His bones ached, and his muscles spasmed when he moved, telltale signs that he had overworked himself. But he had little to no choice in the matter, his plans demanded he bury himself inside work.

Thinking about work, he admitted this week had been nothing but stressful, hence compounding his problems, and after going the extra mile to keep his secret safe, Gabriel was beginning to feel like a villain. He needed absolute peace and quiet this weekend to regain his sanctity.

Making his way past the doorway held open by the butler, he ignored greetings ushered by the beaming helps before making a march for the stairs. He couldn't wait to reach his room, take a warm relaxing bath and sleep off. He reached his door without meeting any of his family and smiled. The last thing he wanted was some monkey chattering in his ear about how he was doing his best for the company.

He dug his palm into his pocket for his room key and paused, momentarily forgetting he did not inform them he would be returning this weekend. No wonder their wide smiles welcome downstairs.

Sighing, he called out to the maid, who followed suit after him carrying his briefcase, for his room key, only for her to reply his room was unlocked. Confused, he turned the knob and stepped in at the same time the pacing figure in front of his bed paused to regard him.

He almost chuckled at himself. He had forgotten she was here.

"I'm sick and tired of this house!"

Freezing at the door, he eyed the room warily to confirm it was his before stepping in. Walking past her, he made a beeline for the closet. Hearing footsteps behind him, he smirked before reaching for his tie.

"Did you not hear what I said?"

He sighed tiredly. "I heard you clearly. What do you want me to do about it?"

"For one, stop caging me in this house. Did you how angry I was when the maids told me I couldn't go anywhere because you had ordered them to not let me?"

"I didn't order them to do anything. My father did," he replied flippantly.

She paused at that, deep lines marring her forehead as she regurgitated his words. "That doesn't make sense. I saw the note you left on Monday saying you gave them instructions..."

"Instructions concerning your diet, nothing more." He interrupted, while repeating the words slowly as though she were dumb. "I could care less where you went to while you're in my father's house. My house, however, is a different case entirely."

She snorted at that, hands akimbo, feet tapping on the floor. "I want that ridiculous rule about your house changed also. I'm a social human being. I need friends."

"You have my family..."

"Your family hates me." She spat out in disgust, her eyes glaring ferociously at him for being responsible for her present predicament.

"Do the helps hate you too?" He didn't think someone possessed the ability to enmasse hate everywhere she went.

He was proven wrong immediately.

"Yes!"

"Wow, you deserve a medal for being the 'most hated' in this house. Even with all my vile deeds, I still have loyal fans." She hissed at that, causing him to chuckle before returning his attention back to his ensemble.

His tie off, his jacket following suit, he made quick work of his buttons. He was sweaty and needed a cool, refreshing bath and well deserved sleep. He also knew he wouldn't be getting either until he had resolved the matter at hand.

"Well, what do you want me to do about this situation? Should I remove all the priviledges you are enjoying courtesy of me and leave you to your own devices?"

The notion to leave her be was preposterous. He would never agree to it but he would bait her with it, dangle it in front of her eyes, before snatching it away from her and out of her reach.

When she hesitated, he turned around slowly to regard her, only to notice her eyes were locked on his physique. Trailing his stare down, he found her lips were caught in between her teeth as she nibbled delicately on them.

Deciding to take the game further, he shrugged out of his shirt ever so slowly, ensuring to maintain contact with her eyes. The way her breath quickened at the action was all the prompt he needed to boost his sexual charisma.

"You were saying you wanted to leave?"

As if smacked over the head, her gaze flew to his, confusion clouding her pupils. "I did?"

"Yes." Nodding, he flexed his muscular shoulders, loving the aura of sexuality he was exuding. He knew women found him attractive with the way they lusted after him but he had never put much thought into using it as a weapon of war, or in this case, peace. If this turned out to be an effective way of simmering her anger down, he had no qualms with employing it always.

He watched her take two steps back, hoping to create meters between them and he smirked. She licked her lips to moisten them subconciously, trying to look anywhere else but at him.

"I was bored staying by myself throughout this week. I really wanted to go out and visit friends. I haven't talked to any of them since I moved in with you."

He concurred with her point, but he would not relent in his demands. The safety of his baby was paramount.

"You can talk to me. I like when you say things to me."

"You're not here during the week." She was quick to point out.

"I know, but I'm here now. You can say all the little, naughty things to me right here, right now." Sauntering towards her in purposeful strides, he murmurred seductively, "I can be your gist buddy, your gossip amebo."

While other women would be enticed by his advances towards them, the female in front of him had a different reaction to it.

She burst out laughing.

Stunned, Gabriel paused to watch her chuckle, wondering wherein lay the humour in his words.

"Enlighten me."

She had a hard time controlling her laughter but sobered up quickly when he closed the gap between them, imprisoning her between his body and the wardrobe of the closet.

"You are a man. You don't do gossips."

He cocked an eyebrow before dropping his jaw in a fake gasp. "How dare you say that? You're being anti-Masculinist."

She doubled over in laughter, the action so infectious he couldn't help but chuckle.

"There's nothing like anti-masculinity." She pointed out, only for her breath to hitch in her throat when he focused his intense gaze on hers unblinking.

"And there's no rule that says I can't be your amebo company. Come on, let me in. What's the big deal, anyway?" He quizzed, reaching out to stroke her cheek, his fingers straying dangerously close to her slightly parted lips, watching as her pupils dilated.

"You're not a girl." She insisted, her breathing pattern irregular. To confuse her, his thumb traced her lower lips, loving how her body was reacting to his touch out of their own volition.

"I never said I was." He smirked, his thumb moving past her lips into her mouth. He watched in satisfaction as her tongue swirled round it, sucking it while holding his gaze.

Tuned in to the desires and wanton feeling emanating from her pores, he lowered his lips towards hers, slightly cursing -in his mind- the stress her lack in height was causing him. When she stroked his chin, obviously seeking for more, he reached behind her and cupping her butt, lifted her up. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist, the new height giving her access to get greedy. Circling her arms round his neck, she took over the mating ritual, moaning and gasping at the tongue battle going on inside.

++++++++

Gina could barely feel her body as she attempted to zip up her bodycon white gown with bow sleeves. This was the consequence of doing it in a closet full of clothes and accessories, but she did not regret it one bit, kissing up his sweat and all.

She was getting ready for the ritual that was called 'dinner with the family', and yet was toying with the idea of not attending, using physical exertion from her vigorous sexual activity from earlier as excuse. Dinner with the family was bearable, but dinner with Gabriel and Malcolm present was like dining with the devil, and she, unfortunately, forgot to come with a long spoon.

Flexing her feet, she stepped into her black suede heels, and posed in front of the mirror on her vanity table, taking selfies and making Snapchat videos. She had exchanged her long, silky weave for a skull cap in wine red colour, and pairing her nude makeup with ombre red lips, she loved the sultry feel it gave her. She hoped it would lure Gabriel in after dinner as she was expecting more activity later.

Finally, after a few poses with accompanying clicks and pouts was made, Gina smiled, caressing her waistline in amazement that the changes in her body had begun to take effect. In a couple of months from now, her favourite clothes would be her enemy, this particular gown was on the top of that list. She could barely breathe in it!

Plastering a necessary smile on her face, she turned to step out of the room. By the time on her gold wristwatch, she knew she was late but wasn't particularly bothered. After constant tardiness, Raphael Asika had learnt to not comment on it anymore. Perhaps it would explain why she hadn't found favor in their eyes yet.

She hurried down the stairs trying to beat the seconds only to nearly misstep at the last landing. The rip on her gown was more than enough reason to reconsider dinner. Muttering under her breath, she reached a palm behind her to trace the rip and landed right smack on her buttocks. It was long overdue, she concluded, since the gown was tapered tightly to hug her big behind.

Cursing at her badluck, she whirled around and marched back up the stairs to go change. She toyed with the idea of cancelling dinner altogether but agreed it would be too rude. She may not like the family but she was their guest. It was only courtesy to abide by their rules however she could.

She pushed open the door and made a beeline for the closet, choosing to attend to her makeup later. For the life of her, she didn't know what to wear and supposed she'd spend eternity looking for something presentable. Ruffling through her selection, she couldn't help but ogle at Gabriel's section of the closet. She wondered if he'd flip were she to dress in one of his non-crease suits. It would be nice to feel like the boss occasionally, she bemused.

A rapt at the door had her pausing, but as it was impropable Gabriel would need permission to enter his own room, she dismissed the knock. She hoped the servant wasn't here to remind her she was needed at dinner.

Grabbing her monochrome striped jumpsuit, she made quick work of unzipping her gown before shrugging out of it. A heavy whoosh of air left her lungs as the constriction fell away and she nearly collapsed.

About to declare herself, she paused when she heard whisperings and claps. Although the coincidence was unlikely, Gina surmised the rumour mill had chosen Gabriels' room as their headquarters tonight.

On a normal, she would have walked straight out and bid them gone as she had a tight schedule and needed no distractions. Besides, rumour mills were never a favourite pasttime of hers, but when she overheard 'Gabriel' in the mesh of sounds seeping past the slightly opened door of the closet, she couldn't help but assume she would be next on the topic.

She almost giggled at the scenario, recalling a similar event earlier that week. Tiptoeing to crouch behind the door, -her attempt at redressing forgotten-, she paused and held her breath, waiting to hear more.

"I don't know who she thinks she is. She's not even that fine. I mean, I heard the last girlfriend Gabriel had was a Minister's daughter. Who's child is she sef?" She knew that tone instantly, already used to listening to her saccharine sweet voice throughout this week.

Gina bit her lips to prevent her from throwing in a sarcastic retort at the maid. She knew Ebere did not like her but now she could see her reason was valid.

"I don't even understand this kind of situation we are in." A different voice sighed, before going to sit on the lounger. Now, Gina could see her as she was in her exact eye view. She had perceived Uju did not like her either, but her hate was heavily prompted by her association with Ebere.

"She knows she's a nobody yet she acts like she's the President's daughter. Simple dinner that everybody keeps to time, she'd arrive late because she knows Mr. Gabriel would defend her. At the end, nobody remembers we are the ones Mr. Raphael would blame."

Ebere hissed, and Gina could infer from her tone that she was incensed. "She makes me so angry that sometimes I want to strangle here. Why do we even have to be at her beck and call?"

Nobody asked you to wait on me, foolish people, she seethed silently, wondering why people hid their loathing for a particular job description under dutiful service.

"I envy her, sha. She struck goldmine with Mr. Gabriel. A nobody pregnant with his first child and the first grandson of Mr. Raphael. Do you know how much money she'd get even if she and Mr. Gabriel doesn't end up together?"

"I can imagine that it will be a lot. With the way she's already acting like a queen, she'd rule the whole world once she gets that money."

If you think it's that easy, come and sign your own contract with Gabriel, let me see.

Moving away from the lounger, Uju went to dress the bed, still sighing heavily. Gina couldn't make out what Ebere was doing since the angle of the opened door only allowed her to view the direction of the bed, but she was tempted to find out. Heavily.

"But, wait, what if she's not pregnant and is just fooling everyone into thinking she is?"

You think this beautiful gown that just got ruined was a joke? Her grip on the door tightened as she restrained herself from attacking the skinny pole sitting in her room.

"And you think they wouldn't have found out by now? Trust me, no one can fool Gabriel that easily. She's definitely pregnant. The real question here is, if Gabriel is the father of her child. I don't trust all these Lagos girls and their baby wahala. They'll pin their pregnancy on any available man they can find."

"Ha, Ebere. When will you learn to stop calling him by his name without putting the title? You've grown wings, ooh." She chided while arranging the duvet.

"Please, spare me." The older maid was quick to go defensive. "If that lousy thing can call him 'Gabriel', why can't I? Besides, Sisi calls him by his name every now and then, and she's just a maid like I am."

"But you know this is a case of 'if only wishes were horses'. There's no way Mr. Gabriel or any of his brothers would have anything with the helps in this house. They have tons of rich girls at their disposal. Besides, you know how proud they are. They'll just throway face if you try look their side."

As if the fates were in her favour,
Ebere strolled to the side of the bed where Uju was arranging the pillows to continue their gossip, giving her a back view of the curvy girl in a long, silky weave. On second look, she could make out it was her wig.

Gina's jaw dropped to the floor in shock. The audacity. How dare she!

"Well, I can only dream then. Besides, it's not like I'd be the first servant girl to have feelings for Gabriel. Sisi told me that there was this other servant girl that not only had something going on with Gabriel, she also got pregnant for him."

"What? Issa lie, joor. You know Sisi and lies are like five and six. Don't believe everything she tells you."

"But this one is true. Ask the other maids who have stayed longer in this house and they'll tell you. She was a beautiful girl and she used it to charm all of them into sleeping with her. Then she got pregnant and tried to pin it on Gabriel. He found out about her plan and sent her away."

Uju's mouth had dropped open, plainly trying to assimilate the story. "But if he sent her away, what happened to her baby? Did he take it from her or did she leave with it?"

"I don't know, jare." Ebere replied with a dismissive shrug. "It happened six years ago and the details are missing. But the story is true. If you have any doubt, go and ask them about the servant girl called Amelia."

Never in her life did Gina think she'd hear about her sister's life being recounted so shamelessly. Her memory had been disgraced in such a manner that she was termed a lying skunk. How could he do something like this to her? Amelia didn't even leave this blasted house with a kobo of his money!

Enraged, she stepped back from the door, their voices fading as she mulled over what she had overheard. Rissa had told her Gabriel treated Amelia poorly but she never imagined...

She paused in her thoughts, scoffing at her own foolishness. What did she never imagine? How else did you define the spawn of Satan if not as a heartless being? Why did she even hope there was any good in him?

Dashing away a streak of tear that had trailed away from her left cheek, she reached for the jumpsuit and proceeded to wear it. Cursing silently at her height, she stood on her tiptoe and reached for her black heeled strap sandal placed on the top shelf. Then everything happened in a flash of light.

One minute she was grabbing the heel, and the next she was laying sprawled on the floor of the closet, a few shoes lying on top and around her.

Groaning at her predicament, she supposed the gossip in her room would realise now they had company all these while, and she couldn't wait to rub it in their face that she had overheard them. The door creaked slightly and she ceased her breath, waiting for the worst.

~~~~~~~~~~

Our first Amelia sighting. How convenient.

Ebere sounds so malicious and conniving. I hope she isn't planning something.

What do you think about Amelias story?

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