chapter 2: say yes to the devil

Lamidi Kabirat Action

*Chapter 2: Say Yes To The Devil*"Hey babe, I miss you."David's text glowed on my screen.Seven days. Seven days of me crying, checking my phone every ten minutes, thinking maybe he had an accident, maybe his phone spoiled. Seven days of my mother using her last money to save me from shame.And now - "Hey babe, I miss you."Like I was a dog he could whistle back.Adrian Knight was still watching me. His eyes were fixed on my phone. On David's name."Your boyfriend?" His voice was calm, but his jaw tightened."He is not my boyfriend anymore," I said, and before my heart could stop me, I switched off the phone. Completely.Adrian's eyebrow raised. Just a little. Like he was impressed."Good girl," he whispered."I haven't said yes," I quickly said. My voice was shaking. "I need rules. If I stay here, I need rules. I am not a slave."That made him laugh. A real laugh this time, deep and low."Rules," he repeated, as if the word amused him. "Okay. Let's hear your rules, little girl."I swallowed hard and stood straight. "One, don't touch me without my permission. Two, I will still go to school. Three, you pay me my salary on time. 250k as you said."He walked around me slowly, like a lion circling. "And what do I get in return?""You get a house assistant. I will cook, clean, whatever you want. That's all."He stopped in front of me. He was so close I could see the tiny scar on his lower lip."You are negotiating with the wrong man, Amara. I don't want a house assistant. I have ten of them. I want you."My legs almost gave way."Why me?" I whispered. "You don't even know me. You just saw me today.""I knew you the day you applied for that shop job in Wuse 2 last month," he said.My mouth opened. How did he know that? I never told anyone."I own that plaza. I saw your CV. I saw your picture. And since that day, I have not been able to get you out of my head."He brought out his phone and showed me. My passport photo. From my CV. He had saved it.This man was obsessed. Truly obsessed. And I should have been scared. I was scared. But there was something else too - something I had never felt before. No one had ever wanted me this badly.David never even saved my picture."My conditions are simple," Adrian said, his voice now serious. "You live here. You cut off that boy completely. You wear what I buy for you when we go out. And you let me take care of you. Your school fees, your mother's drugs, everything. In return, I promise I will never force you. If you want me to touch you, you will have to beg for it."My cheeks burned hot. "I will never beg you!""We will see," he said with a smirk. He stretched out his hand. "So? Do we have a deal, Amara?"The mansion was quiet. Too quiet. Outside, Abuja was noisy, with keke and generators. Inside here, it was just me and him and his dark eyes.I thought of my small room in Lugbe. The landlord banging my door. My mom's tired voice. David's fake "I miss you".Then I looked at Adrian's hand. Big, strong, tattooed.I took it.His hand closed around mine. It was warm. Too warm. And he pulled me sharply towards him, so my chest hit his.He didn't kiss me. He just looked down at me, his breath on my forehead."Welcome home, Amara," he whispered.At that moment, a lady in a black uniform came downstairs. An older woman, maybe fifty."Sir, her room is ready," she said to Adrian, not even looking at me."Take her there, Mama Nkechi. And..." he looked at me, his eyes dark, "bring her the black dress. We have dinner with a client by 8PM. I want everyone to see what is mine.""I am not yours!" I snapped, pulling my hand away.He leaned down, his lips almost touching my ear, and said the words that sent shivers down my whole body:"Not yet. But you will be. Before this week ends, you will be screaming that you are mine."Mama Nkechi gasped. I froze.And upstairs, I swear I heard another woman's laugh coming from one of the locked rooms.Who else was living in this house?*END OF CHAPTER 2*

Unfold