4. OFF.

JENETA’S POV

The ride home was silent. Not the kind of silence that comforts. It was the kind that swallows you whole. The contract still burned in my mind and his voice reading every clause, every rule, every way I no longer belonged to myself.

When we reached the apartment, Nonso unlocked the door without a word. The faint smell of old curry and detergent lingered in the air. It used to feel like home. Now, it felt like a prison.

I stood by the doorway, the papers still clutched in my trembling hands. “Nonso…”

He didn’t answer. He dropped his jacket on the couch and ran a hand through his hair, pacing.

“Nonso, please.” My voice cracked, desperate. “We can’t do this. You can’t ask me to—”

He turned sharply, his eyes flashed with what looked like anger. “We already did!”

His voice rose, louder than I’d ever heard it.

“We already signed the contract, Jeneta! You’re his now! There’s no going back!”

My knees buckled slightly and my back pressed against the wall as tears filled my eyes. “How could you say that? I’m your wife—”

He slammed his fist against the table. “Then act like it! Do this for us!”

I stared at him, unable to breathe. His words cut deeper than any slap could. For us? There was no “us” left in what he was asking me to do.

He looked at me, chest heaving, and for a moment the fury in his face faltered. His voice dropped low. “If we back out now, we owe him twenty million dollars, Jeneta. Twenty.” His lips trembled. “He’ll ruin us. You don’t understand who that man is.”

I shook my head, stepping closer, gripping his arm. “Nonso. Please. Don’t make me do this. Don’t let him touch me.”

He looked away, his jaw clenched and I could see it, the shame, the fear, the hunger for everything Jinhai promised. Then, suddenly, he went still. It was almost as if nothing I said touched him, he was like someone had turned off a switch.

He reached for me, pulled me against his chest. His arms wrapped around me, but it didn’t feel like safety anymore. It felt like surrender.

“We’ll be fine, Jeneta,” he whispered into my hair. “Don’t worry about this. When it’s all over, we’ll leave. We’ll never see him again. We’ll be happy. Just… for now, we can’t.”

I closed my eyes, the tears slipping free, soaking into his shirt.

“We need that money,” he murmured.

And in that single sentence, I realised something devastating. Nonso believed this deal would save us.

The next day, a message arrived. A simple, elegant envelope containing an invitation from Jinhai.

Along with it came a carefully folded outfit, wrapped in delicate tissue paper. A red spaghetti-strap dress and sleek black heels.

The note was clear, wear this to his mansion that evening. A car would be sent to pick us up.

The dress felt both alluring and intimidating.

That evening, as I slipped into the dress, its fabric hugged my figure with an unsettling feeling. The mirror reflected a woman I barely recognised.

“You look beautiful,” Nonso’s voice came from behind me, surprisingly tender. I turned, startled, to find him standing in the doorway, his eyes scanning me from head to toe with an intensity I wasn’t used to.

“I’ve never seen you look so beautiful,” he murmured. “It’s like this dress was tailored for you. How did he even know your size?”

I blinked, my heart skipping at the unexpected admiration in his gaze.

“I... I don’t know,” I admitted, confused and a little flustered.

His words felt foreign, like they didn’t belong to the man I’d known for years. That glimmer of awe in his eyes, why had I never seen it before? Why did it feel so bittersweet now?

“Maybe we can buy more like this,” I said lightly, hoping to steer the moment away from the strange tension building in the air. But he stepped closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming.

“After you secure this deal,” he said, his fingers brushing my cheek, “I’ll give you whatever you want.” His lips pressed against my skin, a kiss that felt more possessive than affectionate. “I’m sure Mr Maynard will love this on you.”

Those words shattered the fleeting warmth in my chest, dragging me back to the cold reality of my life. The life I was walking into settled heavily on my shoulders. I forced a smile and nodded, though inside I felt hollow.

Thirty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of Jinhai’s mansion.

A figure stood on the balcony above. A cigarette glowed faintly in his hand and the ember flared as he took a drag. Even from a distance, his presence was palpable.

As we approached the entrance, Nonso leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear. “Don’t say or do anything to provoke Mr Maynard,” he whispered, his tone edged with tension. “We’ve had a conversation. It’ll be fine. I trust you.”

I swallowed hard, nodding, though my stomach churned with unease. The heavy doors opened, and we were guided to an upper floor. The room we entered was uncomfortably sterile with lavish decor.

Jinhai stood waiting, relaxed and somehow calculated. The cigarette was an electric one, I now realised, resting between his fingers as he regarded us with a sharp, assessing gaze.

“Have a seat, Mr Agu,” he said smoothly. “Jeneta, you come.”

I froze, my feet rooted to the spot. Nonso’s whispered command and slight push broke through my hesitation. “Go.”

Each step toward Jinhai felt heavier with my pulse quickening as I stopped in front of him. His eyes roamed over me, lingering with a faint smile curling his lips.

“Magnificent. Gorgeous,” he said, his tone filled with satisfaction. Two words, yet they hit like a hammer, leaving me breathless.

I wanted to deny them, to reject the way they made my heart race. “No,” my thought slipped out bitterly.

The defiance bubbled up before I could stop it.

“My husband made love to me this morning,” I spat. I wanted to provoke him, to shatter this illusion of control he seemed to wield so effortlessly or maybe ruin the night and go home in peace.

But his response was as cruel as it was swift.

“Love?” he repeated with a mocking tone. He scoffed, his expression twisting into something almost disdainful. “You’re still standing. Your legs are perfectly fine. Did you not orgasm?”