Chapter 37
Zioh
When the press conference ended, I texted my eldest brother, Zaeem. My fingers trembled as I asked him to meet me in the back room, where I’d spoken with Tsabinu earlier. I moved fast, pushing through the crowd, ignoring the noise around me.
I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over my shoulder. People. Tables. Chairs. More people. Faces everywhere.
Shit.
By the time I burst into the back room, the darkness consumed me, pulsing through every vein. I shoved the door open, slammed it against the wall, and stormed inside.
Zaeem was on the sofa, surprise flickering at my entrance. He started to rise, but I was already upon him. “What the hell are you thinking?!” I snapped, my breath ragged. “What the fuck is this, Mas?!”
“Zioh—”
I dragged my hands over my face, cursing under my breath. “So this is why you came home suddenly, isn’t it?!” I accused, my voice high and sharp. “Because of this?!”
Zaeem blew a shaky breath, trying to reach for my shoulder. “Calm down, Dek.”
I slapped his hand away. Calm?!
“Calm down?!” I barked. “You knew! You understood more than anyone, and now I find out you’re working with that old bastard—”
“Hey!” Zaeem cut in. “He’s still our father.”
My muscles tautened like a bowstring. “I don’t care about your or his bloody company, Mas!
” My voice cracked with its force. “You bloody know that! I only came here because you asked me, politely.” My breath came quick and shallow.
“Cooperation, investors, joint ventures—I don’t give a fuck!
” My words tumbled out. “But you knew Dad was trying to drag me in and you just stood there?!”
Zaeem pressed his lips together. He held my gaze, gripping my shoulders.
“Dek, listen carefully.” His voice fell low.
“This has nothing to do with forcing you here, or any of the negative things you’ve made up in your head.
” His fingers on my shoulders tightened.
“I swear. This is me, Zioh. I wouldn’t do that to you. ”
Shaking his head, he looked at me. “All I need is for you to help me a little while we sort things out in the UK. Once that’s resolved, you can leave whenever you want. No one, not even Dad, will stop you, alright?”
His eyes searched mine, and his voice dug deeper, “I just need you here until we fix what’s happening. Until I find a way to keep you safe there. Do you understand me?”
His words came through, but they floated around me.
No. This never worked. It had tried before. I’d always end up trapped.
Zaeem shook me, as if he wanted his words to enter my ears. “Zioh, are you listening?”
I looked at him, and he spoke again. “I also think this isn’t a bad idea... I mean—
I glared. What the fuck…
“What did you just say?” I growled. “You really want to drive me insane, don’t you?”
Zaeem exhaled. “If that’s the case, tell me this.” His stare hardened. “Were things any better for you in the UK?” His head shook, fierce. “No, Zioh.”
I tore at my hair, and a searing pain began to eat me alive. “At least I could breathe there.”
“You think you could breathe there?!” His voice rose, cutting.
“With Cindy there? You think that was breathing?” A dry laugh came out of his mouth.
“I had to step in myself! How many times did you change penthouses, huh? How many times did you move, week after bloody week, running from place to place?” His breath was ragged.
“Where are you going to run next, Zioh? Tell me, where?”
I stopped short.
I couldn’t feel the air reaching my lungs anymore.
Stop. Just stop talking, all of you!
Then his eyes shifted, shaking. The look I hated—sorrowful, pitiful. “There’s Dad here. Cindy there. Where else are you going to go, Dek?” I shook my head. “How long can you keep this up?”
I’m scared, Mas. I’m bloody terrified.
Sophie’s face flickered in my mind, and my breath faltered. I shook my head.
Tshabina’s bright, warm face burned in me. My chest clenched, aching. I’m scared.
Dragging air in, I closed my eyes. One, two, three, four. I hoped everyone would stop talking and leave me alone! One, two, three, four. Stop fucking bothering me!
I opened my eyes and let out a shaky breath. One, two, three, four. Mess.
Completely a disaster.
Zaeem watched me, and he seemed to see it. His voice was hoarse and unsteady as he stepped forward. “Dek—” He lifted his hand.
I stumbled back. “No… please… don’t.” My voice cracked. I rubbed my face, backing away from him. When I looked up again, my voice rasped and was almost gone. “Tell me… Why did the partnership change? What exactly did Dad offer?” I gulped. “What was the deal, Mas?”
Zaeem drew a long breath, his eyes flicking side to side as if to ensure no one else was near.
“After the deal is shifted, we’ll get regulatory support for our company, assets, and valuable resources.
” His tone turned grave. “And most likely, the airport and station development projects will name you as the architect. Dad asked for it personally, through the Minister of SOEs, pulling strings with the higher-ups.”
Tension peaked across my muscles.
“Listen.” Zaeem pressed on. “Dad’s finding ways to keep you and Zeraiah here. To anchor you.” His voice thinned, sadness bleeding through. “If you’re here, he’ll be here too. You know he’ll follow you anywhere.”
I stared, my eyes sharp, and they burned. Trembling behind them.
“But Zi,” Zaeem’s tone softened further, “I only went along with it so Dad would focus there, while I focus on fixing things for you in the UK, alright? I need you to hold out until that’s resolved, then you’ll be free to decide whatever you want. Do you understand me?”
Words caught in my throat, and I could barely hear him over the roar in my head.
He stepped closer, his hands gripping my shoulders again.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine, Zioh. If it comes to that, and if I’m stuck, we’ll even let Grandpa intervene this time, okay?
You need to know I’m always on your side.
I just need to find a way through this without tearing our family apart.
Dad is still our family, Zi. If Grandpa steps in, Dad could—”
“Your old man has ruined me!” I exploded. I stared at him, my eyes stinging with misery. “He’s tortured me, Mas! And he’ll never stop!” My hands clawed at my head. Crazy. “He’s planning something—he always does!” I yanked my tie off. “He’s going to do something awful to me, I know it.”
Fuck, I wanted to scream. “He always thinks Zeraiah and I are poison to his name, to his fucking company!” Which was right. “He wants to make me the pawn that he can control!”
Zaeem lunged forward and pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. “Dek, Dad loves us—”
I shoved him back, my laughter spilling out. “Don’t give me that shit!” I snapped, my voice breaking into a howl of anger and frustration. “Don’t keep feeding me lies, Mas. I’m done!”
Zaeem’s face tightened. His breath came heavy, but his eyes stayed locked on me. “Dad’s suspicious that you’re still unwell, and he has been for a long time.” His tone dropped, searching me, trying to reach me. “Don’t you think… Maybe… It’s time to be honest—”
“Are you mad?”
He would destroy me. He’d punish me. Took everything!
I began to shake. “Before you lecture me, you should remember what Dad did when he found out about my condition,” I hissed. “You know what he did! And what the fuck did you say to me? Honest?”
Zaeem nodded once, sighing. “Okay. Okay. But you need to understand that Dad will find out sooner or later. And what I said was true.” His voice dropped, heavy and deliberate. “We love you, Zi. We want what’s best for you. We want you to heal.”
My phone buzzed, and I let out a ragged breath, pulling it from my pocket with trembling fingers. Natasha’s messages lit up the screen one after the other:
Natasha: Zioh, why didn’t you tell me the partnership terms had changed?
Natasha: And where are you?
Natasha: Also, could you stop, please? I’m begging you, stop being such a bloody wanker, huh? Otherwise, all my efforts to follow tradition here and stay polite with you will go to hell.
Natasha: You had me wandering for hours at the mall last time, and today you’ve bloody done it again!
Oh, and by the way, there’s a green folder in the boot.
And stupid me, I still had to check it even though I knew you’d never put your work files there.
Because guess what? I’m the one who always keeps them, not you!
Natasha: For our sake, stop it, I beg you.
Natasha: Btw, something odd happened. I just saw Tsabinu.
Natasha: And no, not in that way. I was happy to see him, ofc. But do you remember when I told you I ran into him at the mall? You remember that, right?
Natasha: This time, when I saw him in the car park, the faces around him were different. I mean, if he’s with his division or INDTV’s legal team today, who the hell were those people at the mall?
My knees went weak.
All this time…
Whose side had Tsabinu truly been on? Dad’s? Or Zaeem’s?
Not yours.
? ── * ── ?
The kiss remained unbroken all the way to the car park. My mind was a whirlwind, but with her holding me, her lips grounding me, and her warmth seeping into my skin, the noise of the world finally fell silent.
There was no sound but the wet press of our mouths and the pounding of my heart. And this time, the pounding didn’t come from panic; it came from the heat of her lips, the way my arms locked around her.
My hands tightened again at her waist, pleading with her not to push me away. “Please…”
She panted against me as I pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. My hand slid up, tangling in her hair, gripping a few strands.
In this moment, I wished time would freeze.
If I could control it, everything would be fine.
But she was a traitor, wasn’t she?
I kissed her harder.
Don’t forget what she did to Mum.
I shook my head.
“My Sophie…”
She was right, something tied us. Something hidden, pulling me back to her again and again, and I hoped that string would never snap.
Because deep down, I knew she was like air to me. The way a body desperately crawled toward air to survive, mine kept crawling back to her.
Only her.
I had to come back as her whole Zioh again.
When her hands lifted and almost wrapped around my neck, I broke the kiss, stopping us while I still could. I pressed my forehead against hers, panting, gazing into her hazel eyes.
I wanted to thank those eyes.
“Baby…” My thumb brushed her swollen lips, wiping away the trace of our kiss. Then I pressed the AirPods in my ears, and my voice found its calm again.
“Eight p.m. I’ll pick you up at eight tonight,” I whispered, searching her gaze for resistance. But she only looked back at me, steady, and that answer was enough.
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smoothing it gently. “I’ll start drafting again tonight.” I need more time with you. “Bring your camera.” I need your presence beside me.
The corner of my lips tugged as my eyes searched hers. I tried to show her the depth inside me, the sincerity I couldn’t reveal freely.
I wanted to relive everything we used to do: laughing, watching, dancing, singing.
Listen to you, touch you, hold you, and show you the love you deserve.
I wanted to feel alive again, Tshabina.
Please.