Chioma checked the time and picked up her phone to call Joe. It was already three hours past the time he called her he was on his way to Ceci's apartment. She needed to get Ceci's out of her way because Ceci will want to fight her when she kills her father and finally own the whole company.
"Hello, Joe," Chioma spoke up.
"Ma, I'm trying to dispose her body far away from here so, it'll look like she went missing," Joe said emptily.
"Oh, very well. Hope you left nothing that can implicate you?" she asked.
"No, Ma. Everything was done perfectly nothing implicating would be found in her apartment".
"I hope so. All the payments was sent to Makanaki's account, and I know very well that he'll only give you a peanut. So, forward your account details, let me compensate you personally", she grinned.
"That's very nice of you Ma. Thank you very much, I'll send it right away", said Joe.
"You're welcome. So, are you doing anything this evening?", said Chioma.
"Erm.. not really Ma. Do you need my help with something?", he replied reluctantly.
"Well, I was wondering if we can meet to celebrate this. Like chill out somewhere", said Chioma.
Joe didn't reply.
"Joe? Are you still there?".
"Uhm.. yeah. Ok, where and what time?".
"7pm at Oriental. That place will be very discreet. Do you like that place?", Chioma asked.
"Uhm, sure ma'am", Joe replied.
"Have you ever been there before?", Chioma asked.
"No ma'am", Joe replied.
"Trust me, you will love the place. Let me know when you get there, my driver will come to pick you".
"Alright, Ma", Joe said.
"Bye," she said.
"Bye".
She hung up the phone and relaxed on her chair beaming. There was a knock at her door. It was Mr. Garnahweh.
"It's late already, darling. Let's go home", Mr Garnahweh said motioning his wife to stand up.
"Oh, honey. I forgot to tell you that I have a meeting this evening with one of the new clients from Tanzania. He's here to negotiate the price of the new strips cotton. I already told him to call the meeting off that we could meet some other time but he said he's leaving Nigeria with the first flight tomorrow", she complained.
"Don't worry, I'll go and meet with him. You need to rest you've been working really hard throughout this week", said Mr. Garnahweh.
"No no, you promised to call Cecilia", she reminded him.
"It's true but that could wait till some other time. You need to rest", Mr Garnahweh said.
"Remember I'm the ideal woman now and you're the passionate father. You need to hear from her; it's been long since you guys talked. I want you both to have your privacy. And Simon will be sleeping over at Theo's house so, he won't disturb you". Chioma muttered.
"Ok, if you insist", Mr. Garnahweh said reluctantly.
"Yes, I insist. I will come back as soon as possible", Chioma said.
She pecked him and he left the office. Chioma always had a way of manipulating things. She went to the ladies to apply some make up. She checked her time and saw it was still some hours to 7pm.
"Aarghh.. it should be 7pm now?", she groaned. She sat back and checked her phone. Joe already sent his account details.
"Oops", she rubbed her forehead as she remembered she wanted to transfer moneyto him. That rumpled looking man made me forget the promise I made to my prince charming", she murmured.
..
..
..
"You're making things more complicated for us", Joe said worriedly.
"We need the money now, after all it's my Dad's money", said Ceci.
"But you know she'll ask for something in return for that", said Joe.
"Yes, that's the important thing now. We need to know what her next plan is, maybe she wants to use you to execute her plans", said Ceci.
"No, that's not what she's trying to do and you know that. She sounded flirtatious and has had bad record in having affairs with young men", said Joe.
"That's it, Joe. You'll agree to have an affair with her through that you can know all of her dirty secrets. You'll play along with her. You'll act very supportive to her".
Joe nodded his head thoughtfully.
"But do you think a woman like that will open up? She's smarter than that".
"It's just for you to make her get addicted to you. Take her on cloud nine, then, you'll ask her about her plans like a very gentleman", Ceci suggested.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I can do any of these. I can't- I can't have sex with her", he said disgustingly.
Ceci moved closer to him and took his hands. She fondled them and looked him in the eye.
"I know this is hard, it's hard for me too", she exhaled sharply. "And there are other ways you can get mutual other than sex".
"Do you know it's harder for me to even suggest this? I've never loved anyone else but you since the blast. I've always had it in my heart that you'd still come. I believed that even if you were really dead then, my faith will bring you back alive. Then, the Lord heard my cry and made you come back to me for me to watch you having an affair with that bitch? I will never ever allow her to take you too from me. I can give her everything but not you, Joe", she stood up and walked around with her hands in her pocket.
"But it's necessary for us to do this or else, she'll destroy me and Makanaki will destroy you too. It's what we must do to escape death", she continued.
He seemed to digest all she said and he nodded finally.
"So, let's get me out of here now and make this place look messy so they'll think I was abducted", said Ceci.