They laughed over their messy table manners while eating. Tunday excitedly described his new office with its glass walls, smart desks, and a proper coffee machine.
“I still can’t believe they want me,” he said, shaking his head.
“They’re lucky to have you,” Ifyoma replied, meaning every word.
Later that night, after the cake was gone and the world had quieted, they sat side by side by the window, watching the distant city lights.
Tunday turned to her, serious now.
“I don’t know where this road will lead,” he said. “But wherever it goes, I want you there with me.”
Ifyoma’s heart clenched painfully.
She wanted that too, more than anything.
But the secret between them felt heavier with each moment.
She looked at Tunday, this wonderful man who saw her simply as Ify, not as an heiress.
And she knew she could not keep lying forever.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Tunday brushed a strand of hair from her face first.
“You’re special, Ifyoma,” he whispered. “I knew it the moment I saw you on that rooftop.”
Ifyoma knew the secret would not stay hidden forever.
When the truth came out, it could either bring them closer or tear everything apart.
And then it happened faster than she had ever been ready for.
They were sitting by the window sharing a battered packet of biscuits, their conversation light and peaceful, the kind of ease she had never believed was possible.
Then her burner phone—the cheap one she had used to keep her real life at a distance—buzzed violently on the table, slicing through the calm like an alarm.
The screen showed a number she recognized instantly.
Adaku Holdings’ emergency line.
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