FAMILY DUTY

FAMILY DUTY Chapter 1: A Daughter's Duty Imani Okafor, the city's most successful young businesswoman, was a name that commanded admiration and respect wherever it was spoken. At twenty-seven years old, she had built an empire that many could only dream of. As the founder and CEO of Okafor Technologies, she had transformed a struggling startup into one of the country's leading software companies. She was wealthy. She was powerful. She was independent. And she had absolutely no intention of getting married. "Imani." The sound of her mother's voice interrupted her concentration. Without looking up from her laptop, she continued typing. "Imani." Still, she ignored her. "Imani Okafor." With a frustrated sigh, she finally looked up. Her mother stood in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. "Yes, Mother?" "We need to talk." Imani immediately knew where this was going. "No." Her mother frowned. "No?" "No." "If this is another conversation about marriage, I am not interested." Her mother entered the room and sat opposite her. "You are twenty-seven years old." "There it is." "Imani—" "Mother, please." Her mother's expression softened. "I worry about you." "I'm fine." "No, you're not." Imani closed her laptop. "What exactly is wrong with my life?" "You work all day." "I own a company." "You avoid relationships." "I prefer peace." "You avoid marriage." At once, Imani's expression hardened. The room fell silent. Her mother sighed heavily. "You're still letting your father control your life." The mention of him tightened every muscle in Imani's body. "My father has nothing to do with this." "He has everything to do with this." Painful memories flooded her mind. The shouting. The insults. The tears. The fear. For years, she had watched her father abuse her mother emotionally before abandoning them without a second thought. And ever since then, marriage had become something she wanted no part of. "I watched him destroy you," she said quietly. Her mother's eyes lowered. "I watched you cry." Silence. "And then he left us." The words hung heavily between them. "You expect me to believe marriage is worth risking after everything I saw?" Her mother slowly approached her. "Not every man is your father." "Maybe not." Imani folded her arms. "But I have no interest in finding out." ... Across the city, Roman Sterling was having a similar argument. At thirty years old, Roman Sterling was the sole heir to the Sterling Empire. Successful. Intelligent. Respected. And completely tired of hearing about marriage. "You need a wife," his grandmother declared. "There it is." Roman leaned back in his chair. "I am not getting married because everyone expects me to." His grandmother shook her head. "One day, you will understand." "And one day, you will stop bringing it up." Later that evening, Roman sat alone in his penthouse office when his phone buzzed. A message from Imani Okafor appeared on the screen. Tomorrow. 7:00 PM. Grand Meridian Hotel. Let's discuss the proposal. A small smile crossed his face. He quickly typed back. I'll be there. Miles away, Imani stared at her phone after receiving his response. A marriage agreement. A practical arrangement between two people tired of family pressure. No romance. No expectations. No interference. Just freedom. Tomorrow she would meet Roman Sterling. And neither of them realized that the agreement they were about to make would change their lives forever. End of Chapter 1