This chapter is dedicated to Don_chizzy, I hope you've recovered fully now, Get well soon though.

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"Then his heart, now broken into a thousand pieces, slowly began to turn to ice."

Morgan Rhodes,
Falling Kingdoms

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Chapter 8

FALLEN PREY

ZARA's POV

Who knew the beautiful sounds from the sweet Orchestra, melodiously tuning in to the atmosphere's mood could be so dramatic. I silently listened to those instruments produce what we call "Music", carried away by the beauty of it's therapy to the extent of being oblivious to the grin that just slipped through the edge of my lip.

I crouched beside his right side, above his upper ankle, shading off the rays of light from the brightly lit room which were forcibly trying to sneak a peek at an Injured Peter. He wriggled in pain for sometime and I felt him go calm as my hands ran through the smooth nature of his face and down to the bump round his chin,where strands of his beard stood. He gently placed his hands on mine, as he looked at me straight in the eye. A loop hole was all I could visualize thereafter, One beautiful loop hole it was. A way to get out, none I could find. I was yet again lost in them, Lost in those beautiful eyes of his.

"Peter are you okay?," I finally let out with a beautiful grin waving a hello around my lips

"Yes I..." he trailed as she cut in

"I'll take care of him, he would be fine" the lady who I had tagged dumb initially finally voiced out a full sentence without stuttering

There I was, back to reality. He was someone else's, I had no right towards him anymore. I mean we weren't even to be considered friends cause I didn't even get to say a proper good bye before he left me for some else.
How do I know? Few years back, he left a note right on the step fixings to my door and it really left me heartbroken. I recalled as stood then with a perplexed face as I read out the content of the note written boldly in Black ink

I'M SOMEONE ELSE'S, YOU'RE SOMEONE ELSE'S, I GUESS THAT MAKES US EVEN.

The part where he said I was someone else's, I didn't quite get it. I made a mental note to ask what he meant when next I'd see him, but I never did not until today, it was as if he faded off from the Earth's surface. Whenever I called his dails, I was left with an unsteady reply from the service provider saying the number never existed.

A second glance at the lady who I assumed he supposedly left me for and I could have sworn I had seen her somewhere before. In a split second, I quickly recalled she was the lady on Udo's display screen.
I suddenly fixed the pieces back to their rights spots and it all made sense. It slowly dawned on me that I had just made a new enemy. Not that I was too sure of that.

But how exactly was she related to Udo?

"Oh I'm sorry" I replied rather awkwardly, as I took note of the unwelcoming look on the ladies face.

I got back on my feet and I took a glance tour round the room, noticing the anxious looks on the face of each and everyone who stood in the crowd. Probably they were yet to figure out what exactly was going on.

I quickly took a mental advice from my brain- your's truly, to start my pace towards the door, and I was about doing just that, when I heard my name.

"Zara!" The Lady called out

Shocked to the marrow, that she knew my name, I directed my glance back at her with a bewildered look.

"I forgot to inform you, but your interview just got cancelled" She said with a pout fixed to her light toned skin, a rather irritating one at that. I watched as she twirled those blonde curls of her like she had just hit a jackpot. Anyone could tell she hailed from a mixed race.

Interview? Was she really Stephanie Olusola Jacobs? She had to be. I was quite convinced now that I had made an enemy.

Why would she have ever had the idea of interviewing her boyfriends ex? that's a plain mystery to me

I finally gave out a knod in approval to her statement and was just about resuming my steps to the door once again when he held my hands. I directed my glance towards his, trying my possible best not to get lost twice.

" Velvets tomorrow by 8:00 pm " He said in a low voice as I gently pulled my hands away from his grip and quickly turned towards the door again. I didn't fail to catch a glimpse of the young lady's questioning look as I set out.

I was finally out of that emotional hole, welcomed by the freshness of the damped air the atmosphere threw at me. I could tell the clouds were effortlessly holding back the rains, I couldn't care less, I was just glad to be out of that room.
I silently heaved on some unsteady breaths when Leonard joined me, he stood by my right side as he stared blankly at nothing exactly but the Journalists who had seemed to have become quite a few in number.

"Udo says I should get you home safely" He said, his eyes still blank and faced straight.

I just gave a nod as he led the way towards a Black Matte car that was parked upfront. We were halfway through the spacious courtyard, walking down to the car when a familiar voice called out, it was a voice I had mentally taken note of recently, it was Stephan's.

"Heyyyy! Miss Zara!, Leonard! Wait up" He said as he waved his hands from behind as he ran down the stairs of the main entrance door and towards us. But unfortunately the once quiet journalist cut his journey short as the began questioning him while asking for fashionable autographs also. It had seemed as though someone had given them a fright earlier, because they didn't even bother throwing their silly questions at us when we walked pass them.

He finally got done and he joined us with a smile and a partly unsteady breath

"Hey could I get a lift, My car just ran out of gas" He said with his glance aimlessly fixed at mine.

Awkward much!

"Yeah sure, Hop in" Leonard said, with a slight squeak in his voice.

Stephan quickly got into a seat at the back, while I took the passengers seat at the front beside Leonard.

It was a silent drive, everyone seemed to have gone mute after the whole drama at the ball.
Peace and Quiet was actually what I needed right then. Too bad, the silence couldn't last for long.

"Eyyy... Zara you didn't tell me you played cricket" Stephan voiced out from behind, his eyes fixed to his phones screen as I stared at him as to check if he had by any chance gone crazy.

Cricket?

"Uhh...I don't remember saying I do, I don't, I don't even know the first thing about cricket" I voiced out with a mild voice

"Oh you don't..." He trailed, a bit of suspense in his voice
"I only thought you did, because you got quite an arm" He said with a smirk glued to his face.

I silently asked myself if he was actually okay, I could tell Leonard was asking himself same as well.

"Why do you say so?" I finally asked and he gave out a chuckle

"Was i the only one present at the ball? You literally set Udo's cheeks ablaze" He said as he erupted into a wild laughter.

A laughter this contagious couldn't be gotten rid off and I unconsciously joined in. I noticed Leonard trying his best not to, probably as a sign of respect to his dear friend. But I could count the smirk glued to his face as a point though.

The laughter gradually died down, and my mood was indeed lightened. Though I actually felt some remorse for Udo, he was only try to defend me so it seemed, but it looked more like a personal issue to me and God knows if I hadn't done anything he'd probably be in jail right now, charged with murder to be precise.

So in a way I did the right thing.
Or Did I?

A question kept lurking somewhere deep in. It was actually centered on Udo and Peter, It seemed as if they had settled some scores once before.

"Humans, we never learn our lessons, no matter how bitter they are" What did he really mean when he said that.

I directed my gaze to Leonard who his his hands glued to the steering and his eyes fixed on the road and I asked...

"Are there past scores between Udo and Peter?" I asked

I figured that if anyone would know anything about Udo, it would be Leonard, so I decided to ask and I almost regretted it.
As soon as I ended my sentence, Leonard fixed an intense look towards me, his eyes off the road. He seemed sort of lost.

"Whoa! Leonard eyes on the road, I still have years to live" Stephan yelled out just in time to drag Leonard out of his momentary reverie.

Leonard got back to his senses, as he took a sharp swerve to dodge an incoming vehicle. Still he kept mute.
I had given up, i figured it was a dreaded topic when Stephan began a historical whistle with his lips.

Few minutes later, a once mute Leonard finally spoke up

"Have you ever heard of Udo and the Forbes guy?" He said, his voice seemingly low

Forbes guy? Yeah, I quickly recalled a man who told how udo literally shut down a guy who owned Forbes, simply because the guy had crossed paths with him. I was really frightened that day because I had a quarrel with Udo at the first meeting we met at.

"Yeah...I have heard about that story" I replied

"The Forbes guy is Peter and Udo shut him down because he snatched his girlfriend, Stephanie away from him. So yeah you can say it's a personal issue, and to believe they were once friends." He said

I was thrown off balance by what I just heard, When I heard the story, It didn't even dawn on me that Peter owned Forbes. It was all clear now Peter was Jobless and he left me for Udo's girlfriend Stephanie.

Entanglement!

So Udo once had a girlfriend? Who would ever believe that such a guy would ever turn out to be in a relationship. The thought of it got under my skin, it really was weird.

But Why did peter leave me? An answer I still couldn't figure out, Maybe I wasn't good enough, Maybe because I wasn't a mixed race, Maybe I wasn't the right girl for him anymore. I stared into the bank space as I thought of a thousand reasons as to why Peter dumped me.

Well guys will always remain guys.

I kept mute for the rest of the drive as I tried to digest all I had just heard alongside Stephan's rhythmically whistling an awful tune.

• • •

Leonard finally pulled up at the front of my house, and I got out before he could go round to open the car door for me.

My bad! A failed attempt at being a gentleman

He forcibly put on a smile, as to overlook what just happened. He got back into the car and Stephan hopped out.

"Here's my Stop" He said with his hands buried deep into the pocket of his pants.

We both threw an intense gaze at him, and he just stared back at both of us, From I to Leonard and from Leonard to I, back and forth.

"Stephan hop in I'd drop you off at yours" Leonard voiced out

"Naah, Here's my Stop" Stephan resounded with a persistent tone.

Leonard gave him a questioning gaze as he let out a sigh

"Miss Zara have a Goodnight" He said as he started the ignition and in no time he was engulfed by the dark.
Probably he figured there no point persuading Stephan when he had already made his mind up on a stop.

I stared back at Stephan, I had nothing particular in mind to say cause it had become an established fact that this guy right here was care free.
I finally began walking closer to my front porch with my hands wrapped around my chest when he said...

"What kind of lady sleeps in by 10:30 pm at night?"

I chuckled at such a silly question

"I believe every normal human does sleep before that" I replied with a pout as I stared at a Stephan standing akimbo

"Goodnight Stephan" I added as I resumed in my steps

There was a momentary silence for a while then he voiced out hurriedly like he was nervous

"Why don't I buy you dinner?" He voiced out, with a mildly high tone and I directed my gaze back at him

"I also know that every normal human wouldn't have dinner with someone they just met for the first time" I dished out my lines with a smirk

"First Impressions matters ey, I'm trying to make one, so let me" He voiced out as he took a few steps closer

Wow that's Smooth!

"And I wonder what a normal humans neighbor would think, if they probably saw a Man lying down at their neighbors front porch" He continued, a grin glued to his face.

He really wouldn't do that? Would he?

It's just a dinner right? What could possibly go wrong and besides Vanessa wasn't home yet. I would be bored as hell if I'd step into the house...I guess it's a win-win for me then.

"It's that a threat?" I replied as I almost choked on a chuckle

"Who knows?" He replied indistinctly, his eyes wider and a smirk more broader

"You don't give up, do you?" I asked, my voiced hidden behind a chuckle

"I'm only a Man, who gets what he wants" He said as he demonstrated with his two hands slightly raised up.

"So where do you have in mind?" I said as I took a few steps towards where he stood

"Uhmm...how's Dévante's?" He asked

"Sounds good to me, you do know you'd have saved yourself the stress if you had just said this earlier." I said

"Leonard could have stopped at Dévante's" I added

His grin grew wider as we walked back down to the street where we'd find a Cab

"I didn't need a Third wheel" He said as he glanced at me

"Touché! Third wheels are for dates" I added with a smirk

"So you don't count this as one" He said and we both burst into laughter.

• • •

We finally got a Cab down to Dévante's, Stephan got out immediately the car came to a halt and he walked briskly towards my door. He gently pulled those handles before I could do them myself. Probably he had taken Leonard's failed attempt as a lesson.

Before we headed down to the restaurant doors, Stephan had a word with the Cab guy.

"How would Fifty thousand do for the whole of tonight, you'd wait till we are done then you'd drop us off." He said to the Cab guy

"Even if I was born stupid, I wouldn't reject such an offer...Yeah I'll wait up" The Cab guy who seemed learned voiced out with a voice laced with excitement.

"Here's 25k in advance, the other half would be when we get out" Stephan said as he handed him a bundle of a thousand naira notes.

The guys eyes suddenly looked wide and full, like he had thought Stephan was probably Joking, even I did.
I stared at Stephan in awe as he patted the Cab guys head and gestured at me to move in through the restaurants door.

• • •

We were finally seated on the beautiful patterned sits of Dèvante, I was faced directly towards Stephan and so was he.

"And you say this isn't a date " He said, his hands placed on the glass Tables as he stared at me meekishly, directly in the eye

"Oh don't flatter yourself" I finally let out as I looked away from his gaze

"So what would you have?" The waiter who had walked up to us asked as I glanced through the menu.

"Uhmm a Chicken Briyani would do just fine" I said as I kept on staring at the menu while he took my order

"And you Sir?" The waiter asked referring to Stephan

"I'll have what she has, Just get us a branded Syra wine" He said as he stared up at the waiter.

The waiter quickly took the orders and in no time we were served, and we began feasting into the dishes. Stephan's momentary jokes which resulted in laughter almost got me choked to death. He truly had a way with words. I couldn't get hold of my laughter anymore then I jokingly asked

"Haven't heard of table manners?" I asked, a hint of a chuckle noticeably in my voice as I was still recovering from his previous jokes

"I didn't know they were applied in dates," He said with a wink.

"Oh you are still on with that" I said as I laughed it out

In no time we were done with dinner, and Stephan ordered for some more wine, I never really drank much, just once in a blue moon and Stephan made today actually look like one of those blue moon days.
I wasn't quite the drunk, but he was quite the influence. I knew I had fallen prey when we had downed several bottled brands of wine and I soon began feeling slurry in no time.

"Y-You are quite the Star ey, i-i saw the way those Journalists surrounded you back there t-today." I said, my eyebrows half closed while I slurred on some words.

"Sooooo....W-What do you do?" I asked emphasizing on the 'so' word

He gazed at me intensely as he circled his fingers around the edge of the tumbler glass.

"I own a writing company..." He trailed
"In New York to be precise, but I'm opening up a branch here in Nigeria" He said almost in one breath.

"Wow... im-pressive," I added as I reached out for another bottle of wine and about pouring it's content into my glass when Stephan held my hands.

"I think that's enough, You've had several already and you are already drunk"

"S-ays Mr.Care-Free huh...Just one moreeee!" I said sounding persistent as I dragged my hands forcibly out of his grip with the wine glass still in my hands , I accidentally spilled it's content on my dress.

"Ouuuuu..." I exclaimed with a mild laughter

"Hey have this" Stephan said as he handed me a saviet to clean myself up which I lazily collected.

"Okay I believe that's a sign that we headed out already" He said as he got up to his fit and walked over to my side of the table.

He placed his hands a little bit below my shoulders as he dragged my up to my feet. I placed my head on his chest and he crossed his left hands over to my left shoulders and we headed towards the exit after he settled the bills.
My legs literally fell numb, I couldn't even tell if I still had my stilletos on and I momentarily clutched his tux whenever I felt I was going to fall.
W were finally out through the doors and just like I predicted earlier, the Clouds had finally let down the rains, it was a heavy down poor. We stood directly under the little shade the restaurants exit provided, but the rain didn't spare us either.

"I can't let you go home under this rain" He voiced out anxiously, my head still placed on his chest as I chuckled over it's vibration as he spoke .

"Don't worry... I'll manage, I just need a Cab" I said with my lids partly shut.

"What kind of guy, let's a lady go home alone around 2:00 am in the morning" He resounded with a comeback.

He began waving towards the driver to get the car upfront towards Where we were, but the driver didn't respond. Stephan slowly dragged me towards the cab in a limp and when we finally got to the cab, we noticed the driver was fast asleep. Stephan gave a knock on the glass and the driver's I went wide open, obviously startled.

" Oh sorry...sir, " The Cab guy said as he unlocked the doors for us to get in.

We got in drenched as droplets of water fell unto the car's seat. I was almost half asleep now.

"Sir...I can't drive back to Lekki GRA under this rain, it would be a huge risk because the road is bad and plying the road under this heavy rain is like intentionally commiting murder " The Cab guy said and Leonard just stared at me with an -I told you so- look.

"I have a house nearby, it's just down the road by the corner..." Leonard trailed in his directions

"Drop us off over there' He added.

I stared at him trying to read what he had in mind and he caught me in the act

"What? That's the only option, you'd sleep over at mines and tomorrow you can leave to yours" He said in a breath

I lazily gave a Nod as there was no need arguing with him and I only just wanted to sleep.

The Cab guy finally pulled up at a classy looking historical storey building, we hopped out and I watched Stephan pay him off with the 25k and with a tip inclusive. The cab guy full of gratitude thanked him as he zoomed off.

• • •

I woke up to a sweet aroma forcing it's way through the keyhole of the room's door. I wriggled in the soft cozy bed, as I stretched under the white beddings, trying to wade off the bright sun rays that sneaked in through the grey patterned curtains. I finally sat up when it dawned on me it was morning already. My head slowly began to heave as I noticed the rooms finely kitted furnitures covered in sheaths like someone had just moved in recently. My gaze suddenly fell of the glass that had a note attached to it. "DRINK ME" it read out, was it normal to drink from glasses that had notes on them.

Obedience is better than sacrifice abi!

I downed the glass in a heartbeat and my head ache slowly subsided. I shoved off the beddings as i dragged my legs to the wooden boards. It was a design for the floors, it indeed was a classy historical building, A new one at that. Anyone could tell the owner had taste.

So in order words Stephan had taste!

I stood to my feet bare footed, stretching my hands in the air as I felt free in Stephan's oversized shirt, it was the only shirt which suited me perfectly, it was a white shirt, with a black lined pattern close to it's pocket. The black shorts I had on were way worse, I was basically swimming in a pool of air space.

Leonard had offered me his clothes since mine was drenched wet. I began my journey in search of the aroma that got me out of bed. I finally traced the aroma to a room downstairs, I walked in and I found out it was noticeably a kitchen. A few furnitures were covered in sheaths as well.

My glance fell on a shirtless Stephan who was sweating profusely while he stood near the large sized gas cooker, a tab stand close to him as he had his glance glued to the tablet fixed on the stand.

"Oh Stephan put on a shirt please" I said in a mild voice

He slowly turned to me and I had a full glance at his properly built up body, his muscular abs looked steamy as droplets of sweat trickled down them. As much as I wanted to look away, I couldn't.

"Thanks for ruining my effort at serving my guest a breakfast in bed" He Said, in a seemingly disappointed tone.

"The shirt looks good on you by the way" He said teasingly as I gave out a chuckle.

"You never told me you cook?" I said with curiosity laced in my voice

"That's because I don't, I'm only trying it out for the first time with Google here to help me" He said with a smirk

"Oh that explains the Tablet, an effort though" I mumbled

Just then a Ding! sound went across the room, it was the doorbell

"Hey, Zara could you help me get the door, it could probably be the mail man" Stephan said as he got back to his attempt at cooking

"Yeah sure" I said as I walked towards the door

I turned the mahogany doors knob and I had partly opened the door halfway when I saw a formal dressed man staring down to his watch as I found myself frozen to a spot.

"Zaraaaa!... who's at the door?" Stephan called from behind before he joined me at the door.
He placed his hands on the edge of the wooden door and it's fixing as he stood closely behind me. He also froze too as the man's glance fell on us both.

Behold it was Udo.

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Hey it's MIGUEL HERE ♥️
How y'all doing

Udo! ZUKWANIKE (Rest) 😂

What do you think Udo's reaction would be like?

How's the Christmas Spirit getting along 😌...
I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter

Don't forget to vote, like and comment

Yes! It's an established fact, I'm only a yell away 😌

Merry Christmas in Advance ♥️s

Don_chizzy
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