It took a lot of convincing, but eventually Sarah agreed to keep everything she'd heard and seen a secret.
Luckily for Nelly, most of the pictures people had taken of Lucky were from before they'd met. She wanted to avoid office drama at all costs. Mentioning the playboy seemed to summon him—thinking about him too, apparently.
Nelly also didn't want Kelvin to hear about Lucky. About her relationship with him. Even if "relationship" was too strong a word for what they had—him sticking around, refusing to leave, and her pretending not to care.
She had an inkling that everyone on that influential list was at each other's throats. She'd watched two of them nearly humiliate themselves publicly. She could never imagine Kelvin and Lucky in the same room.
Despite Sarah's promise, Nelly still tensed whenever she saw her talking to anyone.
"Are you alright, Nelly?" her petite coworker asked during lunch.
Nelly looked up, realizing how distracted she'd been. Sarah had chosen today not to sit with them. Worse, she was gossiping and laughing with a male colleague across the hall.
"I'm fine, Chioma." Unfortunately, her eyes betrayed her—they wouldn't peel away from Sarah and her companion. Nelly suddenly felt uneasy about making another friend.
The cafeteria was packed. An unusual number of staff huddled in every corner of the large hall. Mid-April meant everyone who'd been on leave had returned, filing reports before the next cycle.
Speaking of reports—she was supposed to give Kelvin feedback from processing Samuel's documents.
Just then, a thought struck her.
Who had falsified those records?
At this point, it was no longer coincidence.
Why had the products been made to seem like they were created a year before they were commercialized? Exactly one year after Akor was established?
What really happened?
The thought stayed with her as she walked to Kelvin's office.
She stood patiently, waiting for the door to recognize her. Took a deep breath.
The door opened.
Head down, she walked in—and walked straight into something solid.
Kelvin had been walking out at the same time.
"You're late."
"Sorry, sir. I—" Her throat closed.
"I'm heading out for lunch. Wait until I get back."
The hallway was silent. Even his footsteps made no sound. It echoed Nelly's thoughts.
"Can I come with you?"
Why, why, why?
Nelly struggled to understand why she'd asked to join him. She'd just eaten. Weren't the world-class chefs at Akor good enough for him?
More importantly—why had he agreed?
---
Sitting across from her, Kelvin ate patiently while Nelly stared into space.
She'd half-expected him to take her to Mandibu again. She was almost certain her boss had been banned after the Austin incident.
Still, Lush Café was no less exquisite. It carried the same ambiance—intricate design, air so fresh it felt purified. The main hall was almost full, but they sat in the VIP section.
Alone.
She grew tenser with each passing moment, questioning if she should give the report here. A light shiver rippled through her.
Is it me, or is this room getting colder?
Her mind wandered so far she barely noticed Kelvin had finished eating. He was watching her.
"Do you know Samuel?"
"Yes—" She caught herself. "No."
"Not personally. We both had a close acquaintance." Her eyes fell. "He's gone now, though."
"Okay. Seems you had an effect on him. Thanks to that, he signed quicker than I anticipated." He paused. "Good job."
Another congratulation. Of course—that's why he agreed. What other reason could there be?
No—it didn't make sense. Samuel had said he wanted to sell. So why was Kelvin congratulating her?
"I thought he wanted to sell."
"No. That greedy glutton was asking for ten billion and five percent on all future sales." His voice deepened. "Setting the records straight was the first step toward our agreement. Only after he met you—" A pause. "He suddenly called and agreed to five billion."
A stiff smile appeared on his lips. "It made the board proud. They asked that I congratulate you."
Nelly reeled. Her mind split into a thousand possibilities. What was he after? Why the sudden change of heart?
Only one variable made sense: her.
Meeting her had prompted this.
She'd seen the fear in his eyes, sensed ulterior motives. She'd thought it was guilt. Was Samuel truly complicit?
No—that was too shallow. Why take only one product out of twenty, if he had access to all? The possibilities were endless.
But one thing stayed constant: Samuel was hiding something. And she was going to find out what.
"Are you alright, Miss Nelly?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"You've not even touched your food."
Nelly froze. She was sure she'd heard wrong. His voice now carried a clear hint of care.
"I'm sorry, sir. It's not that I lied—I ate before coming. I didn't want to disappoint you, so I ordered." Her eyes sparked. "Now I've lost my appetite."
Kelvin's demeanor shifted.
"It's okay. You don't have to apologize." He gestured at the food. "My mom taught me when I was young never to waste food."
Then his smile grew.
"Miss Nelly, are you perhaps interested in me?"
Nelly's mouth dropped.
Of all the possibilities, only now did she really look at him. Perfectly trimmed hair and beard. A chiseled face that looked sculpted. Smooth skin.
Oh no.
She'd been staring at him the whole time—lost in thought, yes, but it was... enough to send the wrong impression.
"No, sir." She chuckled nervously. "Just lost in thought."
"Something like that."
She sighed. "It was seeing an old friend. With it came memories long buried, colliding with the ones that refused to stay buried. Spiraling into chaos."
"I think I get it." His voice softened. "I mean, it's not every day you see your ex at your new workplace, after so many years."
Huh? Wait, what—
"That's not it." She straightened. "Definitely not an ex."
This time, she heard him right.
Kelvin laughed.
It was the most pleasing laugh she'd ever heard. And very short. Too short.
"Well, whatever the situation is, I hope you iron it out before he leaves the country again."
She gave him a frosty look. "Sir, is Samuel planning to leave the country?"
"Yes. He didn't tell you?" He raked a finger through his hair. "He said he was leaving for good. Blabbering about how he was finally done with Nigeria."
Nelly rubbed her sweaty hands on her thighs.
"He'll be traveling in Akor's jet. On the twenty-first. The final part of his request."
Samuel was leaving.
The first real lead she'd had in years.
Why was he leaving?
The man who'd entered his office and the one who'd left were completely different. Only one thing had changed: meeting her.
She was the reason he was leaving. The reason he'd changed his mind and sold faster.
It didn't make sense. Samuel, what are you hiding?
---
A few minutes later, Kelvin walked her to the car. Lush Café had high respect for their VIP guests—they even had a private entrance and exit, away from the crowd.
The feeling was nostalgic as they stepped out. Nelly had a faint hope he'd take her hand.
Nelly, what are you thinking? Focus.
Samuel was going to disappear. She had to find him before he did.
She had one week.
---
The wind caressed her skin gently as a lavender-mixed fragrance hit her nose.
Nelly wore shorts and a white top, enjoying the evening breeze. Earlier that day, she'd hit a wall. Samuel was leaving, and she had to do something.
One tiny problem stopped her.
She had no way to contact him. The address in Akor's records had long been vacated. Leaving her with two options.
She could call Kelvin, explain she needed her friend's address—which would only raise suspicion about why she hadn't gotten it herself.
Her second option was why she now walked through her neighborhood in the evening breeze.
Stealing a quick glance over her shoulder, she caught the annoying smirk of the eccentric playboy. His perfume hit her again.
This was going to be a long night.