I have something for you at the end of this chap, but read first❤️

Sunday, 11th august 2019.

'We can go back to hating each other tomorrow.'

Well, tomorrow came.

Despite Laila begging her family, they had to get going less than 24 hours after the coronation. Her family; Daddy, Mami, Mama Adda, Shehu, Modibbo, and Muslim were flying to Abuja for an event they were attending, leaving only Maya behind who after so much persuasion was staying back for a week.

Now those were the least of Laila's worries. The most pressing matter was the fact that Sudais and Naja's wedding was set a week from then. She had managed to convince herself she was okay with it, but she wasn't. Neither did she bother to hide it.

Naja was perfect, probably everything Sudais wanted in a woman and it scared her. The thought that she'd be shunned to the side scared her. She needed attention, all of the time and all of it. And now, she had to share it, with someone better than her in everything.

Did she say she was an egomaniac? Someone in love with themselves? She took it back. No one in love with themselves would do that.

As if that wasn't enough, this came;

"Naja is here and wants to greet your parents."

Laila almost thrashed the packaged kaftan she held with her hands. She rose narrowed eyes and pursed lips at his bent figure.

Her glare seemed to pass him and if it didn't, he did well in hiding that it did as he lifted the squishy packs one by one in search of a Kaftan while Laila held them.

"We'll be going to the guest house together."

That did it, the last bit of patience she had flown out, her body tensed up as she threw the stacked Kaftans to the floor and took a step back.

"Wha-Sadiya!"

Pointing a firm index to the floor, she gritted. "She is not seeing or greeting my parents."

He breathed loudly through his nose, tightening his lips. "She is just greeting them, they deserve a formal introduction anyway."

"Are you okay?" She motioned at her temple with a finger, then thrashed her arms, almost hitting him. "You're not even married."

"I'm marrying her in less than 7 days. And you," he pointed an index at her, "You better put that through your thick skull. I wasn't asking you, i was telling you."

"What are my parents going to think?"

Frown wrinkles formed on his forehead as he shook his head, "That's me showing respect. They know I'm bound to remarry, your dad already gave me his blessings but i want them to always know they'll be my most respected in-laws."

She picked no reason in what he had said. She wasn't going to calm down and did well by stabbing her fingers into her chest. "She is not seeing my parents. Ni, Laila nace Naja'atu baza taga iyaye na ba."

He mirrored her, stabbing a finger into his chest. "Ni Abba nace Naja'atu will greet your parents. Chew glass for all i care." He finished, kicking the Kaftans on the floor as he turned and headed to the door, he couldn't breathe the same air as her anymore.

Stomping her feet, she yelled. "I don't want you to marry her!"

He stopped in his tracks, turning with a raised brow as he shook his head and chuckled. "I don't care who you want me to marry or not. I want to marry-i have to marry her."

Her shoulders dropped along with her voice. "I want you to add a fair wife...someone who is not Naja."

She made no sense, all he could gather himself to ask was, "Why?"

She dropped her head to stare at her empty hands. "Because i always want to be your favorite and center of attention."

His shoulders dropped, a foot or two-stepping closer to her but she was still far. "Who said that was going to change?"

"I don't know...I can't shake the fear that I'll be sharing you with her and it's not going to turn out well."

He nodded, his stare turning icy as he tried hard not to scream. "And you think I've shaken the fact-the insult-the slap to my face that you cheated on me with someone I'm better than with everything?"

Now she didn't expect that but still shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. "I uh-i am n-i thought...i thought we were past that?"

"Past that..." he whispered, shaking his head as he looked down, then fixated his eyes on her, eyes avoiding his at all cost as she bit her lower lip and fiddled with her fingers. "ARE WE PAST THAT?"

She jerked back, his roar taking her off guard.

"ARE WE?"

No answer.

All she managed to do was start trembling while he started to vibrate, pace around so he didn't do shit they'll both regret. He stopped, whipping an arm to the door. "Past that you said? Do you have any idea how stupid and selfish that sounds?"

She said nothing and that only fueled him. It was one thing to ignore him when he wasn't angry, frustrated, and ready to vent, but it was another to ignore him when he was ready to rain hell. "Ke Laila! Kalli ni. Kikace we are past that? Tayaya zamu taba passing? Do you think just because i still want you that i have forgiven or forgotten about that?"

Unable to form words from her trembling lips, she shook her head.

He cracked his knuckles, the anger he had suppressed for months taking charge of his next words. He walked to her, grabbing her chin to bring her teary eyes to his pink ones. "When was it? When did you have sex with him?"

She closed her eyes at the question, a sob escaping her as the memories flashed over her eyes.

"Was it that same day? That same day i got you apples?"

A shaky breath flew from her opened lips and he squeezed her chin harder. "Look at me. Was it the same day?" She didn't look at him, but she did nod. "Same day i went out at 3 Am?" She nodded again.

He pushed and released her as if she burnt him as she stumbled to hold unto anything so she wouldn't fall. She was successful, she weakly dragged back until she landed on the bed while Sudais hit his palm on his forehead, then dragged it down until he gripped his chin.

"I am so stupid, wallahi. I always turn very stupid whenever i find someone i think is worth it. Tahir is always right." He muttered to himself, pacing back and forth and halting to glare at her, then continue.

"Where did it happen?" Before she could ignore him again, he warned. "Billahil'azim don't you dare ignore me, ANSWER MY QUESTION. Where did it happen?"

She hiccuped, removing her glasses to wipe her tears and fist the sheets. "At his house."

"Same house you lived in with him?"

She nodded.

"Same bed?"

She nodded.

He scoffed, smiling, laughing, hissing, and then dropping the act. "You left school to go see him? Or did you never even go to school that day?"

She hesitated, shaking her head but that didn't give him an exact answer. He asked 2, anyway.

His questions weren't going to change anything. What was done was done. She composed herself, tired of the questions and striving to see the end of it. "I left school. What else do you want to know, what positions he had me in?"

A bottle from nowhere flew past her, crashing into the headboard and gaining a jerk and scream from her, more tears falling from her eyes as he stormed towards her to yell, "I don't want to know!"

Pacing back and forth, he felt his mechanism wasn't working so he planted himself on the grey accent chair of the heated-up room. Stance wide, he held his head in his hands, diving into his mind.

He had pushed away the thought, the possibility from his mind every time he thought of it. He reminded himself that she was out of the man's life for good, she was with him for eternity now, and that most of this wasn't her fault. He had suppressed his anger for so, so long.

Now that she had pushed him to the extreme, automatically unleashing hell on herself, he couldn't help but think about what Tahir said.

Was Laila jazzing him as everyone said about Asma'u?

He shook his head, no way. He wouldn't be able to act against her if she was. He wouldn't be able to even think about it.

Despite the reasons he had to let her go back to her miserable life, he still felt the need to keep her with him.

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM?

What was all this?

He was 32 for God's sake. 32 years.

Not only was he struggling with a chaotic first wife, he was also getting another.

Damn it.

That was it. Laila didn't want him as he wanted her. She didn't want him in respect, in good, in bad, in better, in worse as he wanted her. All she did was push him to the edge. But Naja? She wanted him in all the ways he wanted Laila.

Although he wasn't sure he could reciprocate it, he'd try.

His mom needed him. His unmarried sisters needed him. The throne needed him. He wasn't going to throw all that away for Laila. He wasn't going to die of a heart attack or blood pressure for her.

He needed to not just stop thinking about her, he needed to erase her. Make peace with her, then erase her and move on to his next wife who didn't attract chaos everywhere she went.

He zoomed out, spreading his arms. "You know i know you still cry at night over the stupid boy ko?" He looked up to find her still in her position. "That aside ma. Did you ever think of an apology?" The only sounds apart from his heavy breaths and her shaky ones were the faint noises from downstairs and the balcony. "Did you? Tell me, tell me did you? Have you ever-"

"I apologized..." she croaked.

"YOU APOLOGIZED BECAUSE YOU WERE SCARED OF YOUR FATHER'S REACTION. YOUR FAMILY'S REACTION." His voice went low, a finger stabbing put against his chest, "Not to me. Me...your husband..."

He surprised even himself with his next words. "All i wanted was an apology. Closure. You're human, we're stupid and when we're clouded we make stupid mistakes. If you had genuinely apologized, I would've put this all behind, that was how much i wanted you," she didn't miss the part where he used past tense instead of present continuous tense and that had her sobbing louder and harder. "I'm all tough but you make me crack. Only you."

With her last bit of energy, she clasped her trembling palms against each other in front of her and dropped her head. "I am...i am so sorry," she ceased to drop her shoulders. "I am so sorry Sudais. Please forgive me."

He shook his head, his mouth twisting and his brows creasing in. "Your apology holds no meaning yanzu kam. But i want to know something..."

Although it sounded pathetic and his sensible part even went as far as giving him A Note to self; don't do it you son of A- he still did, "Don girman Allah mena miki Halima? Why? Why did you cheat on me?"

Almost instantly, she started to stutter and rant. "I-i...it was you. When you woke-woke up in the morning, you look-you looked at me as if you were disgusted. Just like-like the way every man feels disgusted with themselves after getting over their infatuation. I felt...i felt so dirty and cheap and dirty and i was losing my mind that you wouldn't want me anymore. That you didn't want me anymore and like you said, we're human and we make stupid mistakes when we're emotional. All i wanted was for someone to want me...want me with all my baggage apart from Nurain's junkie self-and-and you did. Then we wo-woke up and you just said hey like you regretted it." By the time she was done, she was slumped into the floor, her palms on the floor to prevent her weak self from falling head-on.

Sudais stared at the woman beneath him, detecting truthfulness in her words but still finding everything hard to believe. "I asked this once...and I'll ask you again. You are so fucked up. Who did this to you? Who turned you like this?" Seriously though, who messed her up? Who fed her those lies that she embraced and sat on? First, she thought he was going to hit he because she deserved it. Because that was what he was supposed to do according to them. Then, she was here letting herself be defined by someone's affection towards her. Was this what it looked like growing up to see your parents in a loveless marriage? Was this what it looked like in a mentally abused person's head? How did it feel being in their heads? God damn it, where was he going to start?

He pushed the urge to hold her, giving more willpower to the side of him that found every word of hers stupid.

"I didn't want you?" He rose along with his voice. "Ni Abba, i didn't want you? What have i wanted all along toh? Dan Allah ki gaya min."

"I thought-I thought you only wanted my body..." She said, voice shaky and breath hitching.

"Is this how little you think of me?"

No response, just sobs.

"I wanted you, all of you, Halima. You weren't letting me in emotionally. You weren't talking to me, only fighting. You didn't want to get to know me. You wouldn't let me know you, get close to you. And I've never admitted even to myself, but I didn't want to have sex with you so i could lose interest. I wanted it because women get attached after sex. I wanted you to get attached to me. I wanted to build a bond-a connection and I didn't care where it started. I was okay with sex if that was what it took to get you to open up," he paused to catch his breath, the room going pin drop. He wiped the sweat on his forehead and momentarily closed his eyes.

"I didn't just want your body, Sadiya. I wanted you, your heart, your mind, your soul, your body. Everything. You didn't think i knew you were divorced or what? At first Baba Alhaji blackmailed me into this. He said if i saw you and didn't want you, he would let me divorce you but on the condition, i had to get married even if it was to the Yoruba girl he didn't like in 3 months. I saw your picture and then i made my mind, i said i was going to get to know you. And we were going to make it work."

He was out of breath, pacing back and forth and stopping to stomp his feet and thrash his arms in frustration. "I met you, lived with you. You were strong and smart, but unpredictable and impulsive, just like me. They say opposites react but damn that bullshit, me and you were more alike than we cared to admit and i wanted you even more. I was crazy for you."

"Stop," she shook her head, holding her breath and blinking fast as she brought her blurry gaze up to his. "Stop using past tense. Please, stop saying was."

He halted, "I have to. You've pushed me to the extreme. You are so selfish, Laila. Wallahi, so selfish. I know you had a rough time growing up but you're such a disappointment to your honorable parents. No wonder they gave you off without hesitation," Laila's eyes almost popped out of their sockets and she could swear her heart stopped beating for seconds before it came back along with a wail as she let her weak arms fall but didn't try to stop herself from falling this time around. "I don't give up on what i want but you've pushed for me. I don't know what to do with you, what you want me to do with you, i give up."

His words hurt nothing less than a sizzling dagger sinking into her chest, her heart. But still being the pathetic person she had always been, she needed someone. "Listen-listen...you don't have to Sudais, you don't have to. I build walls in fear of letting people in but please...everyone leaves me because they don't care about me. Don't leave me..."

He took a deep breath, taking moments to himself before concluding. "I might not leave you for the sake of my dead dad and your honorable father who both gave you to me as an amanah, but I am done. Done letting you affect me, affect my mood every day. Affect me."

In a whisper, she disagreed while wiping her tears and shaking her head. "No-no-no-no."

"You're stepping down as queen. I am marrying Naja'atu today."

Her protest was against Naja, "NO! Please no, you can't do that. You can't-"

He pointed a firm index that had her shut up. "You don't tell me what I can or can't do. I am THE LAMIDO. When i talk, everyone listens. So will Naja's elders."

With that, he slammed his fist into the nearest wall, his knuckles cracking. His expression that of pain, he stormed out of the room, into the lounge with Laila trailing him.

"Sudais, wait! Listen, Don't make rash deci—" They both halted at the stairs leading down to a hallway with a door on each side that gave an inlet of his and her chambers at the sight of Naja closing the door to his chambers behind her.

She looked genuinely surprised and Laila didn't want her to see her in that state, so she momentarily looked away, sniffling back and codedly wiping her tears with her veil.

"Hey, Abba." She waved at Sudais who was at the last stair, then moved her gaze to Laila who was at the top of it, "Hi, Anty Laila. I was hoping I'd see you before we go to the guest house. I wanted to-"

Sudais who had marched to her while she was busing accosting her soon-to-be co-wife cut her off by wrapping almost an aggressive and possessive hand around her exposed neck, then pulled her into him and connected their lips in a hot, passionate kiss.

Laila swallowed hard, looking away from the scene as she tried to keep her cries at bay.

It seemed Sudais wanted to torture her because when she glanced at them, she didn't just find him kissing her, Naja was kissing him back just as hard.

That was it, he had opened the gates of disrespect to flow to Laila from her soon-to-be co-wife.

She turned around, disappearing into their shared chambers, the only side upstairs.

Only when she was sure they weren't downstairs anymore did she come out with a freshly washed face, her face puffy from the amount of crying. She was done crying though, at least for the day.

She didn't want any clash between her family and his if they notice even the slightest bit of discomfort in her.

Now that he had run off with his lil girl, she concluded he wasn't even going to come over and say goodbye to her parents.

Dressed to kill in a blue FaJay material sewn into a boubou like the senior lady she was now, she tied her head tie into her now signature ture-kaga-tsiya style and went with light makeup, light jewelry, a matching veil, and sandals, she and Maya jumped into the backseat of the car with Mima occupying the front passenger seat.

Although she made sure to conceal her puffy eyes with makeup, the fact that she was upset didn't get past the girls who kept trying to include her in their conversations which she either ignored or gave a one-word answer until they were at the guest house where her family were.

Laila resisted the urge to ask Maya for molly-the girl had other set of friends that did moderate drugs so she could access the drug very easily but Laila reminded herself the only reason she agreed to take that poison was because of Nurain and she could not afford to do it for Sudais too.

They sat and chit-chatted for about 2 hours until Daddy ushered the youngsters to start dragging the bags out.

Laila had told her parents that Sudais was extremely busy to come along with her and they immediately understood, knowing how exhausting it must be for him.

He proved her wrong by making an appearance along with Tahir, Muri, and his nephew-Moha just when the family had started to move out.

Good to see he didn't bring his wife along.

"Are you okay?" Shehu asked, moving to stand beside Laila. Her distant eyes pulled away from Sudais on the floor and her dad on the couch who proceeded to smile at each other as they discussed whatever it was emirs and in-laws discussed.

"Yeah-why? Why won't i be?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, you don't look as pleasant as someone who just passed their exams. You're usually bubbly for at least a day before you go back to having that mean face."

She chuckled, and so did he.

"It's the exhaustion. I've slept but I'm still tired."

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, just staring absent minded-ly at the interaction between Daddy and Sudais.

Shehu leaned into Laila, "Remember if the jackass does anything to you, I'm just a phone call away and I'll have my guys pull up on him."

Laila shook her head, laughing. "He almost beat you Manu," even Shehu joined her to laugh before she asked, "Are you ever going to like Sudais?"

Definitively, he shook his head and tsk-ed. "Never."

Sudais and his crew said adios to the rest of the family with a little scandal where Shehu refused to shake Sudais' hand until Daddy warned his son before Sudais was apologizing again for not being free enough to see them off to the airport.

He tried to compensate by having Daddy and Mama Adda use his convoy car, while Mami, Laila, Maya, and Muslim occupied the other before they parted.

In the backseat of the Prado car, Laila was squeezed between Mami and Muslim who insisted on staying in the same car as Mami for God knows what reason and Maya took the front passenger seat.

Laila's head rested on Mami's shoulder, she pushed Muslims head away when he attempted to place his head on her shoulder. "Ka tashi anan qaton banza. What are you even doing in women's car?"

He ignored her question, twisting to face her and Mami as Mami chuckled. "He has been trying to talk me into helping him and talking to your dad."

Interest peaked, Laila lifted a brow. "About what?"

"That he should allow him to go to Lagos for the rest of his break. Your dad disagreed."

Laila chuckled. It was only typical of their dad to restrict them from certain places, especially in Laila, Modibbo, and Muslims cases. "Sorry oo. Maybe you should try-"

A sustained, earsplitting, withering gunfire rang through everyone's ears. In response to the sympathetic supply of the nervous system, everyone's hands flew to their ears as they ducked down and screamed, only the driver having the energy to shout something other than pure gibberish, "Get down! Get down!"

The wicked sounds of the over-speeding car engines in the convoy mixed with the deafening enemy fire continued over the sounds of the people in the cars screaming, Laila grabbing her mum as they held their hands and heads down while exclaiming and asking for help and protection in Arabic.

"Innalilli-what is that?"

"What is it? Hasbunallahu wani-imal-"

"What is happening?"

The gunshots subsided along with the screeching sound of a car zooming off and away from the convoy.

With their heart at the tip of their tongues, their exclaims slowly died, their heart rates still surging as they slowly rose their widened eyes to glance at each other for injury.

The car that was hit only had visible hollows where the bullets had hit the acrylic, bullet-proof glasses indicating they were attacked.

"Is everyone okay?" Mami was the first to ask, stretching her arms to touch Maya and Muslim since Laila was flush against her and she was sure the girl was breathing.

The rest let their heads sway in agreement, raising their heads to reveal their noisy, heavy breaths before Mami tapped the head of the driver's seat. "Bawan Allah are you okay? Lafiya? Miya faru?"

The driver despite his heavy breath sped in line without many zigzags, it was obvious he was trained to expect something like that as he seemed to be the less frightened one. "I think...we were attacked ma. We're trying to get to the airport, then we can analyze this."

And true, everyone held their teeth, hands, or each other as they approached the airport and recklessly parked spaces away from the jet before everyone was stepping out on shaky legs in search of any family that might've been harmed.

"Is anyone hurt?" Daddy asked as he hurriedly approached Mami, the rest of the family closing in on each other.

Laila glanced in search of a particular kid, her eyes landed on a trembling Mima who was being held by Modibbo.

Laila ran to them, joining and shushing the scared girl.

The family along with drivers, police officers and a few of Sudais' soldiers went with their deductions of the incident in sync;

"Only the 2 prados were attacked."

"My car was not shot at."

"They only targeted the car the sultan and new queen were in."

"Did you see anything? The car or someone?"

"No! It happened fast."

Laila had no idea who was talking, all she cared about was getting her and her family somewhere safe.

One of Sudais' soldiers spoke, directing his words to Daddy. "Mai martaba i think you all should get going. Allow us to secure the perimeter. If we were attacked on our journey here and it makes sense that your family was the target since they only shot at your cars, then you should get to somewhere safe."

The man made sense, Daddy started to bark at everyone to get into the jet and prepare for taking off while he spoke to the officials before getting on the plane after their bags.

It made no sense to send Laila, Maya, and Mima back. They were in this together.

Everyone made themselves comfortable; either slumped back, looking out the window, or holding their heads in silence for the journey.

Although many thoughts and assumptions swirled in their heads, their minds agreed on 1 question;

Who was the target?

***

12th august, Monday, 2019.

Attempt at their lives should be something normal to them by now, but it wasn't.

In the confines of the Sunusi's manor in Abuja, the family hit the nearest resting surface immediately after they had landed.

By the next day when the news had spread, most were okay-or at least acting like it as close relatives started to troop in and out of the house.

Laila, Maya, and Mima mostly passed the day in Laila's old room, eating, watching, and eventually talking about the incident that still hadn't been narrowed down to anyone or anything.

Was Daddy the target? That was most likely the option.

But why were only Sudais' official convoy cars attacked, what about the rest of the cars?

They'd leave that to the investigators, as for the trio, life had to move on with ice cream and cookies until the buzz kill, thou who shall not be named had unintentionally announced his arrival through the unceasing sounds of traditional gunshots and trumpets.

Laila swiped the curtain of her window and craned her neck as she watched from the third floor the interaction that was making the place go insane.

Daddy was sitting on a plastic chair in light and oversized Kaftan with a few men splayed on a mat. Sudais' convoy that had stopped to let him off zoomed off and he used that as an opportunity to hand his royal stick to Muri while removing his royal turban as he headed toward Daddy. A few feet from him, Daddy stood up and outstretched a palm.

What happened next took him aback, Sudais tucked his turban to his left arm and crouched to his knees a few feet from his father-in-law.

Almost maniacally, the gunfire escalated wondrously, howls faintly heard from the 3rd floor at the flabbergasted act of the new young king.

Never in the history of 'never had happened', had another king knelt for another king.

Laila hadn't noticed the paparazzi until that happened and flashes of cameras from around the smiling father and the respectful son-in-law went gaga.

She watched them interact, Daddy's lips moving as Sudais clasped his father-in-laws hand in a handshake and added another hand atop it.

"This is going to be all over the news," Mima said, smiling distantly, "Baba would've been so proud."

Laila turned to the girl, sighing before gently patting her shoulder and walking toward the bed, only for the door to burst open, revealing Hafsy, Muri's wife, Maijidda holding her little twins by each hand, and...Naja.

Maijidda released her kid's hands before spreading her arms out for Mima.

Laila wasn't much of a hugger except when it came to family and maybe...you already know who did the very first thing she did when she first met Naja, unconsciously flinching away when she opened her arms for a hug. This time though, the woman didn't get the memo and if she did, she did well in ignoring it, going ahead to squeeze Laila's unwilling self into a hug, cooing. "I am so sorry about what happened. I was supposed to be there but Abba came and the wedding was moved up and everything and they wouldn't let me go out haka kawai," the woman that smelt like heaven-even Laila had to agree-ranted as she pulled back, smiling sympathetically at Laila's resting bitch face.

Laila nodded, "Oh yeah? The wedding was brought up?"

Despite knowing Laila was acting, Naja smiled and answered. "Yes, we got married yesterday."

Laila's eyes momentarily closed, the whole room going pin drop silent.

"Congratulations," she muttered, peeling herself off her latest co-wife and heading into Maijidda's arms. This time, she didn't let her arms lag around, she hugged the mother, her eyes closing and opening to find Mima, Hafsy, and Muri's wife's pitiful eyes on her, while Maya's own screamed, 'You just got a co-wife?' But she ignored them.

When she pulled out of the hug, they made themselves comfortable with Laila picking one of the twins and placing him on her lap, and distractedly stared at him.

After what felt like hours, Muslim came to announce that Laila, Mima, and Maya's presence were requested by Daddy downstairs.

Laila in exhaustion and knowing the fact that he meant Sudais was to see them sluggishly threw a jilbab on and lead them downstairs with Maijidda's boy strapped to her waist.

Once down, she sat aside as Mima reunited with Muri and Sudais.

The crew excused Sudais and Laila with Maijidda insisting on taking her boy but Laila refused to let the kid go.

Once they were out, she focused on the kid drawing gibberish on her phone screen while smiling up at her every now and then. She smiled back, shaking her head in sync with his and following his little laughter whenever he burst.

Knowing well eyes were burning into her, courtesy of the man feet away from her, she played with the kid harder.

He decided since she had lost her manners, he did not lose his. "Tinda baza ki gaishe niba, Ina yini."

She froze.

As if it was the first time the kid had noticed anyone's voice apart from hers, he whipped to Sudais, releasing Laila's phone and spreading his little arms out, cheering, "Daddy!"

"Oh, se yanzu ka ganni?" Sudais chuckled, moving into and over Laila as he picked the kid with a mock groan just to tickle him while shrieking along.

"Nace ina yini," he repeated, glancing from the kid to Laila's head-hung low figure.

Loud enough, she muttered. "Lafia. How was your trip?"

He answered in the same flat tone, "Lafia, Alhamdulillah."

Then they fell into an unconscious silence for the next 48 hours.

Yes, 48 hours.

They stayed back to let things cool off before they had to get back to Yola with a thick tension between them that hadn't been cut after 48 hours with little to no communication apart from the glances they stole at each other.

Laila again put her newest mantra to life; dress to impress, in a maroon and black FOXY two-piece dress that fit her enough to not be too tight, but not as baggy as her normal dresses too.

If there was one thing she had learned to be sure of was the fact that she had a killer body that men would fight for and women wished for. She also knew something; Sudais wasn't going to be done when he saw her again.

And, she was right.

Immediately their eyes met at the front door, her smile grew sicker by the second as she watched the breath get knocked off of him and his attention dissipate from whatever Naja was telling him about as he stood to his full height and let his mesmerizing eyes string along with her steps in her black stripes two-inch shoes.

He raised a palm to Naja, halting her, which made her glance in search of what had caught his eyes, ears, and system that had him drawing out of her conversations until she trailed it to Laila.

She might've not admitted it, but Laila had always made herself not less than the queen she was always meant to be. But that...gown. God damn it. She could never have Sudais to herself when he already had a wife that...ravishing.

For the first time in almost 3 days, they made physical contact as he placed what seemed like a gentle palm on her upper arm but was a warning and domineering palm. With smiles so they didn't draw unnecessary attention, he released her upper arm and slanted inwards, "Nikam Mene damuwanki? What are you wearing?"

Laila took a nonchalant step back, looking down at her body, "A couple thousands of my dad's money," the veil she wore was hung over the sides of her shoulders but wasn't wrapped around her after she had left her parent's side after her goodbyes.

He smiled again, glancing at their audience and dragging her into the next door he found. He closed the door behind them, then pushed Laila by her waist into the wall of the lighted-up lounge.

"I don't like you wearing this," he paused to look down at her, his lower lip pulling into his mouth. He flickered the material in the form of a ruffle over her boobs, "This dress. It drew my attention, it's going to draw other men's attention."

Laila's brows creased, her chest heaving from being that close, their scents mixing into a wicked one that they could both smell till they died but each was too proud to admit. "I think you have your wife-your queen to worry about first."

His hold on her waist tightened, "You are my wife."

She nodded, then shook her head. "But not your queen. You don't have to be bothered by me drawing attention, you said you were done yourself. Didn't you?" Deep down? She hoped otherwise.

"I. Did."

She placed her palms against his Kaftan chest and applied pressure. "Great, now get off me. Your wife must be waiting,"

With the same body language of attraction and lust that she had memorized off him, his pupils dilated, his palms resting almost innocently over his crotch-but she knew otherwise- he gave her long head-to-toe scrutiny and did terrible in hiding how hard he was tucking his lower lip into his mouth. An act of attempting self-control she had memorized too.

She was iron and he was a magnet. No matter how much he tried to hide it, he would always trail her-crave her. The charm, the pull was always going to be there.

"Lift your dress."

Her smile dropped, her eyes and mouth going wide. Whatever was in his fucked up head, they were in her parent's house for God's sake. She shook her head, "No. no way."

He hoisted a brow, "No?"

She nodded, "No."

Laila jerked into the wall, screaming at how fast he marched to her and bent down.

She placed her hand over his just when he was about to lift her dress.

"Sudais what is-"

"Nagaya maki ki dena saka anklets innan, you don't listen." He snatched his hand from her, this time earning success as he drew the fabric from her left thigh and added, "Hold it up," not that she wanted to, she had to.

When she lifted it, she watched him struggle to get the jewelry off. He sighed, shaking his head and hissing before squatting on one knee. This time, he was successful in getting it out.

He didn't return the last one he took off her on coronation, this one though, she was attached to it, so she stretched a palm out to him as he rose.

He caught sight of her henna-ed palm, up to her face before he pocketed the anklet, fixed his babban riga from falling off, and raised a hand to her lightly made-up face.

Before she could pull back, he ranted. "Don't even think about it. As much as anklets are off limits for you around my people, so is a nose ring," he examined the ring between his fingers then her unpierced nose, "Fake nose ring. And before you ask me to give you a reason, I'm going to say i know your parents didn't see you like this, otherwise, you won't be out."

"You don't get-"

"Ahhhhttttt," he cut her off, grabbing the hem of her veil and bringing it unto her turban almost to her eyebrows before wrapping the remnants across her chest and over her left shoulder.

She could only let herself breathe when he stepped away but didn't take his scrutiny off her.

Despite what just happened, Laila announced, loud and clear, "Thank you for coming."

He rose his eyes from her upper limbs, shaking out of his trance before he turned away, twisting his head back at her. "I didn't come for you, i came for Daddy and Mami."

She hummed, her right brow rose and a close-lipped smile of smugness overtaking her features, Did he really though?

Hi, so i am giving out the full version of this book to the first four people to comment under this line with the promise to not share it, give a full review after reading and share their utmost their critics, advices and thoughts on what i should improve on.

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