He straightened, his tone slightly nervous as he explained, "Sorry about that. I didn't want you to fall so I just reacted instinctively."
She nodded quickly, grateful for the explanation. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she turned to leave the room, but his voice stopped her in her tracks. It was colder than she had heard in weeks.
"Olaedo."
She turned back, trying to mask her emotions, but his next words shattered her unease and replaced it with a sharp realization.
"When the family ball arrives, the whole world will know about this marriage. That includes our competitors and people who would love to see us fail. The terms of our contract will intensify, and we'll need to act convincingly as a couple."
"Your reflexive evasion tonight could have raised serious doubts if anyone had seen it. Whatever's causing that hesitation, you need to overcome it. This fake marriage needs to look real, for both of our sakes. Don't mess it up."
Olaedo's eyes widened at his directness. She swallowed her embarrassment and nodded. "I'm sorry. I'll try to do better next time."
"Good," Chibuzor replied, his tone clipped. "Because if you don't, this contract, and all the benefits you're hoping for, will end."
Without waiting for a response, he walked toward the adjoining bathroom, leaving Olaedo standing motionless.
Her earlier embarrassment morphed into self loathing. 'I almost jeopardized my only chance to save my company. I need to get this right. No more mistakes!'
Her resolve hardened. She couldn't afford to let her emotions, or her growing feelings of discomfort, compromise their arrangement.
As night fell, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy with awkwardness. The couple were about to share a room for the first time, a development neither had fully prepared for.
After a long moment of silence, Chibuzor took a deep breath and decided to assert his role. "You will sleep on the bed, and I'll take the sofa in my study. The study is right through that door," he gestured firmly, pointing to the connecting door. "This way, no one will suspect a thing since it's technically still the same room. Alright?"
He ended his statement with a confident nod, his tone leaving no room for argument, or so he thought.
Olaedo crossed her arms and tilted her head, her thoughtful expression morphing into a resolute one. "Sofas aren't comfortable, Chibuzor. Trust me, I've had more than my share of hardships to know. Growing up and even during my travels for business, I slept on anything from wooden benches to threadbare couches."
"Beds and mattresses were a luxury I could only afford after my company took off. You, on the other hand, have never endured such things. You should take the bed. I'll be fine on the sofa."
Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. He stood frozen, his expression betraying the swirl of emotions her candid revelation had stirred. 'What exactly did she go through?' he wondered, unable to comprehend a life where a simple bed was unattainable.
For a man who had always lived in comfort, the thought was unfathomable, and deeply unsettling.
As she turned toward the study and reached for the doorknob, something inside him snapped. Before she could close the door behind her, he rushed forward, slamming his palm against it to stop her.
"You're right," he said, his voice softer but resolute. "I haven't gone through half of what you have. But I know enough to understand that a sofa isn't comfortable, and I can't let you sleep here."
Before she could protest, he pushed her out of the study, gently but firmly, and shut the door behind him. Olaedo stood outside, stunned, her brain processing what had just occurred.
'Did he just… push me out?' she thought, incredulous. But rather than feeling insulted, she found herself strangely moved. His actions, albeit high handed, had carried a sincerity that struck a chord deep within her.
Sighing, she relented and climbed into the bed. As soon as her body sank into the plush mattress, she couldn't help but gasp. 'This… this is so comfortable!' she thought, her entire being relaxing into the heavenly embrace of soft sheets and memory foam.
A blissful smile crept onto her face as she whispered to herself, "I'm going to have the best sleep ever."
But strangely, the more she tried to sleep, the more elusive it became. Her mind kept wandering back to Chibuzor, alone in the study. 'He's probably struggling on that sofa,' she thought, guilt prickling at her conscience.
Unbeknownst to her, her worries were entirely accurate.
As predicted, Chibuzor was anything but comfortable in the study. He tossed, turned, and shifted so much it felt like an involuntary workout routine. The sofa seemed to shrink with every passing second, making his already stretched out frame feel impossibly cramped. His legs, too long for the space, dangled off the edge, refusing to cooperate with any position he tried.
'She was right about me,' he thought miserably, slipping his legs onto the cold floor in defeat. 'I can't even manage a night on a sofa, let alone the places she's had to sleep. How did she do this?'
The thought sent a pang of guilt through him, but guilt wasn't going to help him sleep. Sitting up slowly, he glanced toward the connecting door to ensure Olaedo wasn't awake.
Convinced of his stealth, he crept toward the wardrobe where extra pillows and blankets were kept, carefully gathering as many as he could carry. If the sofa couldn't become more comfortable, maybe the floor could.
Arms full of bedding, he began tiptoeing back to the study. That was when the voice cut through the quiet like a knife.
"What are you doing walking like that?"
Chibuzor flinched so hard he nearly dropped everything. His head whipped toward the bed, where Olaedo lay, her sharp gaze fixed on him like a hawk watching prey.
No… nothing!" he stammered, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.