Sofi's POV:

10:15am, Wednesday Morning the Company fleet manager came to her office; he brought a vehicle release paper for her to sign off her official car over to him.

"Why are you taking my car away?" she frowned.

"Last week Mr. Madaki instructed me to upgrade your car to the current year model, they're delivering it this afternoon so I need to prepare this one for disposal, congrats!" The man grinned "Please sign here"

Her jaw dropped. "Why? Why would he do that?"

"ahn ahn, are you allergic to progress?" He said to her in Yoruba, looking at her as if she was not okay.

"I'm not signing please, I'm keeping my car" She protested.

The Fleet manager was dumbfounded, he didn't even have the energy to argue with her.

"Oya go and tell him that one yourself, when you finish all this shakara please sign my release form and send them to my office" He paused "Don't forget to clear out your things from the car, we've sold it already o, don't stress me" He left the papers on her desk, shaking his head in disbelief as he waltzed out of her office.

What is he doing? She is still a junior manager, she is not supposed to be using a 2021 SUV like Mr. Richards and the other Top level Managers, maybe he doesnt know this.

Also, the new Lexus 570 car is intimidating, it is too flashy, it is literally too big! They'll kidnap her if she takes that one to the mainland. Lol.

She grabbed the papers and marched to his office, she has to explain the process to him. Junior managers don't even use SUVs, they use Camry and Corollas she is only using that old Lexus because it used to be a pool car for Mr. Obaze's group in Lagos and when all the engineers were relocating to PH they didn't go with the car because the expatriate that was using it had an accident with it so it was grounded at the time. When she was promoted to a manager the company had small liquidity issues at the time so the car was refurbished and assigned to her and she didn't mind that it was used she liked the grey colour.

Why is he buying a new car when the Company has been cutting down on spending lately?

He was standing in front of the TV in his office, watching news, he looked pissed, probably because crude oil prices have been falling since Monday this week. This is the first time she is talking to him one on one since the Wedding. She saw him on Monday briefly during a short meeting they had but they didn't talk to each other directly.

"Good Morning....." She said. She didn't know whether to address him as Mr. Madaki or Dare so she just paused there.

He looked towards her direction and he almost smiled, but he didn't "How are you" He said his attention still on the TV.

She wanted to excuse herself, give him some space since it looked like he was very busy with the news but then he picked up the remote and muted the TV then turned completely to face her, he raised his brows inquisitively and her heart started racing, he gets finer every day! jheeez!

She was struggling to remember why she even came to his office..... yeah the car.

"errrm about the car, I don't want a new car" She said.

"Well the old one was guzzling our money in maintenance costs the earlier it is disposed of the better for us" He said it like it was that simple. Yes he is right.... theoretically but there are other options they could have explored, like finding a cheaper auto maintenance contractor, most of these automobile companies inflate the maintenance costs, if she starts taking that car to her Aunt's mechanic in Ladipo market she won't even spend up to 10k per month. Replacing it with a new one is......just too extreme nah.

She didn't bother arguing with him from a financial standpoint so she decided to come from a Company policy angle. "I don't think it is appropriate for a junior manager" She said nervously but he didn't look like he was ready to back down.

"Is it appropriate for a junior manager to take on multiple senior manager roles? Is it appropriate for her to perform multiple senior manager level tasks on a junior manager pay?" He said seriously.

Why is doing tongue twister with her now? What is he even saying lol.

"I don't want it" She said seriously. If she starts arguing with him now it won't end. "Can I just keep my old car"

"But it is not your car, it is company property and I am assigning it to you" He switched to that his serious tone he takes up when it's time to fire someone.

She kept quiet, it looked like the mean evil spirit was back. She actually has no right to be here challenging him. She wouldn't be doing this if it was Chief.

"You just love to control everything here don't you? You want to control how the Company spends its money now?

She kept quiet. Not sure where he was going with this. She should have waited for morning to pass before coming here. His sweet side that she has been seeing in the past few weeks have deceived her into forgetting that he is always moody in the mornings.

"What is this Miss Ireti?.. Insubordination?" He continued.

Okay it's time to leave before he starts his madness.

"I am sorry" She said quickly.

"You want me to transfer you to Port Harcourt?" He said curtly.

She paused, is he being serious right now, what is his problem!

She just sighed then said "Thank you"

"Thank the Company, I didn't pay for it"

She nodded "Okay, excuse me" She turned to leave.

"Sofi" he called her back softly, almost like a whisper.

She stopped, turned around and saw him smiling impishly, satisfaction written all over his face.

He moved towards her. "Why do I feel like, you don't like it when others splurge on you?"

"Huh?" She looked at him in confusion.

He took two steps towards her as he put his hands in his pocket and she started freaking out because when he puts his hands in his pockets and starts talking like this, he is about to say something he probably shouldn't say.

"I have this tendency to spoil the woman I like....... in every way possible....." He lowered his voice.

Ehen, how is that one her problem?

"And I have not even started...... I'm not going to do that here"

His eyes searched her intensely as she processed what he just said, suddenly she started feeling like he actually placed his hands in his pockets to restrain them, because if they were free they would have done things to her. His eyes conveyed that message loud and clear. And the thing that scared her the most at that point is that she wanted him to release those hands.

When he saw how shocked she was he smiled again then stepped away from her.

She quickly left his office without saying anything.

****

When she got back to her office she started thinking back to Monday; earlier that week on Monday evening when she got home from work her gateman handed her a huge bouquet of roses that was delivered for her in the afternoon. There was no note in it so she assumed it was from Wale, her ex because, he has been aggressively trying to get back with her.

She has stopped taking his calls and has blocked him on watsapp because it is even irritating to her that he wants to get back with her now that he is having issues with his PREGNANT wife. Looking for where to stick his dick abi?

Anyway, she assumed those roses were from Wale, she didn't even put them in a vase, she just left them in the kitchen to die but she didn't toss them out either because, they were very pretty and they looked super expensive.

Was it Dare that sent her roses? She actually thought about it O, it crossed her mind but she told herself to stop dreaming.

But now that he just said what he said to her in his office she realized that there is a 90% chance it was him. Why did'nt he sign it?

7:15pm

When she closed that evening she ran into him in the elevator. It was 7pm-ish. He looked like he was waiting for her.

He smiled as she stepped in, he didn't say anything to her, he just started staring at her intensely again. It felt like he was waiting for her official verbal response to all the things he said to her in his office earlier.

"You sent the roses?" She asked him.

"You like them?" He said without showing any emotion.

She nodded lightly, "Thank you" She said without meeting his eyes. She didn't want to set herself up, the sexual tension between them was stacking up again real quick because they were alone...again.

"I can't stop thinking about you" he said helplessly "I can't sleep, I find it so hard to focus, what have you done to me?" He smiled defeatedly this time.

She wanted to grab him and kiss the shit out of him, tell him the same thing, but there are cameras in the elevator,....and the elevator was almost on the ground floor,....and she was afraid that if she starts that, they won't be able to stop because, she could see the hunger in his eyes too.....and it is...Mr. MADAKI!

The elevator bell rang just in time and the doors opened, there was no one in the reception. She walked out first and he followed. She paused because the car parked outside was a sleek black SUV instead of her sweet grey suv that she is familiar with, but then her Driver stepped out of the car and then she remembered that they've sold her car already and this shiny, sleek, black, scary looking machine now her car. She turned to him to say goodbye she could see his car driving up behind hers.

"Goodnight, get enough rest okay." He said before she could open her mouth.

She nodded then quickly rushed to her car.

Since when did he start liking her? She smiled.......Or is he just playing games with me? her smile disappeared. Maybe he wants to conquer her since she is the only one that has been giving him headache?

Next Day.

Dare's POV:

He is a patient man and he wants to get it right with her. He cant wait to see her in his bed o, but he knows that she is going to back off if he moves too fast. She is a smart woman, she's not just going to jump in bed with him without thinking it through.

The car wasn't even part of his wooing strategy they had to replace that car. It is old and he saw that they were replacing wheels and major engine parts in the expense report. How can his 'Queen' be using patch-patch car with bad wheels! Are they trying to kill her? Secondly she is the one doing most of the work here that gas project alone is worth $8 Billion and she is the one championing it.

Truth is, he would have upgraded it even if their beef was still on. She is a key personnel in this Company and they should do everything possible to retain her. He is a very fair person and he respects hardwork alot. It was also easy for them to buy it because the money the Company budgeted for his own official car and his house was still available, he doesnt want an official car and he lives in his own house.

He smiled as he remembered the look on her face when she put two and two together in the elevator lol. So cute he thought. At least she feels something for him but, he is going to need more green light from her.

He knows she is being careful because she is very professional in her conduct and he respects that, she should take as much time as she needs to make up her mind....he will wait.

He was in a good mood that morning as he opened his laptop and started working until a call came in from their trading and shipping agent and ruined his whole day.

Apparently one of their loaded vessels was grounded because the Company's crude oil export permit has expired. The Agent said after 6 hours the terminal will start charging the Company for demurrage if they don't present a renewed permit.

Demurrage is $50,000 per day!

"Who is responsible for the export permit renewal?" he asked Ada.

"Mr. Samuel, Head of Compliance, he is on the 3rd floor" Ada answered nervously, she could see that he was boiling inside.

Dare didn't even send for him, he went straight to the man's office and sat down calmly in the visitor's chair, he was taking deep breaths in between because he didn't want to yell. The man was surprised to see him in his office for the first time.

"Mr. Samuel, what is your job description?"

The guy was scared and confused but he answered the question, carefully.

"Good, so why do we have 200,000 barrels of crude oil stranded in the Mediterranean sea because we do not have a VALID export permit" He said it calmly but his odd calmness was more terrifying than the alternative.

Mr. Samuel looked like he was about to have heart attack his hands were trembling as he started opening some files on his table to check the status of the permit.

"Errm....errm oh my God!, it expired yesterday Sir, I am so sorry, I am so sorry, Jesus! it was an oversight on my part" His voice was shaking.

Dare stood up, "Mr. Samuel, you have 6 hours to fix this or else you will pay for the demurrage from your pocket, this is inexcusable" He said then walked out.

As he walked back to his office, he thought about how his initial impulse was to go there and fire the guy. That is literally his only Job! Sort out the government permits, certificates, licences what is he doing with his time.

But he didnt fire the guy, or suspend him and he was able to stay calm, he did'nt even swear or curse.

hmmmm Interesting. He thought to himself.

Guys i am so sorry i didn't update last night i slept off while editing this. Things are getting serious between Dare and Sofi and writing sexual tension is HARRRRD lol. I am already editing chapter 20, should be ready tomorrow too (Could be this night but, i dont want to overpromise)

⬇️⬇️⬇️Don't forget to vote ;)