Chapter 005

"Why do you keep doing this to me, Nathan?" Even though the storm inside of me was anything but quiet, I asked, my voice hardly more than a whisper. He was standing in the corridor, staring at me with an intensity I remembered all too well, but I hadn't expected to find him waiting outside my apartment.

I no longer felt like I knew Nathan, the man who had once meant the world to me. He was standing in front of me like a ghost I couldn't get away from, drawing me into a maelstrom of memories I'd attempted to bury.

He said, "I’m sorry, Lola," in a quiet, almost begging voice. "None of this was intended by me. You must trust me.

I took a step back and shook my head, as though putting some distance between us would somehow calm the roiling emotions inside of me. "Are you sorry? After all? after you deceived me, took advantage of me, and then left as if it didn't matter?"

I couldn't find it in myself to forgive him just yet, even though his face was contorted with guilt. "I made mistakes, Lola. But my love for you has never wavered. I'm here to make things right. To make it right."

I felt my chest tighten. His words sounded rehearsed, desperate. I knew he wasn’t being honest with me—there was always something hidden beneath the surface with Nathan. I turned away, unable to look at him any longer.

"I can’t do this again," I said, my voice firm despite the tears that threatened to spill. "You don’t get to come back into my life whenever it’s convenient for you. Not after everything that’s transpired."

There was silence between us for a time, and then Nathan went forward, reaching for my hand. "Lola," he said, his voice almost breaking, "please, don’t push me away."

I jerked my hand back, heart thumping. "You never offered me a choice, Nathan. You left me. And now you’re using me again. This time, I’m not going to let you break me."

Before Nathan could react, the door to my flat flung open behind me, and Yemi walked inside, his gaze frigid, his demeanor impenetrable.

"Is everything okay?" Yemi's tone was stern as he questioned, but his eyes briefly met mine with a glint of worry.

I was at a loss for words. The last thing I needed was for Yemi to witness me in such vulnerability—so damaged by the guy I had once trusted—as the mayhem whirled around me felt oppressive. However, Nathan remained standing there, his presence overwhelming me.

Nathan said, "Yemi," in a calm voice that had a hint of challenge in it. "We need to talk."

For the first time, I caught a glimpse of something unsaid when Yemi's eyes narrowed. A struggle for dominance. A caution. Whatever it was, I felt a temperature drop.

Yemi replied icily, "I don't think there's anything left to talk about," as she moved toward me. I could feel the weight of his presence encircling me, but his eyes never left Nathan's while he spoke. Without a word, he was taking charge of the issue.

Nathan started to argue, but Yemi's cold gaze cut him off. I had nothing to do with it; it was a struggle of wills. Nathan was obviously out of a chance. Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and walked away after giving me one final look with a regretful expression on his face.

I let out a breath and experienced a brief feeling of relaxation. The gravity of the situation struck me as Nathan's door clicked shut behind him. Yemi hadn't given me a glance since he came in, and his lack of eye contact felt accusatory.

I tried to slow my breath and muttered, "Thank you," in a scarcely audible voice. I was at a loss for words. I wasn't certain if I wanted to say anything else at all.

At first, Yemi didn't answer. With his arms folded, he stood staring at the door that Nathan had just entered. His voice was emotionless and flat when he eventually spoke.

His comments, "You should have told me about him," sliced like a dagger through the tension in the room. "You should have told me everything."

The roughness of his voice made me shudder. "What does that mean?" With pain shooting through me, I demanded. "You are aware of Nathan. You were aware of our interactions. Why is it important now?

Yemi's mouth tensed, and for a second I questioned whether I had gone too far. "Because," he continued slowly, "you have other problems besides him, Lola. There’s more at play here than just your past with him."

I stepped back, my mind hazy with bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

I could tell that something had changed when his gaze became icy and aloof. "Desmond is playing tricks on you. leveraging you. And I've been allowing it to occur."

The remarks were like a kick to the stomach. Desmond? Making use of me? The dread in Yemi's voice told me everything I needed to know, even though I didn't understand what he meant. Whatever was happening, it was more significant than I had thought.

"I don’t understand," I said. "What does Desmond want with me?"

Yemi's eyes briefly softened, but only for a second. "He desires command of the business. And he believes he can obtain it by using you."

My blood froze. Desmond was dangerous, I knew that, but this? I had been unwittingly caught in the thick of deception on a whole new level.

"But why would he think I’m the key to that?" My voice trembled as I asked.

Yemi's eyes flitted with an odd mixture of annoyance and another emotion, almost like remorse. "Because he knows how much I care about you."

I swallowed hard as I tried to take in what he had said. "So, you’re telling me that Desmond is using me to get to you?"

Yemi's jaw tensed as he nodded. "Exactly."

My heart was pounding. Nathan's treachery and Desmond's plotting were beginning to make sense in a way that alarmed me. All of this was not something I had requested. I had never desired to find myself embroiled in a corporate conflict, yet here I was.

"So what happens now?" With hardly more than a whisper, I asked. "What are we supposed to do?"

Yemi didn’t answer immediately away. Rather, he turned to face me, his eyes hardening, and I knew then that I was more than just a victim of corporate power politics. I was also ensnared in something much more hazardous, from which I had doubts about my ability to get away.

"I don’t know," he finally answered in a hoarse voice. "But, Lola, I'll keep you safe. You're not by yourself in this.

But something bit me as his words took hold. I sensed something in my gut that he wasn't telling me about. It didn't sound like the truth the way he said it.

My pulse pounded once again when we were interrupted by a pounding on the door before I could ask him what he meant. I wasn't ready for the transformation that was about to happen.

Yemi's face was unreadable as he turned toward the door. "Stay here," he stated in a decisive tone.

As I watched him make his way to the door, I stood motionless, my heart thumping in my chest. The last thing I anticipated, though, was seeing Desmond standing there with a smug smirk on his face as he opened it.

Desmond replied, "We need to talk, Yemi," in a chilly, vile voice.

I realized then that nothing would ever be the same.