Read chapter 38 before reading this...

KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

Imad slammed open the door of his bureau hot anger rolling off him like an avalanche. He threw his suit on the chair right in front of his escritoire, rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt and adjusted his collar uneasily. What was he thinking leaving the bureau like that after reading what she has written? Had that incident never happened with Nazir, would he have talked to her about their past? Was he that desperate and pathetic to fail the game he's charted himself?

Damn, damn damn! What is that wee woman doing to him? He paced around the room, his dress shoes making annoying little sounds of the sisal regal carpet. Noisy breathings rush out from the seam of his lips, eyes protruding as though he's seen murder in front of him. His muscles are quivering with wrath and insides tight. He clenched his fists, he don't want his anger to take over and he'll ruin the room all over but it did.

In his fit of rage, he didn't hear the sound of the door opening only felt the presence of Jabir inside with him. He gave a sigh of relief because had that being Amirah, he would just vomited his guts and regurgitate all he has in his stomach for her. He might even hurt her while trying to sort out his fury, it just got to that after a while. His raucous breathings didn't subside though, it kept proliferating like a bull ready to take down a scarlet human.

Eyes closed, he stopped pacing and start to think rationally. Jabir just sat down on the couch inside the office, nonplussed, watching him pace and calm himself. He likes Jabir for that, he does not push you into doing anything and permit you to do what you think is right after he's advised you. He felt inebriated with these aggravation. When he feels that he is quintessential with cool and calm, he sat down on the couch with Jabir.

Jabir's eyes are dancing with confusion but also amusement. He's never seen Imad this worked up since the time he called him during his first year to check up on Amirah that she wasn't answering his calls. That time, Imad just started his MBA in Chicago and Amirah is still in highschool. He's delivered the news about the dare albeit reluctant to Imad, it didn't turn out well. He looks too sentient now and about to detriment something more like someone.

Cool and calm, Jabir decided to chirp. "What happened here and why were you pacing like devil chased you?"

Imad scoffed wishing it was the devil that chased him, he would've just ducked and do the infeasible. "I wish it was the devil and not she-devil."

Jabir adjust himself on the couch, his supine position abandoned, brows adjoined in confusion to what this she devil means. Is Imad seeing about woman now or is he talking about his wife? "What do you mean by she-devil, seems like a woman or I'm I mistaken?"

"No mistake at all." He scoffed again, placing each elbow on his knees and widening the v between his strong looking thighs. "I want to exact my revenge on her, but I want it to hurt beyond words. Which means doing it now won't give that much impact, I need more time."

Jabir's eyesbrows shoot up in question to this. What the heck is this guy talking about and what revenge is he plotting so devotedly? Why are his eyes shining with so much nefariousness that promised nadir to the person at the meeting end of it? He could only come up with one person that can easily bring out the malignant and most loving side of Imad and that is none other than his personal assistant.

Is he talking about Amirah? Now... this is interesting.

"What are you talking about?"

Imad stood up and made his way to Amirah's desk, took her laptop off the table and dropped it on Jabir's thigh as if expecting him to know what to do with it. Jabir stared in bewilderment before looking down at the laptop's screen that is shining with small note that doesn't make sense but still readable. Asking for permission with his eyes and looked down when Imad nodded. He is being abstinent in the matter right from the beginning but his curiosity is taking a toll now.

The note says... "He looks super cute and handsome today..." The words trailed off and move to another line as if the person wasn't concentrating when writing that down.

"I even admitted it but he demand that I shouldn't flirt with him and he is married, ha, it's okayyy. I mean he hass the rightt to be soo mad at me right?.., I broke and shattered his heart in the past. I don't know why we haven't talked about it yettt. I badly want to put it behind us. Yah, I want to move on from him but it is...impossibleee, impossible. Mtsw, I still lovess him. Always ruining my sleeps and making. me . all grumpy. And mah heart is making it harder. oops, the hearts entails all emotions right? Yap, that is why. I hate ourrr past!... What to doooo"

"Who wrote this?" Jabir had who did but just to be sure before jumping into conclusion. He didn't know what happened and who was the source of their ruined marriage but after reading this, he knew she did it.

Imad snarled, eyes sparkling with something malignant that promised annihilation. "Who else? That wretch that is now following men with deep pockets up and fucking down." He denunciated with a raised voice that have this edge tone on it's tail.

"Amirah is following men? Nah, this might be your jealous mind saying it because I've never seen her with any man. And, can't you both act like adult and not prepubescent children and talk out this past hanging on your heads?"

Imad glared at his friend, his anger partly coming back to him. "She is not following men? You think I would lie about something this colossal because I am jealous? I saw that with my eyes! She was with that Attorney guy in Italy faking sickness and I fucking believed her. Damn, I was even worried that I wanted to go see her only to see him walking out of their goddamned suite adjusting his goddamned shirt. And. She. Was. Alone. Inside. The. Room!" He spatted, denouncing Amirah some more. "So tell me, how is it I'm building stories about her?"

Jabir shook his head not in any position to judge Amirah. Since he didn't judge Imad when he was accused of being a womanizer and drunkard, he can't exactly do that to Amirah because his friend influx the idea in his head. He is disparaging his own ex-wife because of a mistake they've both made, he hates what Imad is doing at that moment but sealed his mouth for the time. He will investigate about it himself.

"That is not proof enough that she is with him and is now a nymphomaniac like you said. His clothe might've gotten ruined and he cleaned it or something. There are so many movies that the rivals plot things like this to cause problems, learn a thing or two from there. You are annihilating everything with your conclusions, man. Stop being acerbic and acrid!" Jabir inserted, relaxing his large back against the sofa while surveying Imad.

Imad shook his head, not ready to give up his debate of something he's seen twice already. He covets that it was all true what Jabir is saying but his eyes are working perfectly well to see what is in front of him. Oh God, he wished it was all wrong like his friend had said but no! He is not cuckoo, that colleen is about to yaw him cuckoo and insane too. It is all consternated, so darn horrendous.

"I saw her again too today." His smile is distant and detached, his eyes going back to chart what he's seen. There was no mistake there, Amirah leaned too close to Nazir that their chests were glued. "She was so close to him, like a missing piece and in a secluded place to. Her friends asked me to go there only to see them in that compromising position." He shook his head, to clear the disturbing image.

Jabir's eyes widen in disbelieve but then lowered knowing Imad won't ever lie about such a thing and the situation he met him in means he just came back from the aforementioned place. He decomposed the fact that judgement is slipping through his veins and he felt the jurisdiction. He quickly dismissed that from him and stood up. This matter should be dealt with sooner than they want to drag it.

Not when he is harried with the matter, it will be in his hands.

Adjusting his blazer, he stopped the polemic words that were about to onslaught through the seam of his lips. "I will go see this through and make sure to prove you wrong."

Imad wanted to rush out, 'Please prove me wrong' in desperation but gave a curt nod and made it back to his desk looking more calm than he was minutes ago. Talking to Jabir really calmed him down which is why he's decided to tell both Jabir and Salim about his past and get it over with. He's told his mother, it wasn't as stark as he's expected it to be, it flowed out with galore of pain.

After Jabir left, Amirah waltzed inside the bureau with a can of coca-cola in hand and sat on her desk after greeting him again. He replied coolly, grateful he's returned everything where it was on her desk and she won't notice a thing. He feels like a complete arsehole for checking out her things but he tuned that down and watch her reaction closely.

When her eyes fell on the laptop, they widened a little then raise her head to look at him, he bowed his just in time before she caught him. He raised his head again and found her hastily deleting all she has written with panic stricken face. Was that all his imagination and she was talking about someone else or a book she's read or she didn't even write it at all? He is very sure she broke his heart and no one else which means it was directed to him.

And she told him he looked handsome today like she's written down there. There is no way she was talking about someone else!

*~*

Jabir made his way to the floor beneath Imad's where Attorney Nazir Jalo is. He got greeted by the employees sitting around their cubicles idly working on this or that. Some might think he is also a boss in the company when he is not, he just likes hanging out with his friend there and now that Imad joined also, it gets triple. Imad would've worked in his company had there been any empty slot but Kilishi's chief finance officer retired just in time.

Arriving at the door that leads to the attorney's office, he knocked a few times before ambling inside after a small come in rang out from inside in cacophony. Jabir entered slowly with a taslim. He's never being there, they usually meet up outside or in a meeting but clicked quite well and even hanged out a few times out of working hours in fields or gyms. The guy is nice, Imad is disparaging him wrongly, Jabir is sure of that.

But he cannot judge someone he doesn't know intimately.

"Ah, Jabir?" Nazir stood up from his swivel chair behind the wide colossal oak desk taking over the whole place exhibiting countless and multitudes of papers.

Jabir gave a boyish smile that always represent how much of a gentleman he is. "Yeah, decided to drop by."

"You did the right thing. I haven't seen you in a while." Nazir rounded the table to open a small looking skyrun fridge by the end of the room, he didn't notice that. Many people rather have a coffee machine than a fridge.

"Yeah, been busy with projects." He accepted the cool drink passed to him then drop it on the table for later. He isn't there for drinks. "How've you been?"

Nazir went back to his seat, leaning closer to talk to Jabir. His phone is shining beside him and it is a photo Jabir badly wants to see, just no aperture for him to do so. He narrowed his eyes into slits on the phone but stopped, he shouldn't scare the poor guy with his FBI instincts to search and find out everything the minute he gets comfortable. He can't shake off the feeling that that photo has something to do with what he is kiboshing for.

"I've been good and happy." His grin widened to show that, his eyes dropping to his phone again after saying that. "What about you? Married or still single?" He joked, his grin slipping into a lopsided one.

"Marriage..." Jabir mulled with a tinge of smile crossing his lips before he shook his head. "I have no girlfriend talk less of marriage. That should be your own play now? Engaged or interested in anyone?" The ball is now in his court, he is playing it just the way he should. He capped open the cool drink and quaff down most of it to quench his dry throat.

Nazir's smile became a full blown one, as if to answer his question just with it but he opened his mouth to merrily answer. "I'm really interest in one I've met just few days ago. Like really and seriously interested that I want to make it official as soon as possible. I don't know where she's been hiding but now that I've found her, I don't want to lose her. You understand that kind of feeling?" Nazir is rambling but he can't help it, he did that to his mother few days ago too. He can't seem to stop.

"Whoa, this seems serious." Jabir looks wowed but is silently praying this person is not Amirah, he doesn't want that!

Nazir being the excited man he is took his phone off the table and entered the password before showing him the photo he's been eying when he walked in. Damnation! That person is none other than Amirah laughing at something he's said in a restaurant. Maybe this was what Imad mean by seeing them together, they had a date back in Italy. The background says it all, it is not Nigeria or Kano.

"Her name is Amirah, she works for Mr. Imad. Isn't she perfect? I can't wait to get her under my wing, she won't have to work anymore. She always looks tired and dehydrated, it worries me." Nazir shook his head, tucking the phone back to his desk and got more interested in talking to Jabir about the woman he wants to marry.

He is not in love with her but likes her a lot that it could turn into love before they tie the knot. He is amongst the men that believe love comes after marriage and they can work it out even if the world is against them. If he gets married to her, he will make sure she stops that abstemiousness she took upon herself. She is clearly not from some rich family but that is alright, he can take care of everything if she will agree to marry him.

Someone might just sweep her off her feet if he wastes little time as the duration of an eye blink. She is too cute and pretty with her dark skin and small malnourished body, just perfect fit for his tall and a little lean frame. And when she accidentally fell on him earlier, he felt the tingles and knew she was no doubt the one meant for him. Why delay?

"Amirah?" Jabir sputtered then composed himself with a forced smile. He needs more information on this so he can warn Imad before it gets too late and the rug will be pulled off his feet in stellar.

"Yes, that is her name and it fits." Nazir nodded in adoration, hitting his forefinger on the table quietly. "I'm thinking about going to see her wards very soon. I just want to ask her first which will be today. In'shaa Allah. No delay, no denial."

"You should do that while I go run my company single." Jabir stood up and chortled uneasily which he masked with a perfect flawless smile.

He shook Nazir's hand one more time before leaving the company. He will have to call Imad somewhere no one can hear them and tell him about this. Amirah might be back from her lunch break already, it is time.

Imad needs to get his shit together or lose the only woman he loves.