She quickly signed the forms before going to pick Sofi. There was no need to be alarmed she trusted him and he is actually the one at risk placing her as one of the signatories to his Company Bank account.

She still didn't try to reach out to him, maybe he has his reasons for not contacting her directly. Before she will call him and one 'aunty' will answer the phone and be like 'Yes, who is this?' lol.

He was very mature and respectful when he met Gbenga in her house, he didn't cause any trouble or interfere with her relationship. He respected himself and wished her well despite the fact that he was jealous.

She even has some nerve expecting him to still come back or call her after she moved on real quick with Gbenga and treated him as if he was nothing to her.

She winced at the thought of how opportunistic she would look if she starts to call him now after all these months.

She was convinced he probably doesn't know how to remove her from the company papers yet and just needs to open this account urgently. Because if he wanted to talk to her he would have called her himself he is a very simple and straightforward person but since he is doing official 'things' then it means he doesn't want to deal with her directly. Fair enough on his part.

***

Meanwhile, Sofi was having some major issues with her Man. She actually called Toyin to come and pick her up from his house because she had locked herself up in one of the rooms so he would not be able to talk to her or try to beg her. She needed a buffer between the two of them because she was not ready to hear what he had to say. Haaaa Sofi is so dramatic lol.

Her boyfriend, Dare looked like he was about to die as he watched her leave, but he could not do much to stop her from leaving with Toyin there. Plus the dirty look on Sofi's face when he said "Baby let's talk about it" Scared even Toyin. So the two of them just stormed out like bad bitches and she drove them off in her Range, speeding off for extra effect while the poor guy just stood there looking defeated. Lol but wait what were they fighting about sef.

Whatever happened must be serious than it looked on the surface. Even after 2 days Sofi refused to go to her apartment because she knew he would go there to find her.

She did not even go to work the following Monday she called in sick for the whole week because she didn't want to see his face at work and the worst part is she kept saying she couldn't tell her what he did because she is protecting him. Haaaaaa.

"Did he hit you?" Toyin asked seriously when she said that one because when a woman starts saying shit like that its either abuse or the man has committed a crime.

"No" Sofi sobbed.

She didn't ask further, before she will become accessory to a crime abi is it 'aiding' and 'abetting'. So, she just hugged her friend and let her cry quietly on her shoulder.

Toyin fathomed whatever happened between them is work related considering the fact that they are coworkers.

Shit! This is why dating co-workers is bad. She hoped her friend was not out there risking her career for this man o. She warned her in the beginning when they started flirting and hooking up, but Sofi said she was in love and to be fair even Dare was undoubtedly crazy over her plus he is a nice person.

This is just sad, why is love so hard in this Lagos! They were her 'couple goals', they made her want to be in love again.

In love again with who? Was I in love with Osaze sef. As Sofi finally slept off her own thoughts started wandering like they always do whenever she remembers Osaze.

****

2 months later, her application for the Middle East assignment sailed through and she got the transfer. Toyin was so happy she needed that transfer more than anything at this point in her life.

It is going to be a 2 year project. The shifts were 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. The Company would provide accommodation in the UAE but she did not really need it.

Her plan was to go to Dubai after her 2 weeks offshore, shop and chill for maybe a day or two then jet out to any of the destinations on her bucket list. So she needed to park light, she listed all her home electronics, appliances and furniture for sale.

She was going to miss her house; the place has been her home for the past five years. But on the bright side when she returns to naija after the assignment she would have finished paying for her own house in Lekki so, yeah moving on to bigger things.

She took some of her much more personal stuff to PHC and spent a week with her parents; her younger brother was back from school so he was around too.

Her mother was not happy with her relocation she said she should have at least married first before leaving the country.

"Mummy don't worry its just for 2 years" Toyin assured her.

"Ehen and when you return you will be older, you are not getting any younger now" Her mum lamented.

But it didn't get to her. If it was before the pressure would get to her but this time she was a different person.

Funny enough her Dad was just so chill about the whole thing he wasn't even worried, he just told her to stay safe and be a good girl.

When she returned to Lagos, she put the range rover on the market too. It was a very tough decision for her because that car once belonged to Osaze. It was the final physical item of his that connected him to her. It was like the final piece of him she had. She cried the night the dealer came to pick it up.

She had to get rid of the car though, why would she hold on to the car just because of Osaze, she couldn't leave it here in Lagos it would just rot away. Even with her in town she only drives it like twice a week, she couldn't take it with her to Abu dhabi either that would just be the dumbest thing to do financially plus she had no plans of getting driver's license there. If she takes it to PH, her brother would destroy the car especially now that he is back home.

*****

Osaze was in London to meet up with Dare Madaki. He met Dare during his MSc at MIT, Dare was also getting an MBA at the time but unlike him Dare was already a big boy because he worked with one of the biggest investment banks in the world. 

Osaze on the other hand got his masters before he started working because he started his MSc right after he received his BSc. They became friends at the African students association they were the only Nigerians enrolled that year.

So when he received an offer from a private equity firm in London to buy his stake in the Indian company he called Dare for advice. He even thought Dare was still in Nigeria because when they met at that wedding months back he said he was running an oil Company in Lagos.  Anyway, he met him in London a day before he was supposed to meet the buyers.

He wanted to exit the Indian Company. It was part of his plan from the beginning; he was not going to stay there forever. The software development team was fully functional now even without him so he had more time to get back to working on his own visions and ideas. He received this offer because the Indian Company will soon go public so he needed serious advice on the best time to sell it and he wanted an expert's opinion. An Expert that he trusts o.

Before Dare moved to Lagos briefly he was a Senior VP at the London branch of the largest investment management firm in the world, in fact during the time they were getting their masters he was already a top high flying analyst at the New York branch. Long story short he is the one person Osaze should be talking to about his dilemma.

They discussed it over drinks in a very upscale bar in Canary Wharf, Osaze didn't even flinch when he saw the overpriced drinks on the menu he too was a big boy now. 

Dare was very helpful, he came up with a better exit strategy for him that would reduce his risks and help him benefit from the opportunity while still retaining some ownership in the company.

After they finished the business talks, he decided to ask him something he really couldn't wait to ask. You see Osaze knew Dare worked at Sofi's Company in Lagos and he was with her at that wedding the last time they met plus they looked pretty close.

So he decided to use style to ask about Toyin.

He has been staying out of her business and avoiding anything that makes him think about her all these months. In addition, he is afraid she would be engaged to that Gbenga by now because no sane man would waste time or dull like him. He was afraid of finding out how well things were going for her with him.

The business consultant actually advised him to change the Directors when he said they were no longer 'together' She warned him it was risky to leave an ex as a Director.

But he left it like that. He didn't want to take her off it, she should own part of whatever he does with that Company. Her house was his office when he started the company, she was the one taking care of him then nothing can change that. He didn't just put her name there just because there was no one else, it was intentional. And he was not going to change it just because she is no longer with him, he doesn't care if she is married to someone else with kids.

Plus he low-key wanted a connection to her......something permanent.

So anyway he has been avoiding her as a topic, but now that he was sitting here drinking with someone that is connected to her he decided to ask. Maybe it was the alcohol.

"Errm so what about Sofi, are you still in touch with her?" He asked.

Dare paused, dropped his drink then looked at him.

"She's fine" He cleared his throat, like that was hard for him to say.

"Urrm, do you know her friend Toyin?" He asked again nervously.

Dare smiled when he realized where he was going.

"Of course they're best friends," The older guy said, took another sip of his cognac then added "Your love"

Wait what. "No, we are...were just friends" Osaze corrected him.

"Right" Dare smirked.

"What? I'm serious we were just friends" Osaze said defensively again.

Dare put down his glass again then smiled wickedly.

"Guy look, I know everything, me and Sofi.... We were together I mean we are on a break right now because,...anyway I know everything that went down with you and Toyin"

Osaze wanted to say something but he just kept quiet because actually, Sofi did find out about them and if she was or is in a relationship with Dare then Dare probably knows the full gist too. Lol.

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