Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty three

Chapter Twenty Three

'Escapes are fun while they last, but that's only because they don't last as long as harsh, cold reality'

*******************

Mid August,

Mayfair Home,

South Africa.

Amanda.

Pure bliss, her life at the moment pure bliss.  She turned to Denola, her lips twisted in a charming smile.

"What did you say?" Amanda asked, she had been deep in her reverie and had missed the last thing he said.

"I said one of my friends has a yacht, I spoke to him this morning and he invited us for dinner tonight. Are you up for it?" Denola asked.

Amanda nodded and turned back to the television. "Of course, I've never been on a yacht before" She responded.

"For real, we do have one back at home. Jadesola loves her cruises, we'll have brunch with the family when we get back" Denola promised and poured himself some juice.

Amanda moaned "How can you even want to go back? we have everything here. I'm happy, you're happy too right?" she asked sending him a puppy dog expression.

Denola smirked "We aren't leaving till September honey, by then you'll be tired of this place and be craving home" Denola said dropping the glass of juice on the stool beside him.

"I doubt it, nothing could be more perfect. Seriously Denola, I want to stay here forever" Amanda said.

Denola cocked his eyebrow in her direction but said nothing more.  "I love you" he said watching the glow on her face.

He couldn't deny that she'd been back to her old self the minute they left his home in Nigeria and now she was better. He wanted to keep her this happy all the time but living here forever and leaving his family was out of the question, it was too impossible.

"We could leave and come back every holiday but we can't stay here for life baby" Denola responded.

Amanda sighed and nodded "I know, you're the heir....bla bla bla. I just wish things were different sometimes" Amanda said moving closer to him.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Different how?" Denola asked.

Amanda's lips twitched, she couldn't tell him how she wished she didn't have a scandalous past, he didn't have responsibilities and it was just two of them touring the world together.

She was about to conjure up a lie when the house keeper walked into the room. "Madam, I've gotten the stuff" Doris muttered.

Amanda nodded and sat up immediately. "What's that?" Denola asked curiously.

"Ladies stuff" Amanda answered as she stood up from the sofa and walked out of the room.

Denola wrinkled his nose thinking that her monthly period had shît timing.

*

"I got two different brands ma, they are both popular and reliable brands" Doris said as they walked into her room together.

"Thank you very much, I don't want to  mention anything to my husband till I'm sure. Thanks for keeping this between us" Amanda said.

Doris smiled and nodded. "It's nothing ma" she said and walked out of the room bumping into Denola as she stepped out of the room.

She muttered something he didn't hear and walked past him quickly.

"Doris is being weird" Denola noted eyeing Amanda with suspicion as he walked into the room. Amanda shrugged "Maybe it's that time of the month" she teased.

Denola made a face "Don't even start, yours is bad enough" he said as she picked up the nylon bag and walked into the bathroom.

Denola sat on the bed and picked up her phone that was right beside him. He smiled when he saw her wallpaper. It was a picture of the two of them at a restaurant in Dubai.

He heard the water running in the bathroom as he opened her gallery looking at more pictures of the two of them from their vacation.

They were quite the pair, he smiled as he saw a picture of him asleep on the plane. She'd taken the picture when they were leaving Dubai.

He shook his head at more goofy pictures and was still scrolling through her gallery when he saw a picture of someone's birth certificate.

Daniella Morenike Mayfair.

He looked at the picture long and hard and wondered if he'd ever met any of his relations with that name but most importantly why did Amanda have the person's birth certificate.

"Babe" Amanda called from the bathroom startling him a little.

"Yeah?" he responded. "How do you feel about being a dad?" She asked in a teasing note.

"What?" he asked dropping the phone and getting up from the bed instantly.

He walked into the bathroom and saw her bent over the bath tub.

"I'm pregnant!" she said waving  a home pregnancy test kit in his face.

Denola looked at her hand and the stick a little flustered. "What?" he asked again.

"I'm pregnant, two pink lines. You're going to be a father" Amanda said slowly this time as if the news was too much for him to take in.

"What?" Denola broke into a smile taking the test stick from her hand and looking at it to confirm what she'd just said.

"Are you happy?" She asked a worried expression on her face.

Denola grinned "Of course I'm happy! Babe how can you even ask me that? I'm a little shocked...I thought you were on the pill?" Denola asked.

"I haven't been consistent since we moved in to Mayfair. Too many things on my mind, I'm sorry" Amanda said moving into his arms.

"Baby, don't be. I'm happy, I can't wait to have a family with you" Denola said kissing her lips.

Amanda pulled away "Isn't it too soon,  I mean we're practically on our honey..." she was saying when Denola cut her off with another kiss.

"I love you so much, baby you have no idea how much I love you" Denola murmured against her lips before picking her up and taking her out of the room.

Daniella Morenike Mayfair and the birth certificate were momentarily forgotten.

****************

Abuja,

Nigeria.

Kadin threw his cell phone against the wall angrily and swore loudly. "Hakeem still has nothing!" He shouted turning to his mother.

Hajiya rolled her eyes and turned to her son.  "Why do you care about her so much? She's gone, probably dead.  Marry another woman and have more children my jewel" She said gently.

"She's not dead!" Kadin sparked.

"First it was Halima, then it was Hassana. I smell foul play here. Hassana is in Jos I know it. She's a smart girl, she's hiding I know. Hakeem isn't looking well enough, I just need to get her location. I know how to bring her back" Kadin said.

Hajiya smiled "Kadin, she's gone.  Aliu has searched for her, Hakeem too even her stupid useless brother Rasaq has searched everywhere in Jos and Lagos. If she was alive, you'd have found her by now" Hajiya insisted.

"She's alive,  I can feel it. When I find her, I'm going to deal with her. She's going to regret leaving me" Kadin swore as he picked up his other cell phone.

He called his most trusted aid Aliu. Aliu answered on the first ring. "Where are you?" he asked angrily.

'I went out to lunch Boss, is everything alright?' Aliu asked over the phone.

"Yes, I just need you to get Mila from school. I'm busy and Hajiya can't go today. The school won't let anyone else pick her" Kadin said.

'Okay Boss' Aliu said ending the call. He turned to Jadesola who was filing her nails beside him without any care in the world.

"Babe, I have to go get my Boss's daughter from school today. We can't go home now" Aliu informed.

Jadesola sighed exasperated "But I want to go home already, why are you picking up the girl anyway,  are you his nanny?" Jadesola asked rudely.

Aliu shot her a glare "Behave yourself, I've explained this to you before. I'm the only one he trusts, Jemila is an angel she won't be a bother. Besides we'll just get ice-cream for her and drop her off at home. We aren't babysitting her the whole day" Aliu said harshly.

Jadesola pouted "I'm sorry babe, I don't mind.  Actually I'd like to meet this Boss of yours" Jadesola said giggling.

Aliu smiled but said nothing more, he wasn't a man of many words from what Jadesola had noticed.

In a few minutes, they were at Jemila's school. Aliu parked his car and got out of the car while Jadesola stayed put.

The minute he got out of the car,  she dropped the nail file and leaned towards the backseat.  She picked up the brown file containing documents and went through it's content.

It was mostly about his Boss's business and his investments so she dropped it hastily and picked up her nail file again.

So far she was having the time of her life with Aliu,  they were polar opposites but you know what they say about opposites attracting.

Much to her mother's disappointment, she hadn't gotten anything concerning Amanda Arinze but she wasn't giving up yet. She was sure Abuja held a couple of Amanda's dirty secrets.

Aliu returned later carrying a little girl,  she smiled as she opened the back seat and deposited Jemila there. Aliu soon returned to the front seat and turned to Jadesola.

"Say hi, she's a little shy" he muttered to Jadesola with a grin on his face.

Jadesola grinned and turned to look at the little girl, she froze immediately the girl looked up at her.

"Hey" she said softly. Jemila smiled at her revealing her perfect teeth.

"Hello" Jemila waved her dainty fingers before looking out of the window.

"You should see her at home, chatterbox. She's the spitting image of her mother though" Aliu said.

"Interesting.....you know you always mention her dad but never her mother" Jadesola said looking back at Jemila.

Those eyes, innocent eyes but they looked oddly like the mocking ones she'd seen a few times.

"Her mom is abroad....business. she rarely comes home" Aliu said. He and Jadesola were still getting to know each other.

He couldn't exactly tell her that Jemila's mother left home after collaborating with her sibling to steal from her husband.

They hadn't found her till now but they were desperately looking for her.

"Millie, what flavor of ice cream do you want?" Aliu said stopping at her favorite ice cream place.

"Coconut!" Jemila said excitedly and began to bounce excitedly. Jadesola smiled as Aliu got out of the car.

She quickly brought out her phone and took a picture of the girl in the backseat.  "How old are you Jemila?" Jadesola asked adopting an animated voice she used only when speaking to AJ.

"I'm four years old" Jemila answered with a smile.

"That's lovely, you're a pretty girl.  Your uncle Aliu said you're an angel and he's not wrong you know....."Jadesola said.

Jemila sent her a bright smile and began to chatter about her day in school.

Aliu soon returned with ice cream for Jemila and Jadesola. Jadesola leaned closer and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks honey, mmmm chocolate chip my favorite" She said taking out the plastic spoon from the bag.

Aliu insisted that she remained in the car, when they got to his boss's house.  She bade Jemila good bye when he said that he wouldn't be long.

The minute Aliu and Jemila were out of the car, she called her mother.

"Young lady, why haven't I heard from you since yesterday?" Atalia asked the minute she answered.

"I've been busy, check your whatsapp I just sent you a picture. I think you should tell your research guy to find out more about the girl in the picture" Jadesola said.

'A girl?  For Christ's sake Jade, come back if you didn't get anything. I have news for you anyway' Atalia said.

"Mom I can't come home now, I think I'm getting close to something, just check the picture first" Jadesola insisted.

'Fine, but there's something else you should know' Atalia informed.

"What?" Jadesola asked looking out the window, keeping an eye out for Aliu.

'Denola called, Amanda is pregnant' Atalia said.

"For him?" Jadesola asked stupidly.

'No, for Jesus. Of course it's your brother's child.  I'm happy I'm becoming a grandma but I'm not happy about the choice of my grandchild's mother.  Look, just forget the whole mission.  She's pregnant, there's no getting rid of her again'  Atalia said sourly.

Jadesola was about to reply when she saw that Aliu was returning. "I'll call you back" she said ending the call hastily.

Aliu opened the car door "You have to come in for lunch Jade. Jemila spoke about you and Hajiya my boss's mother insists on meeting you. Come on" Aliu said with a small smile.

Jadesola smiled "Alright" she said getting out of the car.  She couldn't shake the feeling that she was getting closer to finding out some big secret.

The feeling continued pestering her as she walked into the mansion. Aliu's boss was filthy rich she thought as she walked into the house.

Who was he anyway?