“Impossible!” Gladys snatched her clutch purse and stood up.
He seized her hand and raised his voice a note. “Edward is not going to take you back, I‘m sure of that. You see, I made Edward what he is today and I‘m going to break him. As for you, if you accept me, I‘ll move your family abroad where your brother can get better treatment. I‘ll do even much more for you.”
Gladys was incensed; all the emotions she‘d been trying to repress came tumbling out. “You and your wife tried to destroy Edward, but even though he was still a child, you failed. This time you‘re not going to succeed either, because he is older and he has me on his side. Edward loves me, and I love him too.”
Chief Okrika frowned then laughed at her vehemence.
She almost floundered and her voice shook as she ploughed on. “If you think you‘re going to break Edward now by taking over his company, you are grossly mistaken. He is far stronger than that. But I guarantee you and your wife that you will both fall flat on your faces before you can bring Edward down. Do you know why? You will have to pass through me.”
At the end of the tirade, his grip, as well as his jaw had slackened. She pulled her hand away and didn‘t look back as she stormed out of the restaurant.
**********
Chief Okrika fumed with rage all the way to the hotel room he‘d booked in advance. Imagine the small girl threatening him; he, who was old enough to be her father. By the time he settled himself on the bed, he had simmered down. The audacity of her words was galling, but it was also admirable. He wanted Gladys even more now he‘d sat and spoken with her, but maybe it wasn‘t to be. He‘d lost that battle, but the most important thing was to win the war. Edward got away all those years ago only because he, Chief Okrika, played nicer then. Things had changed now. He would make sure that Edward paid for stealing from him.
One of his mobile phones rang and he plucked it from the depths of his agbada. The call connected but he couldn‘t hear over the noisy clicks. “Hello…hello, is that Mr. Odusote?”
“Yes Chief, it‘s me. Can you hear me now?” The voice at the other end asked.