The meeting with her father went as she had expected. Chief Ikenna was a man of few words, but every word he spoke carried weight. His presence alone commanded respect, a trait Adanna had inherited. He had built the firm from nothing, pouring years of sweat and sacrifice into turning it into one of the most reputable names in the industry. Now, with his health slowly deteriorating, he was pushing harder for her to take on more responsibility—a burden she wasn't entirely sure she was ready to bear.
"Adanna," he started, his voice deep and deliberate as they sat across from each other in his office, the quiet hum of the city barely noticeable through the thick glass windows. "You're ready for this. It's time for you to take on more than what you've been doing. You've been shadowing me long enough."
Adanna shifted in her seat, the weight of his words pressing on her. She had always prided herself on being independent, capable of navigating life and its complexities without needing anyone's validation. But with her father's relentless push, the responsibility of running the firm was fast becoming her reality. The thought of it left her feeling small, unsure, and more than a little overwhelmed.
"Are you sure?" she asked, keeping her voice steady, though inside, her heart was pounding. "I've always believed in doing things in my own time. I don't want to rush into something I'm not ready for."
"You don't get to choose when you're ready, Adanna. Life doesn't wait for you to be comfortable," Chief Ikenna replied, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "This firm is more than just business—it's family. It's tradition. You're part of that legacy now, and you need to think about your future in the same way I've always thought about mine."
The words stung, but Adanna kept her composure. She had heard this speech a thousand times before. Chief Ikenna, in all his wisdom, expected her to step into his shoes—no questions asked. The firm was everything to him, and he expected her to continue it.
But the pressure, the constant weight of those expectations, felt like it was suffocating her. She had always been expected to follow a set path—graduate from a prestigious university, climb the corporate ladder, and eventually take over the family business. It was a life laid out for her with little room for deviation. And now, her father was pushing her further into that mold.
"I understand, Dad," she said, though her voice betrayed the uncertainty that ran deep inside her. "But there are other things I need to focus on too. My personal life, my relationships…"
Chief Ikenna waved his hand dismissively, cutting her off. "Your personal life will always be there, Adanna. The firm needs your attention now. Don't let distractions get in the way."
Her father's words hung in the air, cold and final. Adanna could feel the walls of the office closing in around her as his focus shifted back to the papers on his desk, the conversation moving forward as if it had never wavered. But in the back of her mind, the thoughts about her own future—her life outside of the firm—lingered, unresolved.
Then, as if sensing the moment of silence, Chief Ikenna leaned forward, his gaze growing more intense. "And about your personal life, Adanna. You're not getting any younger. You need to think about your future beyond just business. Damilola is a good match for you. He's reliable, strong, the kind of man who can offer you stability—something that Ebuka Chukwuma cannot provide."
Adanna froze, her heart skipping a beat. Her father knew about Ebuka? She hadn't mentioned him, had she? And yet, Chief Ikenna's words rang out with such certainty. There was no mistaking the direction in which he was pushing her.
"Dad, I—" she began, but Chief Ikenna raised his hand, cutting her off once again.
"I'm not saying you need to marry him tomorrow," he said, his voice taking on a softer edge. "But you need to think seriously about what you want from your future. Ebuka is a talented architect, but his personal life is a mess. He's not the man to build a stable future with. Damilola, on the other hand, he has everything going for him. He's dependable. I know him. I trust him. He's a good choice."
Adanna's hands clenched into fists beneath the table, her nails pressing into her palms. She hated how easily her father had made that decision for her. How he had already picked out the "right" man for her. She hated how her own personal life was reduced to a business transaction, a choice that would affect the trajectory of her family's future.
"Dad," she said, her voice quiet but firm, "I can handle my personal life. Ebuka is just a friend."
Her father raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look crossing his face. "Friend or not, Adanna, you have too much to lose. Think carefully about the choices you make. You're not a child anymore."
She nodded, though inside, a storm was brewing. Her father's words echoed in her mind—You have too much to lose. It was true. She had worked hard to earn her place at the firm, to build a reputation separate from her father's shadow. But now, it felt as if she was being forced to sacrifice her own desires, her own happiness, for the sake of the family name.
The meeting came to an end, and Adanna stood up, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. As she left her father's office, the weight of his expectations followed her, lingering like a cloud.
The moment she stepped out into the hallway, her phone buzzed in her pocket. The message was from Damilola, as always, precise and to the point:
We need to talk.
Adanna's stomach fluttered. It wasn't that she didn't care for Damilola—she did, deeply—but lately, their relationship felt like it was stalled. There had been a distance growing between them, a chasm that neither of them seemed willing to address. Damilola was steady, reliable, and always there, but there was something missing. Something that made her question whether she could still build the kind of future her father wanted for her with him.
But then there was Ebuka. The name alone was enough to make her pulse quicken. Ebuka had entered her life more recently, and from the first moment they met, he had brought with him a whirlwind of energy, of unpredictability. He was passionate, intense, and impossible to ignore. But he also represented something her father would never approve of—chaos, risk, and freedom. And yet, when she thought about him, something in her stirred that she hadn't felt in years.
As she drove through the streets of Abuja, Adanna's mind raced, torn between the two men in her life and the immense weight of the responsibility her father had just laid at her feet. Damilola, with his quiet steadiness and the life her parents envisioned for her, or Ebuka, with his energy and unpredictability, a life that could break her free from the chains of her father's expectations.
When she finally arrived at her apartment, the decision weighed heavily on her. She needed to talk to both of them. To Damilola, to figure out what was really going on between them. To Ebuka, to understand what he wanted from her—if anything at all. But first, she needed to clear her mind.
She threw her bag on the couch and wandered into the kitchen, her movements mechanical as she began to prepare a simple dinner. The silence in her apartment was deafening, and her thoughts seemed to swirl in every direction, but the task of cooking gave her a moment of clarity. She chopped vegetables, sautéed them in olive oil, and let her mind wander back to the conversation with her father.
The older man had been right about one thing—life didn't wait. Time marched forward relentlessly, and every day she hesitated felt like a day she couldn't get back. The responsibility of the firm was daunting, but what terrified her more was the possibility of living a life defined by others' expectations, by the weight of her family's legacy.
She finished her meal and quickly washed the dishes, the quiet routine grounding her in the midst of her swirling thoughts. It wasn't enough to distract her, though. The message from Ebuka kept flashing in her mind, reminding her of the uncertainty of everything else. How could she be expected to live up to her father's dreams when she couldn't even figure out her own heart?
Finally, she made up her mind. She couldn't go on like this, torn between two worlds. She needed to see Ebuka. To talk to him.
She needed to understand what he wanted from her, what this connection between them meant.
She walked into her bedroom and opened her wardrobe, running her fingers over her clothes. The black dress she chose felt like the right choice—simple but elegant. As she slipped it on, her heart raced, and she paused for a moment in front of the mirror. Was she doing the right thing? Was she ready for whatever would come next?
Adanna took a deep breath and straightened her posture, adjusting the dress to fit her perfectly. It was a moment of calm before the storm. She wasn't sure what the night would bring, but she knew one thing for certain: she couldn't keep pretending everything in her life was as it seemed. Something had to change. And tonight, she was ready to face it head-on.