a hand on his shoulder, grinning. “You’re in money, lil’ bro. No regrets—I’m spending your cash with no pity. Tomorrow, shopping spree with your favorite sister and her two troublemakers. Deal?”

“Deal,” Nate said proudly, puffing out his chest like a superhero.

But then Desire’s smile faded slightly. “Speaking of heroes… I had dinner plans tonight. With the guy who fixed my system.”

Nate froze. “What guy?”

“The one who stopped Tyro from choking me.”

“He what?!” Nate was already pacing. “And you didn’t tell me his name?”

“I forgot!” Desire threw her hands up. “And I didn’t ask for his number either.”

Nate frowned. “What did he look like?”

Desire paused, lips parting slightly. “He… had thick black hair. Fox eyes. Hazel eyes like... like Shine and Snow.”

Her voice trailed off into a whisper, her gaze falling to the floor.

But before she could process further—

“Mum!! Uncle Nate!! We’re HUNGRYYYY!!” Shine barged into the room dramatically.

“We want food with three chicken laps, spicy rice, pancakes, and ice cream on top,” Snow added with the straightest face.

Nate nearly choked laughing. “Pancakes and ice cream together?”

“Food is food, Uncle. Let’s go!” Shine said, dragging Nate’s hand.

“I should’ve bet with you, Dee,” Nate joked. “You’d be broke by now.”

Desire rolled her eyes and smacked his head lightly.

---

Dinner at Homey Food Restaurant

The Lopez family pulled up at Homey Food, the children bouncing with excitement.

“Wow! Mummy, look at that rotating sushi plate!” Shine gasped.

“Uncle Nate, I want that big glass of chocolate milkshake taller than me,” Snow whispered.

Desire chuckled, helping them out of the car. Samuel looked confused at the menu.

“What in the world is a ‘Tofu Firecracker Burrito’? Are we eating food or fireworks?” he asked dryly.

Nina laughed. “Order anything, just no fireworks in my stomach, please.”

When their orders arrived, the table turned into a comedy show:

“Snow, eat your meat, not just lick it like lollipop!”

“Uncle, is this drink alcoholic? It tastes like... shampoo!”

“Mummy, next time we’re eating at a place with bouncy castle, agreed?”

Even Samuel cracked a smile when Shine mistakenly ordered a dish so spicy, he drank all the table water and started fanning his tongue with the restaurant menu.

Desire leaned into Nate, smiling warmly. “This is good. We needed this.”

“Yeah,” he replied. “But I still want to meet that mystery man.”

“You and me both,” she muttered under her breath.

---