The Asika family house was beyond spectacular.

The massive ultramodern building set in the suburbs of Ikeja came with standard facilities and a black electronically controlled gate. The building was barricaded by the typical low fence whose height was increased by metal railings crowned with spikes and electric coils. It was clear warning warding off potential intruders. The compond interior was cemented with inter-locking tiles, and balanced aesthetically with neatly lawned fields that contained assorted flowers, shrubs and hedges that surrounded the edges of the conspicuously large compound.

The view from the gate spoke volumes concerning the intricacies installed in the architecture itself. The two storeyed mansion was wrapped with black marbelled tiles that had streaks of white and cream contrasting sharply with the charcoal black tint of the window ledges and heavy security metal doors. The two tall pillars gleaming against the skylight as it supported the structure at its aerial view were, however, pristine white, even though the base was of the same decor as the walls themselves.

Gina clamped her mouth shut from ogling the house when the car pulled to a stop at the garage situated left of the mansion. Cars of different colours and expensive grades adorned the structure but the uneasiness emanating from the man sitting next to her in the black car wouldn't let her drool appropriately at the wealthiness. He was wound tight like a coil, his dark countenance polluting the serene aura and hence, affecting her mood as well. She didn't know what the problem was or how to get him to unwind yet. Not that she hadn't tried these past few days, but the man made it his solemn duty to stay the farthest he could away from her.

When a deep sigh breezed past her ears, she tilted her head to stare at him. He wasn't looking at her though, his icy glare was generously being delivered to the infrastructure in front of them. He must really hate it here if his demeanour went from foul to belligerent in a few seconds, she surmised.

"Gabriel, are you okay?"

The inquiry left her ombre red coated lips before she could stop them. From past encounters, it was obvious he did not entertain her caring disposition, but didn't mean she didn't give a rat's ass about his wellbeing.

Without sparing her a glance, he dictated instructions to Solomon concerning their luggage before stepping out of the car. It wasn't until the car door banged shut that her brain cells reconnected.

She had never been so blatantly ignored in all her life on earth! How dare he?

Recovering from her shock, she climbed out of the car instantly and stumbled after the tall figure clad in a three-piece dark suit with matching dark shoes quickly when he strode towards the house as if he was on a war mission.

They were met at the door by the Butler, a older man with greying hairline, who smiled at the couple but seeing Gabriel's impassable grim features, recoiled and focused his smile instead on Gina who returned it amicably albeit tersely. She wasn't sure Gabriel approved of her being too friendly with the helps. He clearly hadn't been in his house and she wanted to impress his family during their stay here.

"Where is my father?"

The man eyed him and took a subconscious step back before replying. "He went out since morning to see the priest for some personal reasons. He isn't expected back till before dinner."

"The priest?" Gabriel scoffed at that, the only emotion he had displayed since he bundled her into the car earlier today. Curiosity forced her to pay him mind.

"Since it's a Saturday, I'd bet he went for confession after mass. He commits sins, confesses them only to go ahead and commit the same atrocities the next second. Hypocritical bigot."

Two jaws dropped at that statement but only one was bold enough to let out an accompanying sound. The Butler recovered quickly obviously used to the scathing remark.

"Your room has been cleaned, Master Gabriel. Isioma will handle your luggages and Sisi will show you to your rooms."

Gina frowned, her fists curling of their own volition, recalling a green-eyed snake she had ever had the misfortune of meeting. "I don't need that conniving snake anywhere near our rooms." She hissed spitefully.

Gabriel ignored her and turned to go, expecting her to follow. Like a little lamb, she ran a hand down her pastel pink gown with elbow length sleeves before following after the already departing frame, with the butler shaking his head in disgust at the ill-mannered first born.

As they made their way to the spiral staircase leading to the top floors where she supposed his room was, she couldn't help but wonder why the tension between them was this thick.

She hadn't seen him when she woke this morning but had hoped to have a little discussion about his family and what to expect at his family house. She was, however, to be heavily disappointed when he returned that afternoon an hour later looking greatly pissed. He snapped at every of his help to arrange their suitcases in his Ford explorer, and later at the poor driver when they got stuck on traffic.

Luckily, she was done with her packing in the morning or he would have dragged her with him to the other side of the state without a stitch of clothing. He had done it before. Then they entered the car and Solomon, the new driver, drove off.

The drive was very uncomfortable. It wasn't this strained like the night he had stormed out of the club with her in tow. Whatever happened at the office left more impact on him than her reluctance that night. In fact, he was seconds away from exploding. So she wisely kept mute throughout the journey, eyeing his every move like a prey would a potential predator.

Now, she followed the potential father of her potential baby as he climbed the stairs determinedly,  barely halting in his strides. He stopped in front of a massive door and pushed it open, marching in and she followed suit. The room was exquisite.

A massive king-sized bed lay in the center of the room with a chaise lounge at the foot of the bed. A glass panelled door led to the left and right sides of the room and a wide see-through glass door was directly to the door she walked in at the opposite side, obviously leading to the balcony.

The ambience was wrapped in colors of black and grey, his signature hue, with a few touches of cream here and there. The drapes were black, the duvet was dark with white bed covers, and the plush rug at the center of the large room was blended richly in cream and black. However, the floor as well as the walls were in hues of grey. There were two paintings in the room; an abstract painting of a lakehouse that hinted serene hung directly on the wall above the bed area and the oil painting of barely clothed children dancing in the rain was placed near to the door on the left which she knew instinctively would be the walk-in closet. The room was beautiful and it was undoubtedly his.

He had opened the glass door and walked out to the balcony scrolling furiously through his tablet. Whatever happened in the office still had him unhinged.

A knock sounded on the door, and she opened it to find two female servants walk into the room, carrying their suitcases. It wasn't until they walked into the closet did she realize something. She marched out to the balcony instantly.

"You didn't pack a suitcase. Why?" She squeaked, afraid to add to his fury.

He turned to stare at her as though she were stupid. "I'm not the one that is pregnant."

It took a minute for his word to sink in and then her jaw dropped. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm the only one that is staying here for the weekend in your family house?"

"Don't worry. You won't be alone." He consoled. "My father, my sister and my youngest brother will be here. Also present are the servants. They'll be welcoming company seeing as you bonded well with my servants," he replied unbothered, turning to march back into the room.

"I'm not worried." She followed suit and frowned that she had been following around after him since this afternoon like a child.

"Will you tell me why I didn't know about this beforehand?"

He shrugged, as if it was a minute detail in the major scheme of things. "It was pointless. There was nothing you could have done."

"You can't say that. I have the right to disagree if I knew you were planning to dump me off with complete strangers."

"Stop acting so ignorantly!" Came his bellow, his gaze finally locked with hers. "I pay you to be here, to have my child and as far the contract upholds, I dictate virtually every aspect of your life. I own your schedule and if I say you're staying here all by yourself for two weeks, then it shall be so or there'll be consequences," he finished with a scowl that hinted vividly that she definitely didn't want to imagine what the repercussions would be.

However, her reactions spiked when she caught wind of what he said earlier. "What do you mean by two weeks? Why only me?" She cried, grasping at straws.

"Don't be foolish." He berated savagely. "I have work to do. The money I need to pay you for your services depends on my work at the company and on this plan coming to fruition. I cannot afford to have it go to waste."

Gina sighed audibly at her predicament, her hands placed on her waist watching him as he continued scrolling across his tab. Arguing with him would not yet results so she braved a different approach. Meekness.

She moved to go sit on the bed too, next to him. He looked at her, studying her quietly.

"Do you really think your father will be pleased about this pregnancy? Are you certain it's what he wants from you?" She didn't give a hoot what either man thought but she needed to be in his good graces for the mean time.

He paused to exhale a tired breath. "I hope it's what he wants because I'll go ballistics if he foils my plans. You can be sure of that."

"What is your family like? Tell me about them so I know what to expect during my lonesome stay here," she asked quietly, subtly changing the topic. Besides, something about his family might help her in the long run.

He didn't mince words when he replied her. "My family is very civil most times, except of course, for when Malcolm is around. He's the black sheep of this family and it would be in your best interest to steer clear of him. He's evil."

It runs in the family apparently.

"My father is hard-hearted to both his family and his workers. He's even more distant and vile to unfamiliar people."

Good to know.

"My sister, Monica, may act crazy sometimes but she means nothing by it, but still don't provoke her."

There's a maniac in the family. Great!

"And then there's Anthony." He paused to take a breather and his lips curved up into a smirk, his action betraying the fact that he preffered this sibling. "He's nice when he wants to be, so try to be on his good side as much as you can. If you abide by these rules, your stay here would be very pleasant," he finished to find a stunned Gina looking back at him.

He smirked at her stupefied expression and added. "Don't worry. You'll like it here, I assure you."

"I hope I do," she muttered, trying to process the information.

Then he looked at the wall clock placed next to the abstract painting over the bed and said.

"You should go and get ready. Dinner is strictly by seven and my father is a man of routine. Trust me, you do not want to be late on your first day here."

+++++++++++

She was late.

The clock chimed 7.15pm and Gina ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. She was panting and sweating as she ran down the stairs and then realized with a jolt that she was lost. Not really, of course, but she had no idea which part of the house the dinning room was and there was no servant around to direct her either.

It wasn't her fault, really. Blame the bath tub and the warm, scented water and her knotted nerves. Spending the whole day worrying about your enemy and his family could do that to you. Then after that, blame the closet and her clothing arrangement. The servants had unpacked her bags, hanging her clothing in the appropriate sections but as she was not there to supervise, it took nearly thirty minutes after opening every cabinet and drawers to find her undies, body creams and skin care products. So that by the time she was ready, it was completely obvious she would be late to dinner.

Then there was Gabriel to blame too. For leaving the room when she was still in the bath and not waiting for her, or at least have the common sense to give her directions or send a servant to direct her if it would be such a burden on him. The idiot, she thought fuming as she ran into the extra large sitting area and gaped, mesmerised by the surrounding. The rich sure knew how to live, she thought in wonder, admiring the room.

"Miss Gina?" Called a servant girl, forcing Gina to tear her gaze from their wandering contest. She turned to find it was one of the girls that had unpacked her bags earlier.

"Yes?" For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what the girl wanted.

"Mr. Gabriel sent me to find you. They are expecting you at dinner," she said, pointing a hand towards her left, the opposite direction from where Gina had run.

She nodded, wincing when she remembered the dinner. "Let's go."

As she trailed beyond the girl, she made certain to note the way in the case of next time. Soon, they rounded the hallway to walk into a large room, a little bit smaller than the living room but just as beautifully decorated.

There was a long table that housed twelve dining chairs, five on each side and two at the opposite ends. The man she knew as Raphael Asika sat at the end chair farthest from the door she had walked through. Gabriel sat to his right, while Malcolm was to his left. Monica sat next to Malcolm talking to him in a heated tone while Anthony sat next to Monica quietly. Raphael was saying something in hushed whispers to his eldest son, but all conversations ceased the minute she walked in and five pairs of eyes were trained on her immediately.

"Hello?" She greeted, trying to ease the awkwardness of the moment.

Raphael scrutinised her thoroughly before stating. "I expected our guest to make it in time for dinner."

"I'm sorry. I got lost," she mumbled fidgeting as she looked around the room trying to not cower under the man's heated glare.

"Don't mind my father. Please join us." Monica produced a crooked smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you," Gina whispered despite, moving towards where Gabriel was sat. He stood up from his chair to pull out her chair for her. She slid in and pulled the chair in. He sat back down after she was sat.

Raphael's gaze were trained on her unblinking, even as the servants were given the order to start serving. It was like having a feast, as different bowls of dishes moved around the table. By the time their plates had been filled, Gina was practically squirming under his gaze.

"Father, say the grace before we start eating," Gabriel suggested when he saw how uncomfortable Gina was.

The older man nodded and tore his gaze from her. "Let's say the grace."

Everyone closed their eyes as he led them in a short prayer. After, dinner was a quiet affair. The children resumed their mumblings among each other, even if she and Gabriel sat next to each other as though they were nothing more than strangers.

Out of the blues, Monica turned to her brother and asked sweetly, "Gabriel, isn't it rude to bring a friend to dinner and not introduce them? It's not as though you reek of friendship." She sneered and her siblings humoured her with chuckles.

Gabriel smirked, pursing his lips to review her question. "My apologies, then. I thought you all were starving," he scoffed with an eye roll.

After the necessary introductions which was hardly warm, he stood up, drawing maximum attention to himself, before adressing them.

"I want to introduce a special someone in my life to you guys. This is my girlfriend, Gina Dike. Gina is also expecting my child. Your grandchild, Father." The last was directed at Raphael. Then he sat back down.

Five pairs of eyes popped open in shock.

Monica dropped her cutlery so fast it clattered to the floor.

Anthony's jaw dropped to the floor in disbelief.

Malcolm choked on his rice, coughing and wheezing.

Raphael frowned at the news, pausing his raised spoon in the air.

Gina was astounded that he would throw her under the bus without proof of a pregnancy! What happened to waiting till later?

"What?!" Monica squeaked.

"How?" Anthony was perplexed.

"That is impossible!" Malcolm raged when he had recovered.

"I assure you, it's very possible," Gabriel affirmed and continued eating as if he didn't just drop a bombshell.

"But you guys just met! She can't possibly be pregnant. Gabriel, she's lying to you!" Malcolm claimed, merely trying to grasp the fact that his brother would pull this card on him.

"Are you looking out for my well being, brother? Don't bother, there's no need. I can handle my affairs efficiently," the first born insisted, glaring daggers at him for insinuating he was lying.

"Your stomach is not even showing! Where's the proof?" Monica quizzed indignantly, directing it to Gina.

Gina squirmed under her chilling stare and swore she saw disgust in them. "The result is in my bag upstairs. I'm not showing yet because it's too early. I'm barely two months gone." She fibbed, going along with the impromptu plan.

"Two months?" Malcolm quizzed in disbelief, looking between his brother and his girlfriend. One could almost see the cogs turning in his head as he pondered over that bit of information.

"I didn't know you were serious about her brother, but I guess this means you are. Congratulations are in order then," Anthony imputed, showing his sincere feelings for the couple.

All through the question and answer session, Raphael Asika kept mute, eating his food slowly as if he were starved, trying quite futilely to assimilate the news.

There was a reason behind this action, surely. He never mentioned he was interested in having grandchildren yet. Yes, nature provided that they would arrive but at the right time, when their parents were married, not before. And despite what it looked like, Raphael was almost certain he could guess Gabriel's plans. Gabriel would never impregnate a girl just for the fun of it. He was that meticulous. Except for that one time but it was quickly resolved.

He looked up from his empty plate and signalled for the servants to clear the dishes. Meanwhile, his children were still trying to wrap their heads around the news.

Raphael cast his stare to the beautiful girl sitting next to his son and frowned at the familiarity. She had an uncanny resemblance to the ghost that paraded the walls of this house. But that question would be for later. Right now, he had to figure out his son's plans.

He waited till everyone had piped down before directing his question to the girl.

"What do you do for a living, Gina?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hook, line, sinker. That was the appropriate question to bait Gina, and consequently, Gabriel. I hope they can dodge this bullet being thrown their way.

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