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Chapter 20
Last Updated:
2025-04-26 04:57:12
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The reluctant vow Chapter 21
The car ride home from the shoot was quiet, but Zara felt anything but still. Her chest swelled with a cocktail of relief, excitement, and disbelief. The shoot had gone way better than she imagined. Even without Kemi’s usual backup, she pulled it off—and when she spotted her best friend in the crowd with that familiar smirk, it felt like her wings spread wide again.But now, with her makeup cleaned off and her hoodie wrapped tightly around her braids, she looked and felt like the normal Zara again—just a girl from Surulere with a father who didn’t want her to dream too loud.When she walked into the house, nothing felt off. The atmosphere was normal. Her mum was in the kitchen humming as she fried plantain, and her dad was on a call in the sitting room, his glasses hanging low on his nose. Zara quickly greeted him and walked to the kitchen to steal one or two pieces of plantain, then helped set the table.Dinner that evening was one of the few peaceful ones they’d had in a while. Her
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The reluctant vow Chapter 22
Zara stared at her screen, blinking hard as the email glowed back at her.Subject: URGENT – Invitation to Abuja Modeling Campaign ShootFrom: Prestige Faces Africa“Congratulations, Zara Tunde. Following your recent shoot with Ajah Agency and the widespread attention it garnered, we’re pleased to invite you to a high-profile commercial shoot in Abuja this weekend. All travel and accommodation will be covered. Talent compensation: $1,000 USD flat rate.”Her heart skipped. Her hands began to shake. One thousand dollars? For one shoot?She covered her mouth and sank slowly onto the edge of her bed, eyes still fixed on the email. This wasn’t a scam. It was real. This was the kind of break she had dreamed about. No catwalk, no competition—just a booked, paid commercial.She quickly dialed Kemi.“Kemi…” she whispered the moment the line connected. “They want me in Abuja. It’s real, Kemi. It’s happening. A thousand dollars!”“What?!” Kemi screamed. “Zara, are you joking right now?!”“No o! I
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The reluctant vow Chapter 23
Zara’s fingers trembled as she hit send on the message: “Regan is here and I think my dad knows I lied.”Within seconds, her phone buzzed with an incoming video call. Kemi.Zara picked up and barely got out a greeting before Kemi said, “Turn your camera. I want to see for myself. Are you sure it’s him?”Still catching her breath, Zara turned the camera shakily toward the corridor where she’d last seen Regan, but the hallway was empty now.“What the actual hell? He was just there! I swear—Kemi, I’m not losing it—I saw Regan!”“Babe, maybe it was someone that looked like him,” Kemi offered, her tone soft but unsure.“No, no, Kemi—I know what I saw. It was him. He even sent me a text!”“Wait, text?” Kemi sat up straighter. “What did it say?”Zara switched to her other phone, quickly screenshotting Regan’s message: “Your lies are getting better, but not good enough.”She forwarded it to Kemi.Kemi stared at it and exhaled slowly. “Okay, he’s definitely close by. But try not to panic. You’
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The reluctant vow Chapter 24
Zara stirred beneath the sheets, the early morning light pouring through the curtains, painting golden streaks across the hotel room. Her body ached in places that reminded her of the night before—the way Regan had kissed her, touched her, held her like he couldn’t breathe without her.Her eyes blinked open slowly.And there he was.Lying next to her, half the sheets kicked off his body, arm draped lazily over his head. Peaceful. Warm. Infuriatingly attractive.Zara turned to her side, slowly, quietly… willing her breath to steady. Her mind was a mess. What had she done? She wasn’t supposed to fall into his arms like that. Not after everything. Not with all the secrets between them.She sat up gently, pulling the sheet with her to cover her chest. Her gaze flicked to the clock.7:13 AM.The shoot was by 10. She needed to freshen up, call Kemi, get mentally back on track. She tiptoed out of bed, picked up her clothes from the floor, and headed toward the bathroom.But halfway there, hi
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The reluctant vow Chapter 25
The Abuja sun blazed high as Zara stepped out of the white-walled studio, her feet aching from the black heels she had worn for the final shoot. The commercial was finally a wrap. Her skin glistened with sweat, makeup melting slightly, and her body ached from all the dramatic poses. But she had nailed every single frame.“Yes! That’s it! Hold that pose. Eyes softer… perfect!” the photographer shouted, clicking away.A stylist rushed in to adjust her necklace mid-shoot. “Your neckline is too hidden. Let’s show off the product.”Zara nodded, standing still like a mannequin while hands fussed around her.The makeup artist whispered after the shoot, “Girl, you just ate that shoot. You might get picked for next month’s cover job.”Zara smiled faintly, exhausted but giddy. Her heart pulsed with joy. She wasn’t just playing dress-up—she was finally living her dream. Her first paid modeling gig had just ended, and it felt like a beginning.She stepped outside, the heat of the day wrapping aro
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The reluctant vow Chapter 26
Regan’s fingers trembled slightly as he ended the call. The words “I’m two months pregnant” echoed in his head like a loud bell refusing to be silenced. He stared at the ceiling, heart pounding, mind spinning in a thousand directions. Imani. Pregnant. Two months.“No, no… this has to be a mistake,” he muttered to himself, sitting up abruptly on the bed.He rubbed his hands over his face, then grabbed his phone again. Within minutes, he had booked the next flight to Lagos. He couldn’t breathe properly until he got answers face to face. If what Imani said was true, everything he’d started to build with Zara was about to come crashing down like a fragile house of cards.While Regan scrambled to deal with the storm unfolding, Zara rolled her suitcase through the familiar gates of her father’s house in Lagos. Her heart thumped with a strange mix of fear and curiosity. She hadn’t seen her parents since leaving for Abuja. And knowing her father, there was no telling what awaited her inside.
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The reluctant vow Chapter 27
The streets of Lagos blurred past as Regan gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles pale against the leather. He wasn’t headed anywhere in particular — just driving, trying to outrun the chaos swirling in his chest. The confrontation with Imani played in loops through his head like a haunting tune he couldn’t turn off.A baby.She claimed she was pregnant with his child. And the timeline… two months ago? That night. That stupid, foggy night when they ran into each other at that bar, both downing more drinks than they should have. He remembered being with her… vaguely. The bar. Her laugh. The taxi ride. Her apartment. But nothing intimate. Nothing sexual.Still, Imani had recounted everything with confidence — where they sat, what they drank, how he had kissed her. He had no recollection of even holding her hand.Could she be lying?His head throbbed. He thought of Zara, her soft laugh, the way she’d curled into his chest in Abuja. How, for the first time in a long time, something had
Last Updated : 2025-04-26The reluctant vow Chapter 28
The air was thick with tension as Zara stepped into the lounge.It was a cozy, dimly lit place tucked away from the busy streets of Lagos, but even the calming atmosphere couldn’t settle the storm inside her.She spotted Regan almost immediately — slouched in a corner booth, one hand gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles were white.She made her way over, her heart pounding in her ears.He barely looked up when she slid into the seat opposite him.For a few moments, neither of them spoke. The silence was deafening.Finally, Regan cleared his throat.“Zara, thanks for coming,” he said, his voice rough like sandpaper.She offered a stiff nod.“You said you needed to talk.”Regan shifted in his seat, looking everywhere but at her.“I… I just… about that night,” he stuttered, raking a hand through his hair.Zara’s stomach twisted.“What about it?”He swallowed hard.“I’m sorry,” he said finally. “I’m sorry it happened. I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I don’t want you to think i
Last Updated : 2025-04-27
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The reluctant vow Chapter 41
The atmosphere inside the Kareem mansion was different that night—tense, quiet, final. Tomorrow, Zara would return to her father’s house. The wedding was drawing near, yet everything felt off balance.Zara sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the clock. It was almost midnight. She couldn’t sleep with the weight of uncertainty pressing against her chest. The stalker’s message still haunted her, and Regan’s growing distance gnawed at her thoughts.She stood up abruptly, her bare feet padding quietly down the hallway to Regan’s room. This couldn’t wait.He was still awake, seated on the couch near his window, a glass of something dark in his hand. The moment she walked in, he looked up.“We need to talk,” Zara said, closing the door behind her.Regan leaned back slightly, eyebrows raised. “About what?”Zara took a breath. “About us. About… everything. Look, this is our last night here. After this, I go back to my father’s house. We’re getting married soon, Regan. And if we’re going to
The reluctant vow Chapter 40
Zara barely registered the drive back to Kareem’s Mansion. Her mind buzzed with everything she had witnessed tonight. Every corner, every sharp turn Regan had taken, every shadowy figure he had met with—Imani, whoever she was, seemed like a piece of a puzzle Zara didn’t yet have the full picture of. The night air was thick with tension, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was getting closer to something dangerous.As she pulled into the driveway, Zara quickly shut off the engine and climbed out of her car. She glanced around, ensuring no one was watching, before heading to the front door. The mansion was eerily quiet at this hour, and Zara was grateful for the silence. Her steps were steady, but her mind raced.As she reached for the door, the cold handle greeting her with a sense of finality, she froze. The last thing she expected was to bump into Regan.He stood there, looking at her with a raised eyebrow, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat.“Did you go out?” Reg
The reluctant vow Chapter 39
Zara hadn’t planned on making it a habit. But each night, as the house fell silent, she couldn’t help herself. The urge to follow Regan, to figure out just what the hell was going on, gnawed at her.It wasn’t like she was obsessed… well, maybe she was. Just a little.She would tell herself it was nothing, just curiosity, just needing to understand the pieces of the puzzle that were Regan’s life — the pieces he kept locked away. But each night, as he slipped out for another mysterious errand, she found herself slipping behind him again.It had started as an occasional thing, but now it was becoming routine. Every night, she donned the same hoodie, flattened her chest, and turned her mind off to any risk of getting caught. She had already followed him twice this week, each time more daring than the last. But tonight, she could feel the tension in her bones. Tonight, it felt different.She leaned against her window, watching as Regan prepared to leave. The same strange feeling settled in
The reluctant vow Chapter 38
The house was unusually quiet that evening, the kind of quiet that made every creak of the floorboards echo louder than necessary. Zara wandered aimlessly down the long hallway leading to the private cinema room, intending to grab the sweater she had left there earlier. She wasn’t thinking much about Regan — at least not until she approached the corner near his bedroom.That’s when she heard it.Muffled voices leaked from his slightly open door. She froze, instincts sharpening.It was Regan’s voice. And he was on the phone.Curiosity tugged at her, rooting her to the spot. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but something about the urgency in his tone made her inch closer, her back pressed against the cool marble wall.“…you need what?” Regan’s voice was low but irritated. car for what now?”Zara’s brows knitted together, but she kept listening.There was a pause, then Regan spoke again, his frustration barely masked.“You’re demanding for a car because of a baby that’s still in the w
The reluctant vow Chapter 37
The morning light spilled softly into Zara’s room at the Kareem mansion, but she had barely slept. She turned onto her side, staring blankly at the elegant curtains, her mind still replaying the conversation with Kemi the night before. Her father’s warning echoed louder with every passing hour.A light knock came at the door before it creaked open. Kemi’s head popped in, her hair wrapped messily in a scarf.“Rise and shine, bride-to-be,” she said teasingly, stepping inside with two mugs of coffee in her hands.Zara sat up, forcing a small smile. “Thanks. God knows I need it.”Kemi sat beside her on the bed and handed her a mug. “You look like you’ve been wrestling demons all night.”Zara laughed dryly. “I feel like it.”For a few minutes, they sipped quietly, the comfort of friendship filling the silence.Then, Kemi’s voice turned serious. “Zara, what are you going to do? About all this?” She gestured vaguely around the luxurious room.Zara stared into her coffee. “I don’t know. I fee
The reluctant vow Chapter 36
Later that evening, Zara found herself in her room, sitting on the bed, her thoughts racing. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that there was more to Regan’s behavior than he was letting on. It wasn’t just the coldness between them now, or the gifts from Imani that still made her stomach turn; it was everything. The way he avoided answering her questions, the way he acted like everything was fine when she could see the cracks forming around him.Just then, the door creaked open, and Kemi stepped inside, looking every bit the comforting friend Zara needed at that moment. She glanced at Zara’s furrowed brow and knew immediately that something was bothering her.“You okay?” Kemi asked, sitting next to her on the bed.Zara let out a sigh, leaning back against the headboard. “No, I’m not. Everything is just… complicated. I don’t even know where to start.”Kemi raised an eyebrow. “Well, why don’t you start with Regan? You’ve been avoiding him all night.”Zara shook her head. “I’m not a
The reluctant vow Chapter 35
Zara’s heels clicked sharply against the marble floors, each step punctuating the growing unease in her chest. The dinner had been a spectacle — a lavish affair with far too many smiles that felt fake and far too many eyes that seemed to follow her every move. As Zara mingled with the guests, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of her situation pressing down on her. The engagement was official now, the date set, and nothing about it felt genuine.She could feel Imani’s gaze on her from across the room. The woman was lingering far too close for comfort, always within Zara’s line of sight, her smirk never wavering. Zara tried to ignore it, pushing down the discomfort gnawing at her. Imani wanted attention, and Zara was determined not to give her the satisfaction of acknowledging it.Kemi, however, had a different idea. Zara turned toward her best friend just as Kemi spotted Imani. Without hesitation, Kemi marched across the room, her stance filled with determination. Zara watched as h
The reluctant vow Chapter 34
Zara pushed open the front door and walked in, her heels clicking softly against the marble floors.The house smelled faintly of jollof rice and fried plantains, but even that couldn’t lift the heavy weight sitting on her chest.She was exhausted — physically, emotionally, everything in between.Her father’s voice boomed from the living room before she even made it past the hallway.“Zara, your wedding announcement dinner is tomorrow at 5 p.m.,” he said, not even looking up from his newspaper. “Just have it at the back of your mind.”Zara dropped her bag on the console table and kicked off her shoes.“I knew that already,” she replied dryly, her voice flat. “Mr. Kareem already sent me the invitation.”She didn’t miss the sharp glance her father threw her way.“It’s not an invitation,” he barked. “It’s our family announcement. You’re not a guest — you’re the reason everyone is gathering.”Zara rolled her eyes slightly.“Yeah, I know. I’m the one you’re all about to give out like a part
The reluctant vow Chapter 33
Zara hadn’t planned to walk into Regan’s office that afternoon. She told herself she would be calm, professional. She told herself she was done letting him get under her skin.But after the show Imani pulled earlier with the gift delivery — the flowers, the note — her blood was boiling too fiercely for calmness.Without knocking, she pushed his office door open.Regan, who had been reviewing documents for the upcoming family dinner, looked up sharply.The second his eyes met hers, he tensed.There was fire in her gaze — raw, unforgiving.“Zara,” he said, standing up slowly. “What’s wrong?”“What’s wrong?” she repeated, her voice sharp with disbelief. “You’re seriously asking me that?”He frowned. “Zara, what happened?”She threw the small card onto his desk. The one that came attached to Imani’s flowers and gifts.“From Regan Kareem to my darling Imani.”Regan stared at it like it was a snake about to bite him.“What the hell is this?” he asked, genuinely confused.“You tell me!” Zara
