Chapter 23: Chapter 23
Tekena fiddled with his phone as he sat in the back seat of his Rolls-Royce Cullinan, while his driver drove to his penthouse at Ikoyi.
His girlfriend Olivia was right beside him and was looking out the window, always looking for something more important every time they were together like he wasn't worth her attention. He hated it and he'd complained endlessly before finally giving up when he saw she wasn't going to change.
He placed his palm on her lap and she flinched, she didn't like him touching her when they were not in public and without her consent. His own girlfriend, he had to beg her for physical intimacy every time they were together alone. And it bothered him a lot, the thought that she didn't care half as much as she used to in the past.
Even with all her iciness, he was still so in love and obsessed with her.
He was constantly watching her in the shadows, stalking her on every social media platform and spying on her every time he had free time. He had done this for so long, even before they'd started dating, so much that he'd mastered her mannerisms. The way her eyes and brows lifted in disbelief when she heard something unbelievable, the way her bow shaped lips curved when she found something really amusing, the way her light brown eyes lit up as she spoke about all her favorite things, food and places.
She was the real definition of a goddess, her skin was golden brown, perfect, glassy like and without blemish, her curly hair was always in a messy bun or braids with little curly baby hairs that he longed to touch. Her brown pouty lips he'd kiss for all of eternity if she would allow him.
Her brows were dark and naturally arched followed by the long dark lashes that often hid her eyes from people like him who stared too much.
Her body on the other hand was icing on the cake that was her face. Her body was soft, plump and sexy with her full round boobs and the jelly bum that was just the right size for him. She was his and he couldn't let anyone else have her.
If not that it would be considered creepy and borderline crazy, he'd pay the best painter to paint her face all over his house. If he could, he'd tattoo her face on his chest just prove his love and devotion to her.
Olivia on the other hand was oblivious to his thoughts, she was bored and didn't want to spend the weekend with him because she blamed him for her grief.
He rubbed her thighs sensually because he knew how sensitive she was to his touch, at least she used to be. He did it because he hoped to spark a reaction out of her, anything but this coldness.
Olivia held her breath as her boyfriend caressed her thighs. She knew what he was doing and refused to fall for it. "Livvy...." he murmured as the silence went on.
She focused on the street lights that were outside the car and counted them as they drove past them. "Livvy look at me...." he said. She ignored him and kept her eyes on whatever that had her attention outside the car. Tekena finally gave up and went back to fiddling with his phone.
They finally got to his house a few minutes later as her house was just an hour away from his penthouse. The tension and silence enveloped them even as they took the elevator to his penthouse.
She wasn't expecting the people she met in his apartment when she walked in and she hated that he hadn't told her that he had people over.
"Olivia meet my Publicist Stephanie, she's here for damage control and the rest are on the technical team. They're trying to fix our image and take down any blog that dares post that picture again. They are also working on tracking down the person who is responsible for that dirty post" Tekena informed her.
Olivia nodded and sat down opposite the technical team. "Stephanie what's new?" Tekena asked.
"Have you asked her?" Stephanie asked Tekena. "Asked me what?" Olivia asked Tekena but she wasn't looking at him, she was looking Stephanie.
"Alright, you guys can go home now. My girlfriend and I need privacy" Tekena said leaving the living room for his kitchen that he rarely used.
Olivia sighed and wondered what this new development was. As the technical team packed up their laptops and equipments, she wondered how they'd reacted to her picture, what they thought of her when they saw it and if Stephanie also hated her.
Tekena came out moments later with a bottle of bourbon. "Should I order takeouts?" he asked as he poured some bourbon into a glass while Stephanie and her team left the penthouse.
"What was she talking about?" Olivia asked. "Your mum mentioned you've not had dinner" Tekena said and took a sip of bourbon.
"Why the suspense?" Olivia frowned. "What's the rush? we have all weekend. What would you like to have for dinner?" he asked.
"We don't have all weekend, say whatever you have to say now" Olivia said belligerently. "You brought your weekend bag so I assumed you were staying here all weekend" Tekena frowned.
"I'm leaving, I promised my friend I'd sleep over at her place this weekend. I don't know why you're being hesitant but I don't have the patient for it" Olivia said.
"You know Olivia, if there's anyone who should be mad, it should be me. Do you know what that dirty picture is doing to my reputation, my family name and company?" Tekena yelled.
"I wasn't the one who asked you to go public with this relationship. If your reputation is in the mud that's on you" Olivia yelled back.
"You told me you were a virgin but you were sleeping a married man Olivia. Why did he lie to you and why were you cheating on me? Tell me, what did he give you that I couldn't?" Tekena sneered.
"I wasn't sleeping with him, he drugged me and he had his way with me. I've told you before that I had no idea what happened after I drank what I was offered" Olivia defended herself.
Tekena chuckled bitterly. He picked up the large brown envelop that was on the marble table where his bourbon was resting and flung it at her.
"I believed you till I did some digging and found pictures of you laughing and dining with the same married man in several restaurants around Lagos. Don't freaking play victim with me, I'm not an idiot"
"I didn't know he was married and you have no right to spy on me. Who the hell do you think you are?" Olivia screamed at him.
"I'm the man who is going to marry you. I've spoken to your father, it's the best way to deal with the damage you've caused. Stephanie will arrange an interview with Celeb TV and you will tell everyone on national TV that you were drugged and raped. That way people will stop saying vicious things to you and start sympathizing with you. The bastard will be arrested of course, I won't let him get away with taking advantage of you. You will also tell them about the miscarriage and how you almost lost your life to cease talks about that abortion that never happened. I and Stephanie will deal with the rest after that" Tekena said. He dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a ring. "Your mother gave me this, it belonged to your grandmother. If you don't like it, I could get you something else" He said.
"What....what is this...how dare you? How dare you make decisions about my life without talking to me first. I'm not a child, you keep treating me like one!" she screamed at him.
"I'm not enjoying all these yelling Olivia. We were going to get married anyway, why not sooner than later?" He said carelessly.
Olivia shook her head. "You're insane, you're crazy, it's official. I'm not getting married to you Tekena, not now, not ever" She said getting up from the couch.
"Why? Are you only attracted to married men, you want to be someone's third or second wife or something? What's so bad about being my wife?" Tekena said harshly.
Olivia stared at him breathlessly and wondered what she'd found so attractive about him when she'd agreed to date him.
"You're my worst nightmare Tekena, you're the reason my life is a mess. I would never marry you not even to save my life" Olivia said picking up her weekend bag.
Tekena placed the ring on the table. "You know how much I love you, I always protect you, you know I would destroy anyone who tries to hurt you. Olivia I would make you the happiest woman on earth if you decide to be my....." Tekena was saying when she cut him off.
"I've died so many times because of you. I can't work in peace, I can't go out in public without being spied on, I can't be me because of you. Your social media fans won't stop critiquing and crucifying me everyday. If I marry you, it'll get worse and I don't want that. You have to let me go Tekena, I'm tired. You're draining the life off me" Olivia said tiredly.
"You need space, I can wait. Quit your job, take my jet and go wherever you want to go, I'll wait for...."
"Stop trying to control my life, don't tell me what do, don't make decisions for me. I can't marry you because you never get me, you never get me! Good night!" She said and walked out of the room.
He didn't try to stop her, he knew she'd be back. Her mind was just muddled at the moment, soon she'd be able to think straight and she'd accept his proposal because that was what was best for her. If she continued being stubborn, Gogo would work her magic and she'd be his again. There was nothing to worry about, absolutely nothing.