The Girl Who Couldn't Be Bought.
"Our business isn't much, so don't trouble that little brain of yours with it."
The disguised man leaned back casually.
"Think of me as a classmate. Or perhaps a colleague."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Now, let me state my proposal."
Rihannat remained silent, watching him carefully.
"I need... something from you."
His eyes sharpened.
"I've been searching for it for a very long time. And since you have no use for it, I don't see why you should keep it."
He paused deliberately.
"So, would you give it to me?"
A strange feeling settled in Rihannat's chest.
"A deal," he continued smoothly. "Name your price and let it go."
Her heartbeat skipped.
What could he possibly want?
She kept her expression neutral despite the unease clawing at her insides.
"What exactly do you want from me?"
For a moment, the man fell silent.
Then he said calmly,
"Your wristband."
Rihannat's eyes instinctively dropped to the chain wrapped around her wrist.
The bracelet had been with her for as long as she could remember.
When she was little, it had fit perfectly. As she grew older and it became too tight, she had removed the locket and attached it to a longer chain, carefully weaving the original baby bracelet around it in a stylish fashion.
To anyone else, it was merely an elegant accessory.
No one would ever guess it was a relic left behind by her biological parents.
For years, she had protected it.
The locket still looked brand new despite countless baths, years of use, and exposure to every element imaginable. It never rusted. Never faded. Never lost its shine.
Why would a stranger want it?
And why would he be willing to pay for it?
Questions flooded her mind.
Could there be something she didn't know?
She had never gotten the chance to ask her parents about its origin or significance. She didn't even know why it had been placed on her wrist instead of around her neck.
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it became.
None of her theories seemed satisfactory.
No... something wasn't right.
"Wait."
The man quickly raised a hand.
"Don't reject me yet."
His tone softened.
"I'm willing to pay whatever amount you want. Just name it."
In truth, Vale had deliberately withheld his offer at first.
He wanted to observe her reaction.
And what he had seen intrigued him.
She wasn't the naïve, simple-minded scholarship student he had expected.
Far from it.
The girl sitting before him was observant.
Sharp.
Calculating.
Insightful.
A dangerous combination.
If he wanted that locket, he would have to play every card available.
Because he was certain of one thing.
She had absolutely no idea of the treasure she carried.
She had never been told.
"Why would I sell you my belongings?" Rihannat asked.
"I don't need your money."
She rose from her seat.
"Thank you for the offer, but I refuse."
Vale frowned.
"Even if I pay you millions?"
Rihannat didn't stop walking.
"You could change your life."
Still silence.
"You are on a scholarship, aren't you?"
"No."
Her voice was firm.
"I won't."
She turned toward him.
"If that's all you wanted to discuss, then please leave."
Vale's expression darkened.
"You may not realize this, young lady, but one hundred million is not a small amount."
Rihannat stopped.
Slowly, she turned around.
Her face remained unreadable.
"You are willing to pay one hundred million for it?"
"Yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
For a few seconds, she simply nodded.
Thoughtful.
Quiet.
Then she lifted her wrist, allowing the bracelet to catch the sunlight.
The innocent look she had worn earlier vanished instantly.
Her eyes met his.
Steady.
Sharp.
Dangerously intelligent.
"And that," she said calmly, "is exactly why I won't sell it."
Vale blinked.
"If you're willing to pay one hundred million for this..."
She gently shook the bracelet.
"...then it means it's worth far more than one hundred million."
Silence.
"...Which makes it a treasure I should keep for the rest of my life."
Vale was stunned.
For a split second, genuine admiration flashed across his eyes before disappearing.
She had seen through him.
Immediately.
Most girls her age would have been calculating how many houses they could buy.
How many luxury cars.
How many designer bags.
How secure their future would become.
But not this girl.
Instead of calculating the value of the money, she calculated the value of what she already possessed.
That level of reasoning was rare even among seasoned businessmen.
This girl was different.
Very different.
A headache slowly formed behind Vale's eyes.
No matter what argument he presented, she would find a flaw in it.
Money couldn't tempt her.
Promises wouldn't sway her.
The more he observed her, the more dangerous she appeared.
She possessed the mind of a negotiator.
A strategist.
If only she were his daughter...
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Segun.
That stubborn boy had deliberately hidden information from him.
Recently, Segun had concealed too many things—including his movements.
To make matters worse, he had even placed people to monitor him.
His own father.
A faint smile touched Vale's lips.
Is he finally trying to rebel?
If only Segun had given him a complete report on Rihannat, he would have known she wasn't a girl who could be bought off with money.
And now, looking around the area, he couldn't even take drastic measures if he wanted to.
Her own security was insignificant to him.
But Segun's men lingering around her like silent guardians?
That baffled him.
None of it should have been happening.
What exactly was Segun planning?
"Please," Rihannat said.
"I would like to leave now."
Vale studied her for a moment.
Then he played his final card.
"What about your parents?"
The atmosphere instantly changed.
"If something were to happen to them—"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The interruption came immediately.
Cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Although her heart was hammering violently against her ribs, none of it showed on her face.
Was this the man they had warned her about?
The one connected to Vale?
She didn't know.
But she knew one thing.
Threats were unacceptable.
"I don't respond well to threats," she continued calmly.
In fact, I react rather badly to them."
One elegant brow lifted.
"And I don't think you would enjoy seeing me reciprocate."
The contrast between her composed appearance and the fear she battled internally was astonishing.
Vale, however, wasn't looking at her anger.
He was looking at someone else entirely.
A woman from years ago.
The same fire.
The same fearlessness.
The same protective instincts.
The same terrifying composure under pressure.
For a fleeting moment, Rihannat wasn't standing before him.
Her mother was.
A slow smile formed on his lips.
His anger faded.
Replaced by something far more dangerous.
Excitement.
Because in all his years, he had never met another girl of her age who could outthink, outmaneuver, and stand her ground against him the way she just had.
His gaze lingered on her.
Filled with curiosity.
Filled with intrigue.
"Very interesting," he murmured.
Vale realized that obtaining the locket might be far more difficult than he had anticipated.
Although his expression was of someone pleased, someone who just found himself an opponent worth his time.
At that moment, vale wasn't just a businessman, he was like a chess master who has finally found himself another master to play with after a decade, making the game more interesting and unable to leave. Game master find themselves bored when a novice play with them but they get more energetic and interested when the other person is also a master like them.
And this time, the master he is playing with.... is just a girl, In her early twenties.
@OlukoyaZainab