Marked ( Nigerian) #4

CHAPTER 24

'you want to stay here' he said firmly in his deep voice as he turned around to look at her 'with me'

'yes...Is there something wrong with that' Remi said

'Why?' He asked raising an eyebrow with a smirk on his face.

'You are my husband and we need to spend time together'

She was unbelievable. She had to be taking a piss.

Tobi needed a break and his plan was to take it this weekend.

He wanted his house in the same state as it was before she came into his life.

He stared into her eyes for a clue on what she was up to.

Why would she decline on what seems like a honest offer for her to spend time with her family.

He had plans and she was going to ruin it.

'It's final Remi, you are going to stay with your parents'

' I don't want to. I will speak to them over the phone like I have been doing and we can make proper plans when I am ready....not this' she said gesturing at the bags 'it just seems like you are trying to chase me out of my own home'

'Your home?' He asked with a raised eyebrow

'My home. We are married. What's yours is mine. You said it' she said calmly.

What is going through her mind. His phone pinged again and he looked at it.

'I will be home by tomorrow' her message said 'I found the boy'

He looked up from his phone to see her puppy eyes.

'Your parents are expecting you'

'It's fine, they've been disappointed before' she snapped back

'What's your plan, Remi' he said taking a step forward towards her

She stepped back as her eyes remained on his. Her confidence made him angry.

Keeping her alive had proven to be one of the hardest task of his life. Why is she so stubborn?

He raised his eyebrow again after a moment of silence filled the foyer.

She didn't say anything. He snapped his fingers together and pointed towards the door.

The maids started to lift the bags towards the door as he turned to walk away.

'We could get to know each other?' Remi said loudly

He turned around slowly. Why wouldn't she just follow his instructions like everyone else.

'For the sake of the campaign. The interviews. We need to spend time together to pass off as believable'

' You have the file. It has everything to know about me' he replied

'I am not happy about it either' she said with a little smugness in her tone

'Remi....'

Her days were numbered with him

'It merely brushes the surface, Tobi' she said

'That's enough, Remi' he said firmly. His voice let out that he was tired of the back and forth 'Good night'

********************************************

He started to walk away and Remi panicked and blurted out 'grandfather ordered it'

Her statement caught his attention making him stop in his stead and change his direction.

'Take the bags back' she ordered firmly. The guard who had picked her shoes up walked in and one of the maids took the shoes from him before they headed up the stairs.

It wasn't the entire truth but it wasn't all lies. They have been scheduled for several interviews and public events in the coming week and they needed to be ready.

She walked to one of the imperial stairs in the foyer.

Her phone pinged, she clicked the side button and the screen lit up. A message from her sister with a TikTok link. 'You guys look so cute, my friends sent it to me' her message read

'No way' Remi muttered as she climbed the stairs to the first floor of their house.

The link led her to a page called Nigerian Luxury and Old money.

The latest video on the page was of when he joined her on the red carpet. The second was a slow motion picture of different moments they shared through out the events. Moments they both didn't plan, moments they weren't aware they were in.

She laughed outwardly in one because of his reply to something someone said on their table. Another moment was when she smiled after he handed her wad of money to spray the bride.

Then the last video was of when the girls walked passed them and he kept looking at her as he whispered something to her that she was too distracted by the girls chests to hear. It was tagged "when he only has eyes for you" as it zoomed in to how he looked at her and she looked at them.

Remi stopped and sat on the stairs to watch the videos.

The background music of each video exaggerating the feeling of the compilation of the moments captured.

It made her feel emotional, To see what they looked like from the outside. It wasn't the same on the inside.

She opened the comment. It was filled with comments from girls praying for what she had. The love the videos insinuated he had for her. They wanted the wealth she was now acclaimed to.

They wanted "her man".

Remi burst out laughing from the last comment.
She laughed so hard she let out a tear drop.

'Oh goodness' she said before standing up to leave.

Remi had raised her dress so high that her upper thighs were visible so she could move freely.

'There's an elevator and I chose to punish myself why?' She asked herself

The thought of Tobi being referred to as her man made her laugh out loud once more.

Maybe they did know enough to fool the people.

***********************************

She spent three hours on the phone with her family breaking the news that she couldn't come despite her husband insisting that he had promised.

For some reason she felt the urge to protect him despite the fact that her parents couldn't do anything even if he refused to let them see her for all of eternity.

She and her siblings talked more about the TikTok videos and the social media news.

She told them they weren't allowed to speak to anyone regarding what the truth was. She briefed them on the story the files, Dara, grandfather and Ife have now embedded in her.

'The Cinderella story'

'You need to promise me' she said to her siblings 'you can't tell anyone any more than they see on the news. Just nod or fake cluelessness.'

'We promise' they chorused

' you guys look so fresh by the way' she said jesting at their glowing skin from the weather she worried about

'It's so cool here honestly, like we got credit cards from uncle Tobi but daddy put an invisible limit on it' her brother Tobi said

'Uncle Tobi?'
'We talk....he said to call him that' her other brother said

'Just listen to mom and dad and I will come visit when I....'

'REMI!' His thunderous voice yelled out from the hallway frightening her

'What happened?' her visibly frightened sister asked as she poked her head into the camera in front of the boys

'Is he okay' Tobi asked

'Let me check, I will speak to you later okay? Good night. I love you' she said hurried before rushing towards the door grabbing her robe and throwing it over herself before running out of the room.