Episode 9
lowly, the pieces of the puzzle were starting to make sense.
‘Does she…does Bellena know about this arrangement?’
‘It does not matter if she does, what matters is that you two are perfect for each other.’ She answered.
‘I see…this has been your plan all along, you want me to get married to a woman I don’t love, so I’d end up being miserable all of my life.’ Dean was greatly disappointed in his grandmother, he could not’t believe that this was coming from her.
‘Love does not matter in marriage, you are not just any man, you are Dean Legacy!’ She said.
‘It doesn’t matter who I am, if I am going to get married, I must marry because of love.’ Dean shared his mind.
‘No, you are going to marry Bellena Agwadike, she is the woman for you…’
‘Watch me leave…’ Dean hissed angrily and stormed out of the house.
‘Come back Dean!’ The old woman yelled at the top of voice, but that could not stop him from walking past the door.
All he could think of was Toke, he needed to find her, only that she was not taking her calls and he did not’t know where she lived.
‘Pick up please…I love you so much.’ His heart was breaking as he stared at his phone screen.
Toke was deliberately ignoring his calls and all of his text messages. He needed to see her face tonight, he needed to be with her. He could not handle the pain of her rejection.
He decided he would get her address from his secretary that was the only way out.
Back in the house, the woman’s eyes were still on him, she had plans for him and he could not deviate.
One of the security men had heard her screaming, so he’d rushed to check up on her.
‘You came on time Reuben.’ She turned to the young man.
‘I am at your service Madam, are you alright? I heard you screaming.’ He watched the old woman closely.
‘I am. I just need you to me a favour, Dean must never know about this.’ Her voice was stern and her eyes lacked humour.
‘Anything.’ Reuben nodded.
‘I want you to trail Dean tonight, text me his location, the people he’s going to meet. You must carry out this assignment smartly, he must not be aware that he is being followed.’ She gave her orders.
‘I will do as you have said.’ He nodded vehemently and rushed out of the house.
‘I have everything under control.’ A complacent grin spread on her face, no one dared to disobey her, even her grandson wouldn’t stand against her.
She lifted her phone and dialled a number, it rang twice, on the third ring, it was taken.
‘Good evening Ma…’
‘Bellena…come over to the mansion.’
Emma was not comfortable with the turnout of things. She had been protective of her sister, but it seemed her actions had turned out for the worst. She had gone to call Toke to see her favourite soap opera, “The Dahlias” when she’d found her sister crying.
‘Toke…you don’t need to quit your job. This is my fault, I am sorry. I was the one that put ideas in your mind. You know how bloggers behave, maybe his relationship with BellenaAgwadike is platonic. I was the one that read so much meaning to it.’ She knelt close to her sister.
Toke knew her sister was trying to persuade her, but her mind was already fixed. Dean was only using her to get the best sales for Flames, she had put in a lot of work in her proposal, she had done everything not just for herself, but to please him too.
But he was hooked up with someone else, someone other than her.
‘I have to stop working with him Ems, I was so blind. He has been using me all these years, he bought my undivided loyalty with a bed of roses and I foolishly swam in that lust. But my eyes are open now, I have seen the light’ Toke’s lips shook as she spoke.
Emma felt horrible as she saw her sister in so much pain.
‘You need to leave Dean and not your job, it took you years to land a job in Flames. There are no jobs in this country, just reconsider.’ She begged.
‘My mind is already made up Ems, I don’t love him anymore, I want nothing to do with Dean.’ Toke replied.
She had seen his calls and his numerous text messages, which were all lies. How could he love her and still be with another, she did not’t like men that used women.
‘Is that your phone?’ Emma heard the ring tone.
‘It’s him, it’s that liar.’ Toke snapped.
‘You’re being ridiculous and somehow childish. I agree that I played a part in this Toke, but the way you’re going about it is overboard. What hurts me most is the fact that you want to quit your job.’ Emma hissed.
‘You are supposed to be happy Ems, this is all you ever wished for, all you ever wanted…’
‘For you to be unemployed?’ Emma’s eyes grew wide, was her sister trying to accuse her of something.
‘No, you never liked Dean from day one, why then are you still mad now I have chosen to end things with him?’
‘Toke…Dean is not the right man for you, maybe he is, but you know the secrets surrounding our family. We are not made for the spotlight, Dean is not the man for you but the job at Flames belongs to you, it is your right, you earned it.’ Emma placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘Tell me Emma, have you ever been in love with someone?’ Tokeasked.
‘Yes, briefly.’ Emma nodded.
‘I don’t think it was true love. Do you know how tormenting it would be to work in the same place with the man who broke my heart? You make it sound so easy. The truth is, if I keep working there, I’d be operating at a high level of self deceit and that is sickening.’ Toke was being truthful, she was not the type of woman who turned back on her words.
Deep inside her heart, she had decided to forget him. Nothing good could come out of their union, so why waste time? But her mind whispered to her, her mind told her the truth that she was running away from; she could never get over him.
The personality of Dean was rare to find, rare to get connected to. He was a very special man, whose touch had changed her entire life forever.
‘You need to relax and think this through, you don’t just take serious decisions impulsively.’ Emma advised.
‘I am not being impulsive, I know damn well what’s best for me.’ Toke was sure of what she wanted.
‘You don’t look sure to me, you’re still hooked on Dean’ Emma hissed.
A sharp pain crossed her chest as she realized her sister was speaking her mind, but she refused to back down, she would fight him and the feeling she had. Dean was not the man for her, so there was no use pursuing something that wasn’t going to work.
‘I need to get you a class of water, it would help you stay calm.’ Emma walked towards the door, she was about leaving for the kitchen when the door bell rang.
The sound of the bell caused her to jolt from the bed, ‘That’s strange, I don’t get visitors…except’ fear engulfed her as she imagined him coming back for more.
‘Vector?’ Emma’s countenance fell, she was equally afraid.
‘I just hope he is not the one, I don’t have any more money to give him, I am so broke…I just wish all these would end.’ Toke buried her face in her arms.
Tears sprang up in Emma’s eyes as she watched her sister, they’d been in this together for many years now, who will rescue them now?
‘That’s why you shouldn’t quit your job. They’d kill us both if we fail to pay them the monthly income.’ Emma said.
‘I am so afraid, what should we do?’ Toke walked closer towards the door.
‘Let’s check him out…’ Emma grabbed her sister’s hand, this gave Toke the strength that she needed to move on, with her sister right there with her, she was sure that everything would turn out right.