Nelly felt she had certainly heard wrong.
Her mind remained dazed, only becoming clearer when the driver opened the door for her.
An expanse of greenery stretched for a long distance, surrounded by beautiful flowers. Mandibu was in a class of its own—designed only for the elites, accessible only by prior booking.
It was a wonder how Kelvin made the reservations in such a short while. Nothing seemed impossible for the cold billionaire.
A few minutes later, she walked side by side with Kelvin Akor, still unsure, her mind questioning her every step. He said no word to her.
Soon they stood in front of a palatial pagoda. Its marble walls were pristine white with a glass-like shine. Nelly awed at the structure before her. She'd seen it several times in pictures and videos, but beholding it had a different feel to it.
Even Amanda's description did little justice.
She felt a light tap.
"Miss Nelly." His face remained brazen in its cold texture. "Can we go?" He beckoned her to enter.
Nelly turned slightly as her face grew pink. She imagined how he saw her now—probably as some poor girl with no class.
"Welcome, sir." A stout man at the entrance greeted, then turned to her. "Madam."
She noticed his eyes dimmed, then turned sharply toward her boss.
"This way, sir."
The interior was intricately designed, with arts and mosaics lining the walls. The floor was neatly polished, reflecting the bright chandeliers hanging above.
A sensation tugged in her heart. Something felt weird.
Apart from the staff, there was no one else in this palace-sized restaurant. Thinking about it, the parking lot had been empty too.
Oh my God, did he—
Nelly drowned the thought as quickly as it came.
A little while later, a buffet appeared before them with a personal server assigned to it. Seeing the plethora of food in front of her, Nelly suddenly lost her appetite.
Kelvin seemed oblivious to her. A plate of jollof rice sat before him as he dined elegantly.
Not wanting to feel left out, she pointed out her choice to the patient server.
"How is your stay at Akor?"
Nelly jolted. The last thing she'd imagined was happening.
Kelvin's face wore a brief smile, and it... it seemed genuine.
"It's fine, I guess." Her voice was low. "Not as stressful as I imagined."
"Okay."
Then quiet.
She reeled. Okay? Just okay? He wasn't the type for conversation.
But something felt different between the person he was the first time they met and his countenance thereafter. She couldn't place it.
Why does he seem so different now?
She had sworn hatred for the guy who humiliated her on her interview day. Even after accepting the job, she'd hoped her presence would bring the company to its knees and finally wipe the smugness from his face.
Looking at him now, Nelly couldn't bring herself to hate him. His cold gaze carried something deep in those black eyes.
"I'm sorry," he started suddenly. "For the first day. I didn't mean to—"
A weight settled on Nelly's chest. Everything was happening so fast and felt too... unreal.
In that moment, his countenance changed again, replaced by the familiar cold exterior.
Kelvin sat still, observing her. Her expression had shifted so much in the last minute—enough to trigger his curiosity.
In truth, he didn't understand the lady called Nelly. Everything about her was strange. And there was this lewd attraction and familiarity around her.
Nelly opened her mouth to speak. She felt offended that even in this very moment, he seemed to be playing games with her.
"I'm do—"
Just then, a loud bang echoed outside, throwing the calm atmosphere into a frenzy.
A commotion soon ensued as the security inside rushed toward the door.
Nelly froze, fear twisting in her guts. She'd recognize that sound anywhere. The same one haunted her dreams. How could she forget? The same one that stole her happiness. Never again. The same one that took Ken from her.
Soon the manager appeared, anxiety swirling around him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kelvin. We're having a slight issue. Please stay calm as we resolve it."
"What's going on?" Kelvin's face maintained its coldness, but his voice deepened. She saw the manager shiver.
"Ugh... uh." He stuttered. "It's Austin."
Kelvin's countenance changed. Nelly wasn't sure if it was anger or fear she'd seen, but whoever that was, he definitely didn't like them.
He turned to her. "Stay here."
Standing up, he headed for the door as the manager trailed behind him, trying and failing to stop him.
Nelly shivered, still in shock from the gunshot. Kelvin's words felt like a command—one she dared not disobey. All her appetite vanished as she pondered the name.
Austin. Austin.
Swiping out her phone, she contemplated calling Amanda, but her bestie would rush to the scene, escalating an already tense situation.
Her fingers scrolled rapidly to an unusual app that supposedly had all the answers.
On Google's search bar, she typed: Who is Austin?
She deleted quickly. There were probably a million Austins out there—unless she wanted to spend a day searching.
How influential is Austin? After all, only someone of considerable influence could rattle Kelvin Akor.
Several random answers popped up until one appeared on a blog: a name first—Austin Okanu. The surname faintly rang a bell.
She opened it.
A list of the most influential young men in Nigeria.
Standing at number four was Austin Okanu, the son of Vice President Aigbe Okanu.
Curiosity prompted Nelly to scroll further.
Above him, at number three, was Kelvin Akor.
Who could displace her enigmatic billionaire boss?
A Yemi Bola stood at number two. Suddenly, number one became more interesting.
She grew restless as the next page loaded.
She felt a bad premonition.
Standing at number one was a name she'd suddenly become entangled with. Nelly had suspected he was popular, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine this.
The number one spot was claimed by no other than the jolly playboy.
Lucky Dante.