When History Repeats Itself

Family Ties

** Lucas Wole - David Harewood**

I couldn't focus. Not after that HR meeting.

The deadline for family introductions. The looming paper trail of our relationship. It was all suddenly real—and overwhelming.

So, of course, I nearly forgot to arrange the airport pickup for both Mr. Chases.

And somehow, I ended up covering a design consult—with one groom, three groomsmen, the groom's father... and no designer's assistant in sight.

As luck would have it, this wasn't just any groom. He was a relative of Lucas Wole—one of Chase Men's top-tier clients and a long-time friend of the Chase family. Which meant full VIP treatment, including an executive assistant taking notes at a design consult.

All the other EAs were conveniently tied up—including Paba, who was currently locked in Dom's office with Lucas.

Perfect.

Tim was already working his magic. Coffee, tea, sandwiches, even biscuits—served by an intern—accompanied a full spread of fabric swatches and moodboards. The groom and his father seemed impressed.

Then, just as Tim launched into his spiel about textures and tailoring, Dom and Lucas walked in.

Lucas paused at the door, eyes sweeping the room—pausing on the setup, the samples, the service—before finally landing on me. His smile flickered. Unreadable.

"You sure I don't know her?" he said, voice casual—but the way he studied my face felt... deliberate.

Dom didn't even give me time to respond.

"You remember her from my birthday party," he said quickly. "She came with Alexa—the girl you just spent hours talking to in my office."

Lucas paused, still watching me like he was flipping through mental files. Then he turned to Dom, amused. "I remember that. But maybe we met before then?"

His eyes lingered a little too long on my cheekbones, my nose, like something was starting to add up.

"I doubt it," I said, offering a polite smile and nothing more. "First time I met you was at Dom's birthday party."

Dom stepped forward slightly—just enough to nudge Lucas' line of sight off me. His posture relaxed, but I caught the subtle edge in his tone.

Lucas let it go—but not before shooting Dom a look. A curious, knowing look. The kind that said: Alright. For now.

Then he smiled at me again. Wider this time, but less flirtation, more calculation.

"What are your dinner plans? You should join Alexa and me tonight. Dom, come too."

Panic kicked in. Cameras followed Lucas Wole everywhere—he wasn't just a celebrity jeweler, he was headline bait. Add Dominic Chase, one of the faces of Chase Men, and Alexa, daughter of Ghana's most renowned oil mogul, and dinner with the three of them would be a walking headline.

Three powerful brands at one table—Sampson, Chase, and Wole—and it wouldn't take long before curious eyes started probing for the identity of the unknown fourth guest. Once they connected the dots to me—the born-out-of-wedlock daughter of Benjamin Effah, named partner at one of Ghana's most prestigious law firms—I wouldn't just be gossip. I'd be the story.

And the last thing I wanted was for my father to find out about my relationship with Dom from the news before I had the chance to tell him myself.

"I have plans with my boyfriend. Date night," I replied quickly.