AKANNI POV
I joined my father and Busayo's husband at the balcony discussing, including Charles. After hours of discussion—mostly centered on sports, business, marriage, and the economy—one of the maids came to inform us that dinner was ready.
"I hope you two are not gossiping about me!" Busayo said as she caught Charles whispering to me while we walked into the dining room.
"Who would even stress themselves with your business?" Charles replied jokingly.
"Leave her," I added. "She thinks we're like them, gossiping at every opportunity."
"So what exactly are you talking about, if not me?" she pressed.
"Busayo, stop embarrassing yourself," my mum said with a smile. "Everyone's waiting. Honey, bless the food."
"Is everyone seated?" my dad asked.
"Yes, I think so," Charles replied, counting heads mentally.
It was a full-house dinner—family, maids, and workers all seated together.
"Alright then," my dad said, and began the prayer.
We ate quietly, the comfortable kind of silence that only family brings. Afterward, the maids cleared the dishes, and everyone expressed their appreciation.
I reached for my phone then. A message from Bukky had come in during dinner, but I couldn't reply earlier—table manners still mattered.
30 minutes ago
Bukky: So… how was the dinner?
I smiled as I typed.
Me: It was nice. I honestly wish you'd tasted my mum's pounded yam and assorted vegetable soup 😂😂😂
Bukky: Hmm 😊😊😊 would've been better if you asked me to tag along.
Me: Aww… I didn't even know you'd be free this evening.
I was still smiling at my screen when Charles suddenly leaned closer.
"What are you watching that's making you smile like this, big bro?" he asked.
Every eye in the room slowly turned to me.
I cleared my throat and locked my phone.
"Nothing," I said calmly. "Just work messages."
"Work?" Charles scoffed. "Work that makes you smile like you just won the league?"
"Mind your food," I shot back.
"Ah," Busayo said slowly, folding her arms. "So this is how 'work' looks these days."
My mum tilted her head, studying me the way only mothers could. That knowing look—the one that sees past excuses.
"Akanni," she said gently, "where is your fiancé?"
Before I could respond, footsteps approached from behind.
"I'm here, Ma," Mira said, entering the dining area with a polite smile.
Perfect timing.
She walked up to me naturally and rested her hand lightly on my shoulder—subtle, practiced, convincing.
"There you are," My mum said softly. "I've been looking for you."
I glanced up at her, meeting her eyes. We exchanged that silent agreement we'd perfected over time.
Game on.
"Oh," my mum smiled warmly. "Come and sit, dear."
Mira pulled out the chair beside mine and sat.
Charles leaned forward immediately. "So, Aunty Mira, what exactly was making my brother smile like a teenager?"
Mira turned to me, raising an eyebrow. "Ah. That."
I shot her a warning look.
She smiled sweetly. Too sweet.
"Well," she said calmly, "if he's smiling, then it must be good news."
My dad adjusted his glasses. "Good news like…?"
Mira placed her hand over mine again.
"Maybe it's about work," she continued. "Or maybe someone finally learned how to enjoy conversations again."
Busayo chuckled. "Someone, or someone?"
I withdrew my hand gently. "You people should rest."
But it was too late.
"You've been different lately," my mum said. "Less tense. More… present."
"Abi?" Charles added. "Even wine doesn't relax you like this."
"I bet Mira as been putting extra work" Busayo joined
Mira glanced at me briefly, then looked back at my mum.
"He's been trying," she said. "And I think change looks good on him."
I nodded slowly. "Thank you."
Then my phone vibrated again.
I didn't need to look to know who it was.
Mira did.
Her eyes dropped to my pocket for just half a second—quick, sharp.
"Is that your phone?" she asked casually.
"Yes," I replied.
"You should check it," she said, still smiling. "Might be important."
My mum laughed. "See? This is why I like her. Very understanding."
I stood up. "Excuse me."
As I stepped away from the table, Charles whispered to Mira, "Fake fiancé or not, someone is catching feelings."
"I heard that," Mira replied calmly. "I did not know why Akanni would decide to let you
know about the whole deal" Mira whispered back
Outside the dining room, I checked my phone.
Bukky: Did I interrupt something? You suddenly went quiet.
I smiled.
Me: Family interrogation. You should hear them.
Bukky: 😂😂😂 I can imagine.
I typed, hesitated, then sent:
Me: I'll call you later.
Before I could pocket my phone, Mira's voice came from behind me.
"You smile differently when you text her."
I turned.
She wasn't smiling now.
"Mira—"
"Relax," she said. "I'm not angry. I just like clarity."
"She's a friend," I replied.
"For now," she said quietly. Then, louder, "Dinner's not over. They'll suspect something."
She walked past me, composed again.
I returned to the dining room with my usual calm face in place.
"Everything okay?" my dad asked.
"Yes sir," I replied, taking my seat.
Mira handed me a glass of water without a word. Our fingers brushed. Brief.
Busayo watched the exchange carefully.
"You two are acting like newlyweds already," she teased.
Mira smiled politely. "Practice makes perfect."
Charles burst out laughing. "I like her more every day." he said sarcasm lacing his tone
My mum nodded approvingly. "That's how it should be. Understanding and supportive."
Understanding.
If only she knew. I felt bad deceiving them
Dinner wrapped up shortly after. People began dispersing—some to the sitting room, others to the backyard. I excused myself, claiming I needed fresh air.
The garden was quiet, lit by soft yellow bulbs. I loosened my collar and exhaled.
Then my phone rang.
Bukky.
I answered immediately.
"Hello," I said softly.
"So you escaped the interrogation?" she asked, amusement in her voice.
"Barely."
She laughed. A real laugh. The kind that sinks into you.
"I could imagine your family," she said. "You come from a loud one."
"You have no idea."
There was a pause.
"Akanni," she called my name slowly, testing how it sounded between us.
"Yes?"
"You okay?"
I hesitated.
Too long.
"I should be," I said. "Just… thinking."
"About?"
"Life," I replied lightly. "Complicated things."
She hummed. "Life always is."
Another pause.
"Are you with someone right now?" she asked gently.
I closed my eyes.
The truth stood in front of me like a wall.
"Yes," I said. "Family."
"Oh," she replied. "That's good."
The tone shifted. Not cold. Just… distant.
"I should let you be then," she added.
"No—" I stopped myself. "Don't go."
Silence.
"I'll call you later," I said instead. "Properly."
"Okay," she replied. "Good night, Akanni."
"Good night, Bukky."
The call ended.
I lowered my phone slowly.
"You shouldn't sound like that when you say her name."
I turned.
Mira stood a few steps away, arms folded, eyes steady.
"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.
"Long enough," she replied.
I rubbed my forehead. "This wasn't part of the plan."
"No," she agreed. "The plan was simple. Fake fiancée. Family pressure solved. No feelings involved."
"I don't have feelings."
She laughed once. No humor in it.
"You're lying to yourself now."
I said nothing.
She stepped closer. "I've played my role perfectly, Akanni."
"I appreciate you," I said.
"I don't want appreciation," she replied. "I want to know when this lie ends."
I looked away.
"That girl," she continued calmly, "she doesn't know about this, does she?"
"no, she doesn't, but I don't think it is necessary for letting her know"
Mira nodded. "Figures."
She turned to leave, then paused.
"Just remember—lies don't stay small. They grow teeth."
She walked back into the house.
I stayed in the garden long after, staring at nothing, feeling everything.
For the first time, the lie wasn't just protecting me.
It was hurting someone, making me to ever regret my decisions to deceive my families.
And I didn't know who would bleed first.
BUKKY POV
I ended the call and placed my phone face-down on the bed.
Too quickly.
The room felt quieter than it should have.
I stared at the ceiling, replaying his voice in my head—not what he said, but how he said it. The pauses. The careful tone. The way my name sounded on his lips, like something he wasn't sure he was allowed to say out loud.
Something wasn't right.
I exhaled slowly and turned onto my side. Ever since that morning—since his voice had entered my life through Toke's mischief—things had felt… shifted. Not wrong. Just unsettled.
He was warm. Present. Intentional.
But guarded.
Very guarded.
I sat up and reached for my phone again. His chat was still open, the cursor blinking, waiting. I hovered my fingers over the keyboard, then stopped.
Instead, I stood and walked to the mirror.
My reflection stared back at me—calm face, steady eyes, a woman who had lived long enough to recognize patterns. I wasn't inexperienced. I didn't get shaken easily.
Yet here I was, unsettled by a man's silence.
"You're overthinking," I told my reflection quietly.
But the words didn't convince me.
There was a soft knock.
"Bukky?" Mum's voice came through. "You busy?"
"Yes, Mum."
She stepped in, tying her robe closer around herself. Her eyes studied me, gentle but perceptive.
"You alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
She smiled faintly, clearly unconvinced, and sat on the edge of my bed.
"You've been smiling a lot lately," she said. "And thinking even more."
I chuckled softly. "Those don't usually go together."
"They do when something new enters your life."
I met her gaze. "You sound like Dad."
She smiled. "After all these years, it happens."
Silence settled between us.
Then she said quietly, "Just remember—connections that come easily often come with complications."
I swallowed. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
"No," she replied. "It's supposed to ground you."
She kissed my forehead and stood. "Get some rest, you are overworking yourself ."
After she left, I lay back down, staring at the ceiling again.
My phone buzzed.
Once.
I didn't move, I just think I should ignore him - with me not actually thinking that it might not be Akanni calling.
Then again.
My heart betrayed me.
I picked it up.
Akanni: I didn't want to sound distant earlier.
I sat up instantly.
Akanni: Some situations are just… louder than they should be.
I frowned slightly.
Me: You don't owe me explanations.
The reply came almost immediately.
Akanni: That makes it worse. Are you also angry with me now?
I hesitated.
Me: I am not angry, how did I make it worse?
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
My chest tightened.
Then his reply came.
Akanni: Because I don't like feeling like I'm hiding while talking to you.
I inhaled sharply.
That wasn't casual.
That wasn't nothing.
Me: Then don't hide.
A long pause followed
So long that I almost put my phone down.
Then it buzzed.
Akanni: I deceive all my families about the relationship between me and Mira, and it's seems she is projecting more than being my maid.
His response sounded heavy.
Loaded.
I lay back slowly, phone resting against my chest.
"Soo....," I whispered to the quiet room.
For the first time since meeting him, I wasn't smiling.
I was waiting.
AKANNI POV
The drive back to my house was quiet, the streets almost empty after the full evening at my parents' place. The dinner had gone smoothly—thanks in no small part to Mira, who had played the part of my fiancée flawlessly. My family never suspected a thing.
I pulled into my driveway and cut the engine, taking a moment to stretch my shoulders and release the tension of the evening. The calm of my home was a stark contrast to the chaos back at my parents' house.
I grabbed the gift I received from my families from the car and carried them inside. Once inside, I allowed myself a small sigh. The weight of the pretense—of pretending I had a fiancée in front of my family—finally eased.
I couldn't help but think of Mira. She had managed every expectation my parents threw at her—polite, poised, perfectly convincing. I quickly dialed her number, and she picked up on the second ring.
"Hey," I said, smiling to myself.
"Hello sir. You are home ?" she replied, with buzzing of the street heard slowly.
"Yeah… and where are you now?" I asked "I am almost home now" she replied "ok, I will be waiting up then" I said and end the call. I drop down on the couch, taking off my Dansiki cap.
Ten minutes later, Mira enters. she greeted me
"Thank you for tonight. You were perfect. My family had no clue, and that's all because of you." I said, as she made for her room.
She let out a short laugh and turn on her heels. "It was just playing a role, Akanni. You asked me to, I did. Easy enough."
"No, it wasn't easy," I said, shaking my head. "You handled every detail—my family's
teasing, my sister's commentary, even Busayo's remarks. You made it look effortless, and I appreciate that."
"You're welcome," she said, amusement in her voice. "But don't think you're off the hook—you owe me something for all that acting."
I chuckled. "Deal. Like you wanna change your car, wardrobe, phone? just name and consider it done"
She laughed again, and I could hear her shaking her head. "Fine. But remember, Akanni, just because you're home now doesn't mean you can boss me around. We still have terms to negotiate."
"Fair enough," I said, smiling. "Completely fair."
After a pause, I added softly, "Seriously, Mira… thank you. I mean it. You handled tonight perfectly, and I don't take that for granted."
"Of course," she replied warmly, as she enter her room.
The house was quiet, the night still, but my thoughts inevitably drifted to Bukky—her messages, her laughter, the way she had wormed her way into my mind over the past week.