The 10 Million Naira Wife

Chapter 6:caught

Seal it with a kiss, Mrs. Adeyemi."

Khalil's thumb was still on my lip. His eyes were black fire. This wasn't a request. It was a command from the Shark.

One year. In his bed. For my secret. For NairaFlow.

For Mama.

I closed my eyes. And kissed him.

It wasn't soft. It wasn't sweet. It was war.

His mouth crashed into mine, hand fisting in my hair, yanking my head back. He tasted like whiskey and power and punishment. This was him marking territory. Claiming what he bought.

And God help me, I kissed him back.

Because I was angry. Because he was right. Because for three seconds, I wasn't Anon or Zara the orphan. I was just a woman being consumed by a man who ruined people for fun.

His other hand gripped my waist, hauling me against him. The sink dug into my back. The gala music was a distant roar. Nothing existed except his mouth and the fact that I was losing.

Then the door exploded open.

"WHAT THE HELL—"

We ripped apart.

Dami Kolawole stood in the doorway, face white, eyes wild. He'd seen. Everything.

The kiss. The closet. The broken door. The way Khalil was still holding me like he owned me.

Which he did. For one year.

"Kolawole," Khalil said, voice like ice. He didn't even look rattled. He just smoothed his thumb across my swollen lip, possessive. "Don't you knock?"

"I—" Dami's eyes darted between us. To my smeared lipstick. To Khalil's wrecked tie. To the NairaFlow contract still visible on the floor. His brain was computing. "You two..."

"Are married," Khalil finished. Deadly calm. "As you witnessed. Now get out before I forget the Adeyemi Foundation donates to your charity."

Threat received. Dami stumbled back, but his eyes locked on me one last time. Not on Zara.

On Anon.

He knew.

He slammed the door.

Silence.

I shoved Khalil's chest. "He saw us. He knows. Dami knows I'm—"

"He knows you're my wife," Khalil cut in. He adjusted his cufflinks like we hadn't just been devouring each other. Like my world wasn't ending. "And if he breathes a word about Anon, I'll buy KolaTech by morning and fire him on the street."

"That's not—"

"That's the deal, Zara." He picked up the NairaFlow contract, folded it, slid it into his inner jacket pocket. Collateral. "My name protects you. Your body belongs to me. Your company stays secret."

He walked to the door. Paused. Looked back.

"Fix your lipstick. We're going back to the gala. As husband and wife." His eyes dragged down my body. "And tonight, you sleep in my bed. Seal the deal properly."

He left.

I slid down the sink to the floor. Phone buzzing. Kemi: `Anon where ARE you?? Minister is asking!`

Dami knew. Khalil owned me. My board was panicking.

And my lips were still burning from the Shark's kiss.

Ten million naira.

It was starting to feel like the worst deal I'd ever made.

And the best.