“David, what’s going on?” I stammered, my voice barely audible. I had been dumbstruck for the last few seconds and finally managed to find my voice.
“I’ll explain later, Chioma. Right now, I need you to trust me,” he said, his voice low and steady, his eyes never leaving Rowland.
Rowland, on the other hand, seemed undeterred by the gun. He laughed, a bitter and hollow sound that sent shivers down my spine. “You think a gun will scare me? I love her! I won’t let you take her away from me.” he said.
David’s grip on the gun tightened, his jaw clenched. “This is your last warning, Rowland. Let her go.”
“Or else what?” Rowland asked, daring David.
David’s eyes narrowed, his grip on the gun unyielding. “Or else I’ll do what I have to do to protect her,” he replied, his tone firm and resolute.
Rowland sneered, but beneath his bravado, there was a flicker of uncertainty. He glanced at me, then back at David, seemingly weighing his options.
“Chioma, tell him! Tell him you choose me,” Rowland pleaded, desperation edging his voice.
But before I could respond, David interrupted, “She doesn’t need to say anything. Her choices are her own, and I respect them. But if you don’t leave now, you’ll leave with more than just a bruised ego.”
Suddenly, the distant wails of sirens could be heard echoing through the night as police cars approached. David had alerted the police on his way to rescue me and they were just arriving to salvage the situation.
Rowland’s defiance crumbled as he heard the approaching sirens. He glanced between David and me, panic etched across his face. Realising the gravity of his situation, he stepped out of the car, attempting to escape.
With Rowland no longer a threat, I rushed out of my car to meet David, he immediately moved towards me, wrapping his arms around me protectively. I clung to him, feeling a mix of fear and relief.
One of the officers, a stern-looking woman, approached us. I immediately recognised her. It was ASP Grace, David’s police friend who had helped us when Ugochi’s Aunty was kidnapped. “Is everyone okay here?” she asked, her gaze shifting from Rowland, who was now being restrained by another officer, to David and me.
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“We’re fine,” David replied, “This man,” he gestured towards Rowland, “is the one who I told you was threatening my fiancé.”
“We’ll take it from here.” she nodded.
As the police took control of the situation, I felt a mixture of emotions wash over me — relief, gratitude, and a lingering sense of fear.
Once the police had apprehended Rowland and ensured our safety, they took our statements and assured us that they would handle the legal proceedings.
After they left, David turned to me, his eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay, Honey?”
I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper. “I am, thanks to you. But I need to know, David… What’s going on? Why do you have a gun?”
David let out a weary sigh as he looked at me “My net worth has put me in constant danger of getting robbed or being targeted by kidnappers and the likes. A few robbery attempts have been made on me a couple of times in the past. This prompted me to come up with a way to protect myself. My options were, having bodyguards tailing me everywhere, which I absolutely detest for the lack of privacy, or getting a gun for self-defence. I choose the latter because it gives me the freedom to move without feeling constantly watched.”
He continued, his voice laced with frustration, “I hate the idea of my every move being tracked. It’s not just about my wealth; it’s about my sanity too. I have bulletproof cars, security systems, and a gun safely stored at home. That way, I don’t need to hire bodyguards. “ he explained.
“I never wanted you to know about this side of my life, at least not yet. I figured that you realising I have a gun might make you feel unsafe around me. I wanted to shield you from it.” he added, looking into my eyes, his gaze begging for my trust and acceptance.
I looked into his eyes, understanding the dilemma he faced. It wasn’t just about being wealthy; it was about the loss of personal freedom that came with it. “I get it, David,” I said softly, reaching out to touch his arm. “I just wish I had known. Secrets have a way of magnifying fears.”
He nodded, “I promise, Chioma, from now on, no more secrets. You deserve to know the truth, no matter how complicated it is.” he said, gripping my hand gently.
When she realised that there was no more danger, Ugochi came out of her apartment, looking rather embarrassed and remorseful. She felt ashamed for leaving me behind and apologised, but I could totally understand that her body’s “fight or flight” response got the best of her at that time, and she probably didn’t even realise she had left me in danger till she was safely in her apartment.I joked about it and made her understand that I had no hard feelings. Besides, our trip to Dubai was around the corner and we still had some last minute prep to do together as she was my maid of honour.
The day finally came for us to travel to Dubai. David moved around the room, folding clothes and organising travel essentials.
As I zipped up my suitcase, I felt a tickle in my tummy and I jumped. “Are you ok?” David asked, “It’s nothing” I laughed, “I just felt the baby moving.”
“Oh really?” he asked with excitement in his eyes, “let me check” he said, putting his hand on my belly. “It’s too early for you to feel anything. I’m the only one who gets to feel the baby’s movements for now” I laughed.
Quickening is when a woman starts to feel her baby’s first movements during pregnancy. It may feel strange initially, but with time, it no longer feels strange and the woman is able to recognise her baby’s movements.
The feeling is different for every woman, some women say the baby’s first movements feel like fluttering in their belly, some say it feels like tiny muscle spasms. Most women will start to feel baby movements by 16-20 weeks in pregnancy. By the third trimester, pregnant women should feel at least 10 movements in two hours, by then, the baby’s kicks would have become stronger and more obvious, sometimes, they may even be able to see movements just by looking at their pregnant bellies.
In a couple of hours, we had arrived at the airport and were now waiting in the VIP lounge to board. Ugochi and Ella had arrived and were with me. Four of my cousins going on the trip with us were also present. About five of David’s very good-looking friends had also arrived. It was like David screened his friends according to looks and physique, because every single one of his friends was hot. If I wasn’t getting married to David, I could easily fall for any of them. Ugochi and Ella had each spotted guys that would be their targets during the trip. Pretty much all of us going on the trip were present, we were only waiting for one of David’s friends and his family friend, Olamide.
We were all sitting down, chatting and having drinks, when finally, Olamide arrived.
“Hi, everyone,” Olamide greeted, “I hope we’re all ready for an amazing time in Dubai.”
She had walked in with another lady that I recognised. Before I could voice my questions, David stepped forward, his expression composed, “Olamide, I thought it was just going to be you. What’s happening?”
Olamide had walked in with David’s ex-girlfriend, Joyce. The one who had sent me the mystery message the other day. She was carrying a suitcase and looked like she was all set for the trip. Confusion and a wave of uncertainty washed over me. Why was she here? What was her plan?
I tried my best to keep calm, but I could already feel rage burning through me.
Find out what happens next tomorrow in episode 32 #checkwithdoctoro
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