By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
‘Sir Felix, Chioma called when you
were in the board meeting. She said that she would love to take you out for lunch
by noon today…as agreed.’ Peter told him everything, word for word.
Felix was excited as he played with
the mini globe in his hands. His eyes became tender and gentle at the mention
of Chioma taking him out for lunch.
‘Sir
Felix, there is still scandal about you two going on, how can you two agree to
have lunch together. I could go on your behalf because she had also promised me
lunch before.’
‘Of
course she is my special friend so I am allowed to be with her, but you are
not…’Felix sounded serious.
‘But
Sir Michael proposed to her, will you be able to cope with the engagement ring
on her finger?’ Peter asked, concerned.
‘Get
back to work.’ Felix shot Peter a cold glare.
Peter laughed,
scratched his forehead and said when he saw the smile return back to Felix’s
face. ‘Sir, my cousin is getting married the day after tomorrow. I was hoping
you would give me the morning off. I will be back by lunch.’ Peter said knowing
that Felix was in a good mood.
‘You
can take the entire day off!’
‘Thank you so much,
Sir.’ Peter was pleased.
After Peter left, Felix slowly got up
and watched the cars and pedestrians outside the window.
Michael
had proposed to Chioma and she accepted him. He wished he was the one for her,
but he was still grateful that he still had the chance to be her special best
friend. Though most times he felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of the
woman he loves dearly belonging to someone else, he would still be happy for
Michael for winning the sweep.
He
was invited by Chioma to have lunch with him. This meant that Chioma had openly
accepted to remain close friends with him, and he knew that Michael was aware
of it.
Felix looked at the window and then, he
reached out his fingers to draw a heart on the glass. Then, he smiled charmingly,
‘I love you so much Chioma, but I am glad that you are making my brother very
happy. I won’t ruin your love with him. I am glad for you two,’ he said in a
gentle whisper.
At
Aso Rock Villa, President Obinna sat on his chair in his magnificent office and
saw the pictures of Michael and Chioma on the front page. The headline was; love blooms in Wuse Market.As he was about flipping through the
next page, he received a call from Emmanuel.
‘What
is it?’ Obinna asked Emmanuel when he picked up the call.
‘I want you to do me a favour…’
‘After
what your daughter did to my son, do you think I will listen to your request?’
‘We
are not to blame…I know that my daughter is very silly, but for old time sake…’
‘What
actually do you want?’
‘Your buildings at
Mpape.’ ‘Oh, I sold it out years
ago…What will you be doing at that place that bustles with people, sweat and
smoke? I sold everything I have there because I don’t want to look at the
development of that place just yet…I’ve got better things to do.’
‘If that is the case,
I should contact the landlord,’Emmanuel said and hung up even before Obinna had
the chance of asking him his reason for wanting the place.
Obinna might not understand what was
going on but he felt that Emmanuel was up to no go. At this thought, he picked
up his phone to ring Edward, ‘Are you still at the hospital?’
‘No, I have
left home already,’Edward said from the other end of the line.
Obinna didn’t say more. He
hung up and began to read the newspapers on his table again. He was the
president of the country and has so many responsibilities to shoulder and
wouldn’t have the time to investigate why Emmanuel wanted to buy properties
from Mpape, which he had neglected.
Meanwhile, full of worry for Jessica, Emmanuel
left the CBN headquarters and headed home. Upon seeing Jessica sadly on the
sofa, his heart sank.
‘Dad…’Jessica
cried as she flew into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. ‘What
should I do? Does this mean Michael will never marry me?’
‘Jessica…how
about you go overseas temporarily to distract yourself? After a while, you can
return back again. Before you return, I promise to do something that will make
Michael marry you.’
After
hearing his words, Jessica froze in realisation, ‘Dad, you’re asking me to go
overseas? Dad, do you think Michael will let your break him? Let me tell
you, I know Michael too well; he will not listen to you. I definitely will not
go. Plus…Dad, don’t forget, that Michael will think he has won if I leave. He
might take advantage of that fact and marry Chioma…’
‘That…that’s
not what I meant…’
‘Dad, I
don’t care what you mean; I simply want to be with Michael.’
‘Jessica,
think carefully, who do you want to spend the rest of your life with? Do you
love Nathan?’
‘Of
course I love Michael, only him!’Jessica responded painfully. ‘But, Michael
doesn’t love me at all. He even hates the air that I breathe. He loves that
lowly woman.’
‘Michael’s
family doesn’t care about that lowly girl,’Emmanuel said. ‘Even if she succeeds
in marrying him, she doesn’t still stand the chance to inherit anything from
the Njemanze family…’
‘Dad,
I don’t really care about the Njemanze family wealth. I only care about
Michael.’ She looked at Emmanuel. ‘I love him so much.’
‘I
am going to help you…’Emmanuel wiped her tears with his hands. ‘I know that
forcing a demolition would make Chioma submit…I will have to beat that poor
girl into retreating.’
‘Negotiations
wouldn’t work on her,’said Jessica.
‘Then, I will use alternative
measures, which is why I will purchase that piece of land that Chioma and
her family lives in…I am certain that you will be satisfied with her
compromise.’
‘Will
you stop the forced demolition if she agrees to leave Michael?’Jessica asked.
‘My plans are simple and if the
lowly-girl is able to compromise, I will surely stop the demolition and
relocation of that area…’
‘Relocation?
Are you going to pay them?’Jessica raised an eyebrow.
Emmanuel
smiled gently. ‘Yes, you see, if she doesn’t agree with my terms I will
forcibly demolish that place and pay them 2000 naira per person…to make it look
real,’he paused and said again. ‘It will appear in the surface that the Nnaji
group wants to acquire that place for business expansion which will help the
swift development of that place.’
Jessica
laughed. ‘Dad, you’re too smart.’Jessica knew that his father was a bit
extreme, but she couldn’t help but admire him even more. ‘Dad, we can’t let her
know that we are behind this, if not I know that she will definitely seek
revenge on us. We would make sure to freeze her, after hitting her hard, she
will have no choice than to disappear from Abuja with her family, that’s if they
make it alive…plus, all companies that would want to work with Chioma or any
member of her family, we will make sure that they aren’t hired.’
Emmanuel glanced around.
‘Where is Rebecca?’
‘She
went to meet Aunt Patricia,’ Jessica replied. After a moment of silence she
said softly, ‘You need to head back to Imo State with mum. As the governor,
it’s wrong to abandon your subjects like that…Give the command of what you want
to be done, then you go back already. I don’t want you to be impeached because
of me.’
Emmanuel
smiled and planted a kiss on Jessica’s forehead. He might be the governor of
Imo State, but he felt that his daughter should always come first before any
other thing. He would do his best to end things between Michael and Chioma.
Just like he had promised Jessica, he had to use this forcible demolition to
stop Chioma from getting along with Michael. He wanted his daughter to be with
the man that she loves. She was his heiress and has to do something to always
make her happy. So from now all he could only continue to help his daughter
step all over Chioma.
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