"What is it that you do for a living, young woman?"

Gina eyed the older Asika warily, trying to decipher why he had thrown that question at her suddenly. Courtesy demanded you get to know your potential in-laws but not right away. His question was as suspicious as a smelly rat in a basket full of fish.

Trying to appear brave, she returned his chilling glare but when he maintained it lucidly, was forced to look away which portrayed that his dominating aura was victorious. Glancing at the siblings would not help her cause since all skepticism and doubt was glued on her persona. However, she did not spare the person sitting next to her a glance, choosing to ignore him for the stunt he pulled a few minutes earlier. Very soon, she'd throw him under the bus like he had done to her.

Out of the blues, her malevolent subconscious decided a trick was in order if she utilised this opportunity wisely. Putting into consideration how awful he had been treating her, coupled with the sexual frustration she had experienced in the past week courtesy of him, she thought it necessary to repay him in the same coin. An evil sneer graced her lips as she parted them to reply.

"I'm a strip..."

"She's a striving baker." Gabriel stated in his characteristic deep timbre cutting off her speech sharply. His dark, narrowed slits trained menacingly on her warned her to behave. "She's an entrepreneur, Father, and she's really committed to her pastry business."

She frowned at his words, wondering why he was cloaking her occupation. Obviously, his family would never approve any association with the morally loose girls parading the streets of Lagos at night, but he had, hence should bear the brunt of such careless actions, she thought indignantly.

Piqued by his cover-up, she increased her decibels with malicious intent.

"I'm an Asha..."

A sharp sting on her right lap forced her to complete that sentence with a screech. Gabriel had pinched her!

Tuned in to the sudden cacophony, all eyes zeroed in on her and her tight-lipped beaming boyfriend instantly. Once bitten, twice shy had never held so much meaning to her in all her lifetime on earth.

"Tell me, truthfully. Are you a baker or not?" Quizzed Raphael impatiently. He seemed to have picked up on the silent message being exchanged.

Still hissing at the pinching crab sitting beside her, she supported the earlier claim he had postulated.

"Yes, I'm a baker. Not professionally, anyways." She shrugged helplessly.

Nodding at her response, he folded his hands before him and started firing questions at her as if she came for a job interview.

"Where are you from?"

Easy as pie. "I'm from Abia State. Umuahia, to be precise."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one years. I'll be 22 in October." She wasn't sure telling him her birthday month was necessary. Did he need it incase of a surprise birthday party?

"What do your parents do for a living?"

Being unprepared had Gina's blood boiling at the unperturbed way he had thrown the question at her. He hurt her family and now he dare to ask her what her parents did for a living? Did these people have no morals whatsoever?

Biting down on the raging emotion going through her, she replied dolefully. "My father is a farmer in the village. He's striving to feed his family using the small piece of land in his backyard after a group of greedy men duped him of his large commercial farm eight years ago."

Her sarcastic tirade was meant to rile up some feathers, or evoke some sort of reaction from the man, however, she was greatly disappointed when her response was interpreted in an entirely different manner.

"If you are dirt poor, how then did you meet my son?"

The question threw her off balance. She schooled herself to remain seated just to prevent her rash behaviour from ruining this night. This night was the moment of truth, the crux of the charade, because she knew how effective Gabriel's plans were depended on how well they handled the situation. How well she handled the situation.

"We met in a club, Father, and we clicked it off immediately." Gabriel came to her rescue a second time that night.

Raphael glared at his eldest son, obviously not pleased with his interference. "Let her speak, Gabriel. She's not dumb."

She coughed deeply to clear her airways, and gather reasonable composure, before replying. "We met at a club. I came to have a good time and he came to unwind from his work stress. I showed him how to have fun and we connected instantly. The rest is history."

Raphael pursed his lips, evidence that he held the story with a pinch of salt. "And how long have you known him?"

Willing her mind patience to not go psycho on the older man, Gina focused on the object of their discussion for inspiration. "We met five months ago but we didn't start dating until two months after when he told me he liked me."

It was a lie, but she couldn't very well tell them they met two months ago. The 'supposed' pregnancy would sound staged.

"Why?" This was from Monica. Curiosity shimmered unmasked in her eyes. "Why didn't you guys hit it off immediately you met?"

Have you met your brother? Gina smiled at her a little tersely before replying.

"Like I said, he came to unwind from work stress. I don't think he was looking for a relationship then. We met one more time at that same club two months later and he told me he would like to have something concrete with me. I agreed because I liked him too."

"That sounds romantic." Monica cooed dryly with an eye roll. Undisputedly, she didn't believe Gabriel knew the word 'romantic' existed. 

"That sounds cheesy and fake. I'm not buying it!" Malcolm spat out, his skepticism rising.

Gabriel glowered at him as if he was an idiot. "Then don't because it's not your story. Or is your anger betraying the fact that you can't seem to find a single, loyal girlfriend out of all the lot that you have?"

"If you're jealous, I can lend you one." Malcolm jeered, happy that he got a reaction out of his brother since dinner started.

"I think I'll pass," was the condescending retort.

Raphael rolled his eyes at the two before he continued his questions. He had listened as the girl recounted their love story but still, he found it hard to believe. If they met at a club more than once, it meant she was a loose woman and definitely not fit for his son. She looked like the type that will bewitch a man to themselves just to get rich real quick. Who in their right mind got pregnant for a man they weren't married to, and in so short a time too? Something just didn't add up and he was determined to find out what.

"Did you know who my son was before you hooked him with your pregnancy?" He asked slowly, watching her keenly for any telltale sign.

Oblivious to the trap, Gina's jaw dropped at what his words implied but it was Gabriel who reacted first. "That is utter nonsense! How could you think that, Father?"

The man would not stand down. "I'm merely clarifying some doubts, Gabriel." He gesticulated nonchalantly. "Why would she get pregnant for you if you guys have only known each other for so short a time as three months?"

"It can happen and it did." The younger man was adamant. He would not let her be subjected to such ridiculousness from his father. "I was the one who went after her shamelessly. I was the one who got careless, alright. She wasn't too keen on coming here with me to tell you guys about our child but I wouldn't listen. Now, you all are making me regret it." He fumed, scowling at his father.

She reached across to link her fingers with his under the table, pleasantly surprised he had stood up for her like that. She could have easily defended her action, of course, but this just scored him large points.

"It's not his fault only." Since they were creating the perfect fairytale, she was prepared to weave it as flawlessly as possible. "I, too, am to blame. It's just that when I'm with him, I forget everything and everyone. He makes me feel loved like no one else has done before. To be clear, I don't regret getting pregnant. Because it is his child. I will make the same exact decisions if I'm asked to do," she explained but kept her eyes trained on him the whole time.

"This is too cheesy, it's choking me," Anthony commented, wheezing. The sarcasm dripping from his tone was thick and heavy.

"This is acting. They are obviously acting! Don't tell me you guys believe them?" Malcolm cried, sounding exasperated.

Monica glared at him before hissing loudly. "Now, you're starting to sound like a broken record. You're jealous he's in a loving relationship and that's what's pathetic here."

Raphael did not say anything anymore. There was nothing else to say, really. They looked like they were in a relationship and probably loved each other. Who was he to get in the middle of that?

Gabriel stood up, pulling Gina along with him. "We'll take our leave now, Father. Gina and I need some time alone. Goodnight, family," he said, turning to leave, hand in hand with Gina.

She returned Monica's fake fawns over her relationship and Anthony's bored smiles of congratulations but kept her face straight when she met Malcolm's glare. There was something about him that didn't settle well with her.

They reached the door to hear Raphael speak up. She whirled around to look at him and he smiled at her for the first time since she entered this room.

"Gina dear, welcome to the family."

+++++++++

She waited till they were safely locked inside their room and away from curious eyes and eavesdroppers before erupting.

"Why did you do that, Gabriel? Why did you lie to your father? I'm not pregnant..."

"Not yet," he replied off handedly cutting her off, "but it doesn't mean you wouldn't be in a few days from now if all goes according to plan."

"That's a big if." The lackadaisical attitude rolling off of him in waves irked her to no end. "It was too risky and you know it. This could backfire on us!" She whispered harshly, hoping to highlight the severity of the matter at hand.

"You shouldn't sweat unnecessarily about things that doesn't concern you. I am the brain behind this scheme and all you have to do is follow dutifully behind me. Leave all the worry to me, understood?" He gestured to himself, slightly amused that she was belligerent when he should be the one raving about the stunt she almost pulled earlier.

"I would if I could," she began sweetly with a saccharine smile,  "but if only a certain someone would be generous to let me know he wasn't patient enough to wait for my confirmation of pregnancy first!"

His lips lifted up in sheer mockery at her righteous claim. "When you start acting like an adult, I'll let you in on some basic parts of my masterpiece plan, but for girls like you who think they can ridicule me in front of my family, I'll always treat them as they deserve: like children." He spat out in disgust, his ugly sneer matching his belligerent glower.

Stunned speechless, she took a subconscious step away from him. She never imagined he would take up her rebellious act at dinner.

When he got no audible response out of her, he turned and moved towards the closet to go change out of his grey shirt and black slacks. She watched his towering frame disappear into the door, her eyes following the movement yet her mind was miles away from this present sphere.

"But I was doing the right thing!" She protested indignantly, trying to justify her actions. "You didn't tell me I had to hide who I was from your family. I did not agree to lying and deceiving your family!"

"You also did not disclose to your sister the true nature of our agreement but here we are," he remarked, strolling back into the room dressed in only his grey sweat pants. He always looked different, more male, more human when he wasn't dressed corporately, she thought randomly.

She hissed at that reminder, her hands akimbo. "You forced me into that agreement. You manipulated me! I hate being used like a toy but that's what you've turned me into with this ridiculous plan of yours, Gabriel." She accused, pointing fingers at him.

He waved her right index finger off as if it were an offending wasp. "For someone who's life choice revolves around pleasing men and being used and thrown away like a toy just to earn money, you sound rather concerned about me doing the same," he trailed off purposely, watching her countenance expertly. "Am I worse than those men that tried to force themselves on you in that ludicrous club? Am I that loathsome?"

Confused by the random question, she tore her eyes away from ogling his lustrous broad chest region and focused them on the oil painting behind him instead.

Pursing her lips, she reviewed the interrogation critically. "Look, I understand that this is a big deal for you and I want everything to work out perfectly..."

"And they will." His overconfident retort annoyed her tremendously.

Ignoring him, she plundered on. "And things working out perfectly means I get my full payment without any cock-and-bull story. Nowadays, men and disappointments are like five and six. Impossible to separate." A devious sneer was dancing wickedly on her lips, credible sign that her insult was meant to be driven home.

Surprised by her degradation, he gave out a humourless chuckle while fingering the hem of his sweat pants.

"Why am I still surprised everytime you speak as if you have ever had anything meaningful to say?"

Gina's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Did this man just insult her?

"Bia, what did you just say?"

"What did you just hear?"

He chuckled some more before making his way to the left side of the huge bed covered by black quilts. Ignoring her gaped mouth, he sat on the bed and pulled up his tablet and began tapping away at the screen, every indication that he was done with the conversation.

Turns out being rendered speechless was such a great and rare phenomena that Gina did not have a credible comeback for the frustrating mortal sitting on the bed. Recovering herself, she made to walk to the closet only for him to halt her in her steps.

"Gina, dear," he began sweetly, a charming smile coating his facial expression, "try not to make a mess of that closet like you did earlier. We don't raise pigs in this house, unfortunately."

++++++++++++

Malcolm paced the length of his room in increasing annoyance.

The concept of sleep seemed to have eluded him. Just thinking about the stunt Gabriel pulled at dinner was driving him insane. How dare he stoop so low? A grandchild would change everything! And it hurt more than it should because he had thought of that idea first.

At the beginning of this year right after Raphael made that preposterous announcement about giving the company to the 'matured' son, Malcolm had toyed with the idea of giving him a child. A family perhaps. There was nothing that screams maturity and responsibility like a happily married man expecting a child. He even had the perfect girl for the job. Her name was Queenette Mefor.

She was a goddess, with the perfect curves, good education, well-behaved manners and the icing on the cake, a distinguished and wealthy family. Raphael would have been extremely proud of him, but back then, he had been busy screwing with his elder brother, as he always did, to foresee or even follow this plan through.

Even as his pacing continued well into the night, he agreed it was not too late to set his plan in motion. This game of thrones that Gabriel had started he could still best him at it ten times over.

But first things first; Gabriel's girlfriend. Her name sounded sultry, rolling off the tongue like a mesmerising song. She was beautiful too, despite her trying to be inconspicuous next to his brother. All she needed was the appropriate makeover and she'd have men falling at her feet. Her demeanour reeked of such seductive aura.

It was highly doubtful that Gabriel was tied to her charms but then again, she was already pregnant so he must be. The bad side to this was that he concurred unabashedly that he had no resistance if she were to try and seduce him as well. He would gladly follow her around like a lost puppy, eager to do her bidding.

He shook his head vigorously, dispelling the image of her naked body, thrashing under him in a bed, away. He knew it never ended well for him whenever he fell for his brother's women, take his fiancée, for example.

His searching eyes found the large-sized picture of the family siblings only taken at their parents' twientieth wedding anniversary. At that point in time, they were all happy, then everything changed when Joseph died and their mother slipped into depression as an aftermath and followed him too. Weirdly, all these could be roughly traced to his elder brother, he thought, his eyes falling on Gabriel's smiling potrair and he frowned looking away from that picture.

Returning to present earth, his mind went back to their guest again. There was something oddly familiar about his brother's girlfriend. He could have sworn he had seen her before, heck, he felt like he knew her. Were they ever intimate or perhaps they went out on a date before? Before his mind could burst with too much thoughts, he pulled out his phone and dialled his friend and personal assistant, Jedidiah. Jed always seemed to have the answer or solution to everything.

Jed picked on the fourth ring. "Hello?" He yawned, having being disturbed in his sleep.

"Are you awake?" He quizzed in confusion. Why was he yawning so loudly?

"I am now, no thanks to you," came the irritated retort and an accompanying hiss.

Malcolm winced at the harsh sound just as his eyes darted to the wall clock which read 2.30am. He paused to take a breath, briefly agreeing that he should have probably waited till morning to call but Jed was already up so...

"Since you are up, I should tell you I need your help. My idiotic brother introduced his girlfriend to the family tonight, and guess what?" Without waiting for a reply, he blurted out, "She's pregnant!"

"What? That's not good, Malcolm," Jed replied, now fully awake.

Malcolm nodded, supporting his friend's remark silently. "Yes, I agree completely, but that's not the worst part. My father, the general himself, accepted everything like it was no big deal. My brother is probably in his room gloating about his achievement right now," he muttered disgustedly.

"Why would your father do that? Wasn't he old-fashioned and very traditional?"

"Beats my imagination, but that's irrelevant now. My brother scored great points with my father with this and I need to top it as soon as possible, Jed."

Jed thought for a moment before asking. "What do you have in mind and I'll capitalise on it?"

"First, I need you to help me find any decent girl. If my brother is getting serious with his love life, I should too, right. I bet my father would be extremely pleased with me if I bring home a girl he's been planning for me to marry."

"We don't have much options in that area, unless you'll go down that road."

Malcolm thought about his words carefully before replying. "I guess I don't have much choice, then. I'll go down that road when the time comes but first, I need you to check out my brother's girlfriend for me. Find out everything you can about her. Her name is Gina Dike and I'll send you a picture once I can get it.

"I have a strong feeling that this girl will be my brother's undoing," he smirked, looking at the picture of the five siblings again.

~~~~~~~~~

I swear, Gabriel is frustrating and Malcolm is being annoying. Hopefully, Gina is quite capable of handling them both.

What do you guys think about Malcolm at this point?

Remember to vote and comment.

😊☺