Hey, if you're reading this chapter, I'd like to inform you that there was a chapter before this one. It is a double update and this is the second.

That said, proceed.

IRENE

The way I spoke to Miss Bolanle the previous day was uncalled for but what the hell! She started it.

To even think I was beginning to overlook her ever grumpy nature. Too bad she was just a sucked up sadist.

Seated in the Lamborghini aventador with two bodyguards, a driver and my faithful manager, Eugenia, we were headed to the Dorchester events centre where there was going to be an independence gala.

It was the first day of October which meant it was independence day in Nigeria. Eugenia had put a phone call through to me yesterday afternoon that I had an impromptu shoot this morning and had to attend the independence gala later that evening.

I had arrived at Lagos yesterday in the evening so as to meet up with the time for the shoot today and I was expecting Desmond anytime soon as he was always present at my shoots whenever he was chanced. It has always been like that and it somehow seemed to me that he was my good luck charm and I was his.

The car came to a halt and Eugenia and I got down with the two body guards who helped us in. The place was really scanty with just the workers and the media men.

The excited workers around welcomed me warmly with greetings, smiles and the likes. They clustered around me till their boss asked them to get back to their work stations.

Surprisingly, I was the only model around and we were six in number. Myself, Sofia Williams, Chimdi Gentry, Queen Dike, Shade Onam and the last model who I was not in any way familiar with. They probably wanted to be fashionably late...lol. If there was one good quality I was proud of, it was my punctuality when it concerns work and school.

The shoot was for House of Tara, one of the leading cosmetic companies in the country on launching their latest lipstick brand and the fact that they were having the shoot on independence day, made me just call it the independence shoot.

Seated alone at a corner with the media men working towards the success of the shoot, I sat back going through my social media accounts.

I decided to put a call through to Desmond as he was supposed to have gotten here now.

The MTN number you're trying to call is not reachable at the moment. Please try again later.

I huffed and just went to scrolling through posts on Instagram. He'll call when he gets here.

"Irene!" A high pitched voice which I found unfamiliar called out causing me to whip my head to the side.

I smiled at the unfamiliar curvy beauty. She returned my smile and her snow white dentition complimented her light skin.

"My name is Skye. Skye Bamidele." She said stretching out her hands for a handshake which I took. "You're the last model working with us. Yeah?" I asked and she nodded still smiling.

"Are you always smiling?" I asked her again as she beamed at me. Her soft laughter filled the space we were at and she sat beside me. "You don't get to see a renowned celebrity everyday."

The way she smiled made me jealous. Not because I don't smile enough but because her smile was very genuine unlike my signature smile which was very fake.

I opened the Instagram app and handed my phone to her. "Your IG handle." I said as I noticed she was quite confused as to why I handed my cellphone to her.

Her eyes grew as wide as saucers causing a small giggle to leave my lips. "Oh my God! You want to view my page!" She gushed as she typed in her handle and hit the send button.

There was something about her that made me like her. She was a likeable person. Always smiling and for some reason, I wanted to be like her. To be happy and fulfilled like she appeared to be.

She handed my phone back to me and I skimmed through her page as I viewed her post. Still scrolling through the pictures she had posted, something caught my eyes and I paused. My heart racing erratically.

With the way my heart was racing, I didn't know when my hands tapped on the picture and my eyes widened in realization of who it was.

Theodore!

In that picture, Theodore was seated on a couch smiling with a wine cup in his hands. In the next slide, Theodore had his nose in Skye's neck with her laughing and her eyes with an unfamiliar glint. With the last bit of courage left in me, I went to the last slide and in that picture, Theodore held Skye around her waist.

The pang I felt was indescribable. I felt hurt.

Turning to face Skye, I wore a nonchalant look. "Who's he?" I said gesturing to Theodore.

I watched as she smiled and this time there was a different glint in her eyes. She was blushing. Looking away slowly, She spoke up. "That's my boyfriend."

And at that moment, I thought I heard a glass shatter. Oh wait, was it my heart?

Theodore has a girlfriend. I muttered repeatedly in my head. Looking at Skye now, I saw it. Any guy would want to date her. She was very beautiful. That kind of beauty that was fierce, confident, courageous and what was I?

A scaredy cat. A broken girl who wants to prove otherwise to the world.

Why am I feeling this way?

I thought as I felt the tears welled up in my eyes. "His name is Mateo." Her voice came out. I had momentarily forgotten that Skye was still seated with me.

"What?" I managed to croak out. "My boyfriend, his name is Mateo." I looked at her in confusion.

This is Theodore.

"Theodore? Nope it's Mateo." I hadn't even realized that I said it out loud.

I know what I'm seeing. It is Theodore in this picture.

Exiting the Instagram app, I went to my gallery in search for Theodore's picture. I had saved his picture when Osaze posted it on her WhatsApp status.

I finally found it and showed it to Skye. "This is Theodore." She stared at the picture in my phone in awe.

"Wow! I'm speechless." Was what she voiced out as soon as she handed the phone to me.

"One minute." She dialed a number on her phone and held it in front if her.

"Mateo!" She screeched after a few seconds and my eyes rested on the guy through the video call.

This is Theodore!

I almost screamed out.

"Hey babe." The voice came out and I frowned. It wasn't Theodore's voice. This voice was smooth, sultry and alluring. The kind of voice that made girls weak in the knee. His voice was in one word, sexy.

And Theodore's voice was different. It was smooth too, yes. But it had this authoritative undertone to it. The kind of voice the CEO of a company has.

He spoke with so much confidence, certainty, conviction. Whenever he spoke, heads turned.

"Are you done with the shoot?" He asked and I just watched the boy in complete surprise. "No, but I just called to say hi."

"You missed me." He stated. "I miss you too baby." And when he said that, I watched her cheeks heat up and her complexion gave her away. His rhythmic laughter followed.

And once again, unlike Theodore's laughter, his had a playful edge to it.

Zoning out their conversation, I wondered how there could be someone that looks that much like Theodore.

Was he a twin?

Was that why he looked nothing like his parents?

Oh no!

"Say hi to Irene." That snapped me out of my forming reverie. He smiled waving at me and damn did he smile just like Theodore did.

I smiled at him waving back and Skye returned to making high pitched sounds as he spoke.

"That's Mateo." She turned to me after dropping the call.

I figured.

"His voice doesn't sound like Theodore's so I'm guessing you're right." Laughing freely, she got up. "I have to use the restroom. I'll be back in a bit." And she scurried towards a door.

Watching the media men set up the area for the shoot, I felt a presence beside me. I just assumed that Skye had returned but my mind was on an internal battle with me.

The heat eliciting from the person beside me was way too familiar, warming and-

I turned and behold, Theodore was seated in all his glory and he was smiling....

I looked away. I'm dreaming, it's because I've been thinking about him lately. That's all right?

I turned back and he was still seated there smiling. I poked his arm once and then his cheeks.

Oh he was real.

"Th...Theodore?" I squeaked out unsure.

"Yeah, you got it." He said in a sing song voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you excited to see me?" His face morphed into frown.

I shook my head. "That's not it. I'm just surprised you're in here, in Lagos. I mean-"

"I understand what you're saying. Desmond had to attend a program and he wasn't aware before so he asked me to fill in for him." He shrugged and spread his hands on the couch.

He was filling in for Desmond?

It meant we were going to sleep in the room.

The thought of that sent heat to my cheeks.

"Mateo?" Skye voice came out and both Theodore and I whipped our heads to her direction. She walked towards us and watched Theodore.

"The name is Theodore Oyedele-Thompson." He said to her and I watched as she blinked. Once , twice, thrice.

"Wow! So Mateo does have a look alike." She muttered to herself. "Hi Theodore!" She was back to her bubbly self and I watched as the spoke and they cliqued instantly.

Oh Skye.

"Wait, did you say Oyedele-Thompson?" She asking eyeing him suspiciously. "Yes." He drawled out.

"Any relations to the eminent ex governor of this state?" She asked again not looking away from him. "He's my father. I'm his last son." Theodore replied and she screamed getting the attention of the people around.

"Oh my God! I met Irene Coker and the last child to the ex governor of freaking Lagos state." She gushed fanning herself with her hands.

"Trust me you're yet to get your mind blown. Wait until the other models get here." I chuckled.

"Oh Gosh!" She kept smiling and that brought a smile to my face. When did Irene turn to this?

She asked Theodore why he looked nothing like his parents and he told that story he said to everyone. He resembled his Australian grandfather, bla bla bla.

Looking away from the duo, I set my eyes on the media men working to stop the racing of my heart.

"I'll never get tired of these curls." She said ruffling Theodore's hair laughing slightly. "Mateo has gotten tired of asking me not to do this anymore." I half expected Theodore to be really formal with her but he was being playful with her and I felt a pang in my chest.

Come on Irene, it's a harmless gesture. Skye has her own man.

I thought with a smile on my face. I was glad that the guy in the picture was Mateo and not Theodore because if he was the one, I wasn't sure what I would have done.

I was aware what all these was about. It was about Theodore. I liked him and I was aware. I knew it.

Now looking closely at Theodore, they weren't too identical. Mateo was a shade darker and was a bit shorter. His cheekbones and jawlines were more pronounced that that of Theodore.

And then, I watched a figure walk into the building when my gaze landed on the door.

I shut my eyes because I knew what would be coming next.

"Sophia Williams!" Skye whisper yelled. She was going to scream out her guts out today. I thought with an amused look on her face.

Sophia advanced towards us in playful strides and I stared at Theodore as he watched Skye's expression with an amused look on his face.

Suddenly his eyes left the hyped Skye and landed on me and at that moment I froze.

The way he looked back at me. It was killing me. It sent different sort of sparks and electrifying jolts through my bloodstream.

And then he smiled, a little one.

And that moment, I knew I had died.

*

Hey all!

Yet another chapter. I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a bit crappy as I was rushing. I really wanted to deliver this chapter today but nonetheless, I think it's good enough.

Thank you Iyanuoluwa-Temi for lending me your babies. Skye and Mateo are from her book, Stilling the storm, y'all should check it out. It's Mahhd🔥

Alright then, Till the next update

Stay safe y'all.

Word Count: 2113