The room spun.
Olaedo gripped the edge of her desk, staring blankly as her secretary's voice droned on in the background. Something about calling the police again. The words blurred, fading into the hum of the air conditioner and the frantic buzz of her phone.
Everything felt far away.
I thought he loved me.
Maduabuchi, her fiancé, her partner, her everything, was gone. So was the money. Billions.
Three years of laughter and late nights, of whispered plans and promises, all erased in a single week. Their wedding was supposed to be next Saturday. Now, there was nothing left to prepare for, except her own humiliation.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. She had been picking flower arrangements while he was planning her downfall. How could I have been so blind?
The world didn't give her time to breathe. News outlets pounced like vultures, flashing her name across every screen.
"Love or stupidity?"
"Banking on Betrayal: Anozie Holdings Scandal Rocks the Financial Sector."
"A cheating, fraudulent scum."
"The corrupt CEO."
"The Fall of Anozie Holdings: What It Means for the Economy."
"From Power Couple to Power Scandal: The Wedding of the Century Now a Complete Joke."
Each headline hit harder than the last. Her phone kept vibrating, calls, messages, alerts, until the sound itself felt like mockery.
The youngest CEO of a leading company had fallen, and the world was enjoying the show.
The steady hum of the city outside couldn't drown out the chaos inside her head.
Investors were pulling out in droves, terrified that the scandal would infect the entire market. Across the city, Anozie Holdings' partner banks scrambled to protect their clients' money, their hotlines jammed with fear and fury.
The economy was trembling, and so was she.
Shareholders were selling off stocks like wildfire, erasing years of progress in hours. Only a handful stayed behind, those rare few who still saw her, not just a sinking company. Business and friendship were never supposed to mix, but in her darkest hour, that fragile line blurred.
A brother is born through adversity, she thought bitterly.
"Madam, the Ministry of Finance has been calling," her secretary said gently, voice quivering. "They're worried about the market. If we don't act fast, the local currency could slide—"
Olaedo raised a hand, dismissing her with a slow, mechanical wave. The woman hesitated at the door, her worry written across her face, but Olaedo barely noticed. Her body moved on instinct now, driven by fear and exhaustion.
She reached for her phone again. The familiar weight felt foreign in her trembling hands.
Inspector General of Police, Dial.
Ring.
Ring.
Her breath came shallow, chest tight. She hated how much her hands shook, how much hope still dared to linger in her heart despite everything.
Don't expect too much, she told herself. You'll only fall harder.
The ringing seemed endless.
Then, under her breath, the words slipped out before she could stop them.
"Oh God… I'm sorry I didn't listen to You. Please help me. Please, just help me…"
The line clicked. Connection.
Her heart jumped.
The silence after the last ring felt heavier than the call itself.
"Inspector… have you found him?" Olaedo's voice barely rose above a whisper.
At the police headquarters, the Inspector General froze at the sight of her name flashing on his screen. CEO Anozie. Again. He exhaled sharply before answering, schooling his tone into something that sounded professional, at first.
"We haven't found him yet, CEO Anozie," he said, his words clipped. "But the police and the ECTC are working closely together to track him down."
His patience was wearing thin. The mighty Anozie Holdings had crumbled in front of the entire nation, and sympathy had long dried up. Bankruptcy was a matter of when, not if.
And the fact that she'd been duped by her own fiancé? To him, it was almost pathetic. How could someone so smart be so foolish?
His next words carried the bite of irritation he could no longer hide.
"Madam CEO, I have a lot to handle right now. If you could stop calling me every five minutes, I might actually be able to find your fiancé. Excuse me."
The line went dead.
Olaedo stared at her phone in disbelief. Her breath caught, a sharp ache tightening in her chest before it escaped as a bitter laugh. The Inspector General, who once called her CEO Anozie with respect, had just hung up on her.
He used to treat her like an equal. Now, she was just another problem on his list.
Her chest constricted, air leaving her lungs in short, uneven gasps. She thought she had prepared herself for this, the cancellations, the withdrawals, the cold apologies from people who once toasted to her success.
But this felt different.
Calls from partners had turned into accusations. Most refused to pay penalties for breaching their contracts, hiding behind legal clauses and blaming her for the scandal. The few who did send money called it "a gesture," as if tossing her scraps would soothe the humiliation.
And then came the mockery. The snide comments about her judgment. The jokes about the "financial prodigy fooled by love."
Each word sliced deeper than any financial loss ever could.
She gripped the edge of her table until her knuckles turned white, forcing herself to stay upright. But the world tilted anyway, spinning under the weight of everything she had lost.
And somewhere in the blur of pain and disbelief, a memory surfaced, her first meeting with Maduabuchi.
It had been on a rushed flight back home from the south. She still remembered the heat of the tarmac, the static in the air, the panic clawing at her chest after the call came in, her mother was gravely ill.
She hadn't even wanted business class. It was simply all that was left. And even then, she almost missed the flight.
Her heels clicked furiously against the marble floor as she tore through the airport, her secretary panting several steps behind.
By the time they reached the counter, the young receptionist looked ready to cry.
"I-I'm sorry, Ms. Anozie, but w-we don't have any available seats on the 7 p.m. flight."
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Hey there,
Welcome to my second book!
If you haven't checked out the first one yet, what are you waiting for? Add this to your library, then go find the other, trust me, you'll want both on your list.
Why should you read this book, you ask?
"This Contract Said No Feelings So Why's He Looking At Me Like That??" isn't just another fake marriage romance.
It's a slow burn, laugh out loud, emotionally charged story about trust, identity, and the unexpected places where love takes root.
With a wild contract, sizzling chemistry, and a strong emotional core, this novel is made to keep you hooked, entertained, moved, and maybe even inspired to see love (and power) a little differently. 💫
Don't forget to leave a review!
Happy Reading 🤗