The morning after the gala, the entire Njeri household was buzzing with gossip.
Miriam sat in the sunlit living room with a bitter expression.
The newspapers and online blogs all screamed the same headline:
"Plain-Dressed Guest Shocks Nairobi Gala with Ten-Million Cash Bid!"
And there, in clear photos, was Ethan Karuri calmly handing the necklace to Lydia.
---
Patrick held the newspaper with a tight grip, his jaw clenched.
"This man is making a spectacle of himself," he muttered.
Miriam scoffed.
"Or he's making a spectacle of us. Do you realize how many people called me this morning asking who he really is? I had to make excuses!"
She turned sharply to Lydia, who sat quietly beside Ethan.
"So, tell me—where did your husband get ten million shillings? Hmm? Did he borrow? Or is he running some shady deal?"
---
Lydia swallowed hard.
"Mom, he—"
But Ethan raised a hand gently, stopping her.
"I'll explain," he said calmly.
---
Patrick's eyes narrowed.
"Well? Explain yourself. Because men like you don't just casually throw around ten million in cash unless there's something very wrong."
Ethan smiled faintly, as if amused.
"It was nothing dramatic. I got lucky."
"Lucky?" Miriam repeated, her voice dripping with suspicion.
"Yes," Ethan said simply. "A few months ago, I placed a small bet on an old business associate's deal. It paid out. I won some millions in cash. That's all."
---
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then Miriam burst out laughing.
"You won it? Like some cheap lottery ticket?"
Patrick sneered.
"So you're telling us you're not actually wealthy. You just got lucky once?"
Ethan shrugged lightly.
"It was enough to buy Lydia the gown and the necklace. That's all that mattered."
---
Patrick's face darkened.
"Unbelievable. You wasted millions on a single night? Do you have any sense of responsibility?!"
Miriam's voice grew sharper.
"So you're broke again? Back to nothing? What happens when Lydia needs something next time? Do you expect her to wait until you 'get lucky' again?"
---
Lydia's cheeks flushed.
"Mom, Dad, stop—"
But Miriam cut her off with a glare.
"No, Lydia. You need to see this man for what he is. He's reckless. A show-off with no real plan, no stable future. He'll drag you down with him!"
---
Patrick slammed the newspaper on the table.
"Listen, Ethan. I don't care how you fooled those people at the gala. But don't you ever embarrass this family again with your little… lucky stunts. If you can't provide for Lydia like a real man, let her go."
---
Ethan remained calm, his expression unreadable.
"I didn't marry Lydia to prove anything to you," he said quietly.
Patrick's nostrils flared.
"Then leave. If you truly care about her, you'll stop ruining her life with your poverty and false pride."
---
Miriam turned away in disgust.
"I don't even want to look at him. He's worse than I thought. A poor man with a gambler's mentality."
---
Lydia sat frozen, torn between anger and confusion.
She didn't know what to say.
---
Meanwhile, across town, Adrian sat in his sleek office with Melissa, reviewing a report from his private investigator.
The man on the other end of the call sounded hesitant.
"Sir, there's… nothing. No large bank accounts, no real estate, no business ties. He doesn't even have a proper credit history. It's like he's just an ordinary nobody."
Melissa smirked.
"So he really is just a lucky fool."
Adrian's eyes glinted with cold amusement.
"Exactly. He probably blew all his winnings just to impress Lydia for one night. Now he's back to being broke."
---
Melissa chuckled.
"I knew it. He's pathetic. All that show at the gala, and for what? He can't keep it up. Let him have his little moment of fame—he'll crawl back to the gutter soon enough."
Adrian leaned back in his chair.
"Yes. And when he does… we'll make sure he stays there."
---
That evening, back at their modest apartment, Lydia stared at Ethan.
"Why didn't you tell them the truth?" she asked softly.
Ethan handed her a cup of tea, his face calm.
"What truth?"
"That… that maybe you're more than what they think," she whispered.
Ethan smiled faintly.
"Let them think what they want. Sometimes it's better to be underestimated."
---
Far away, in a dimly lit private club, a man in a black suit poured himself a drink.
"Sir," a subordinate reported, "the Njeri family still thinks Young Master Ethan is just a lucky fool. They believe he's broke now."
The man smirked.
"Good. Keep it that way."
He raised his glass slowly.
"The longer they mock him, the sweeter the reckoning will be."