Chapter 6
1371 Words
Bethel's POV
He began walking toward where I was hiding.
Just then, I silently thanked the heavens when we heard a knock on the door.
Allari froze in his tracks.
Then the maid spoke from outside.
"Miss, your food is ready. Should I bring it in, or will you be eating in the dining room?"
Her voice was calm and respectful, but I knew I couldn't let her come in.
From where I was standing behind the curtain, I replied,
"Don't worry. I'll eat in the dining room."
I only said that to stop her from coming in.
The truth was, I hardly ever ate in the dining room. I either ate in my room or skipped lunch entirely.
The maid hesitated.
"Are you sure, ma'am?"
"Yes. I'll be down in a minute."
I shouted, still clutching the curtain.
A few seconds later, we heard her footsteps fade away.
I turned my attention back to Allari.
He was still standing exactly where he had been, staring at me.
He hadn't taken his eyes off me once.
It was almost as though he was waiting for me to step out from behind the curtain.
The silence became unbearably awkward.
Finally, I spoke.
"Please, sir, can you use the door? I want to get dressed. Besides, the tutoring session doesn't start until 3:30 p.m., and it's only 2:00 p.m."
My tone was polite but firm.
"It's Allari," he corrected immediately.
I wondered why that piece of information was so important at a time like this.
"Sir, please..."
I was about to continue when he interrupted me.
"Call me 'sir' again, and I'll refuse to leave."
A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"And I'd love to watch you get dressed."
My heart skipped a beat.
The moment he said those words...
Everything came rushing back.
The memories from that night.
Every single one of them.
"Oh my God..."
I covered my mouth with one hand while gripping the curtain tightly with the other.
What have I done?
---
The lesson felt unbearably long.
Yet, barely five minutes had passed since it began.
I was far too embarrassed to look at him.
I couldn't even bear to hear his voice.
My head remained buried in my books.
Now that I remembered everything that had happened that night, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to face him again.
He had to go.
But one question continued bothering me.
I hadn't just been drunk.
I'd been drugged.
Who had done it?
And why?
I had to find out.
Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly heard his voice.
This time, he wasn't simply explaining the lesson.
He was asking me a question directly.
"What can you say about the present inflation in the economy?"
I slowly raised my head.
He stared at me patiently, waiting for an answer.
Unfortunately...
I had none.
Thinking quickly, I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.
"I think... I'm feeling unwell."
Obviously, that wasn't the answer to his question.
It was simply my escape route.
He looked at me for a moment before asking,
"Are you pregnant?"
My eyes widened.
Why would he even think that?
Then another thought crossed my mind.
What if he hadn't used protection?
Oh my God... I'm doomed.
Without realizing it, my hand instinctively rested on my stomach.
Before I could say anything, he chuckled softly.
"Relax. I used protection. I'm not that careless."
He smiled faintly.
I rolled my eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.
A few moments later, he gathered his things.
Unlike my previous tutors, he never carried piles of textbooks or stacks of notes.
He usually came with nothing more than his phone and car keys.
It was as though he knew every topic by heart.
He glanced at his phone.
His playful expression disappeared instantly.
Once again, he looked calm, serious, and professional—as though he hadn't been teasing me just moments earlier.
Without another word...
He left.
---
Allari's POV
Teasing her always brought me an odd sense of satisfaction.
Most of the things I said were only to see her reactions.
And every single one of them was priceless.
While I was still sitting at the table, an email notification appeared on my phone.
My presence was urgently requested at the office.
Without wasting another second, I stood up and left.
My father—the chairman of the company—needed me.
And to him...
Every second counted.
I left the villa, got into my car, and drove straight to the office.
When I arrived, I was about to enter the elevator leading to the conference floor when I ran into my younger brother, Donald.
He looked dressed incorporate suit and a sharp black trouser and a gray turtle neck top.
"Oh, big bro. Welcome to Lagos."
His tone was filled with mockery.
I knew better than to take him seriously.
Donald had always been jealous of everything I had.
He constantly looked for ways to outshine or undermine me, but he had never succeeded.
Still...
I admired one thing about him.
He never knew when to quit.
"Here to see Dad?" he continued. "The chairman calls his favorite son, and he comes running like a little puppy."
I merely sighed.
He was still young.
There were many things he didn't understand.
And honestly...
I blamed our mother for spoiling him.
"How's school?" I asked calmly.
"I hope your grades are good. This is your final year, and if they aren't satisfactory, there won't be a place for you in the company."
I only meant to scare him a little.
We both knew our father would never shut him out completely.
Still...
It worked.
His expression changed immediately.
The elevator doors opened, and he stepped out without saying another word.
I smiled to myself.
It worked every time.
I walked toward the conference room while employees greeted me respectfully as I passed.
Some smiled warmly.
Others whispered among themselves.
Several female employees even left their desks just to catch a glimpse of me.
Soon, the hallway was crowded.
I could hear a few of them quietly murmuring,
"So dreamy..."
Pretending not to notice, I continued walking.
When I reached the conference room, I was informed that my father had already returned to his office.
I headed there immediately.
When I entered, I found him discussing business with several senior employees.
Everyone turned to look at me.
"My son!"
My father stood up and walked toward me.
I smiled.
We embraced warmly.
The employees also stood to greet me.
I gestured for them to sit before stepping away from my father's embrace.
One of the managers smiled politely.
"How was your trip to China, sir?"
I was about to answer when Father interrupted.
"Everyone, leave us."
His tone turned cold.
"I'd like to speak with my son privately."
Without hesitation, everyone gathered their files and left the office.
That was my father.
Warm with family.
Cold as steel when it came to business.
He believed a successful company could only be managed with discipline and an iron fist.
We both sat on one of the leather couches.
He asked about my trip to China, the business negotiations, and whether the deals had been finalized successfully.
Then he asked about my new job.
"How's your undercover assignment going?"
"Good," I replied simply.
I didn't think he needed to know every detail of my encounters with Bethel.
We continued talking and laughing until a gentle knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Father said with an unusually cheerful smile.
That smile alone told me something was off.
The door opened.
A young woman walked in.
Her appearance was elegant, professional, and sophisticated without being overly flashy.
She stopped before us and greeted us politely.
Father smiled.
"Allari, meet your new personal assistant Helen."
I nodded politely.
Of course, I needed someone to keep me updated on everything happening in the company while I was handling my undercover assignment.
But knowing my father...
I was almost certain this wasn't just about work.
It looked more like another one of his attempts to set me up with someone.
A trick I'd seen far too many times.
- Writer
