Richard and Cynthia took the next flight back from wherever they were the next day after the news had been broken to them. Damijo was on life support. The doctor had explained in some irritating medical terms that they do not know when he would be conscious and if he wakes up, it will take so much time for him to recover. His hypertension had almost hit the peak. Everyone was worried. The Kola-Daisi family treaded the hallway of the hospital. They came in and went out each and every time.

Damijo and Rebecca had four children. Richard was the eldest, married to Cynthia with ten children. Aaron was the second, married to Tola with four children. Josephine was the eldest, same age with Miracle. Michelle was the second, same age with Lola, Jude was the third, nineteen years of age and the youngest, BJ, was thirteen. Josephine and Jude were out of the country for the time being.

Their third child was Damilola, the famous Aunty Dammy. She's married to Leke for fifteen years without kids.

Lola had a pen stuck in between her teeth. She was seated on the chair next to her grandfather's bed, legs crossed as she looked at the empty note in her hand. She nodded her head to the beat as Rihanna sang in her headset. The woman had said something about wanting the inspiration of the shoot to be from ivy. She had browsed the plant on Google. It was an old trailing plant with lobed evergreen leaves and black berrylike fruits. At that moment, her head was blank. She could not think. The woman wanted the shoot to happen next week. A gentle pat on her shoulder made her look up. Her eyes went wide at the person standing next to her. She removed her headset.

"What are you doing here?" she positioned the headset on her lap uncrossing her leg.

The guest beamed at her before placing the flowers he had in hand in an empty vase on the nightstand next to his bed. He held Damijo's frail hand with a drip, closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. She watched his lips move. When he lifted his eyelids, his eyes met hers. She shifted her gaze and scrambled to her feet as she kept what was on her laps away.

"Nice to meet you again, Orekelewa" She snatched his hand and led him out of the room.

Behind her, he smiled, his eyes tender as he stared at her. It was really nice to meet her again. He enjoyed the way she took his hand. Did she realise? Her hand fit into his. He felt the soft palm, as soft as a baby's palm. Did she know the feeling she gave him with that simple touch? It was sensational.

"What are you doing here?" she spun around after they stepped out.

"On behalf of my family and me, we wish your grandfather a quick recovery" Joshua gave her a slight bow. What a dramatic man? She huffed, arms crossed over her chest.

"You did not answer my question"

"I did" he crept his hand into his pockets. Confused, Lola angled her head with a little frown. "On behalf of my family and me, we wish your grandfather a quick recovery" He repeated. Her frown became deeper. "I meant I am here to see your grandfather because my mother could not come"

"We appreciate" she reached for the handle of the door. His hand curled over her wrist before she could turn the knob.

Her eyes looked down at the connection. She felt it. The sudden spark that glided through her body. It tingled down her spine and ended at her toes. She stiffened. What the hell was that? As if he burned her, she yanked her hand away and flinched a bit to the back.

He saw the expression in her eyes, the shock. Why? Then he saw the astonishment that glazed over her eyes and disappeared like the speed of lightening. She disliked the feeling he gave her. It caused the inner walls of her stomach to fluster. Goosebumps rose against the spot his fingers had banded.

Her anger rose against whatever had happened. A little contact and she felt what she had never felt before. She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. His held hers with a softness no one had never looked at her with. "Next time, don't........"

"In law" a bubbly voice called out. Both spun around to see Sarah sprinting down the large hallway. She laughed halting in between the pair. Her eyes shone with hilarity. "What are you doing here?" she beamed at Joshua. Slowly, his lips arched up.

"I am here to see your grandfather"

Touched, Sarah cooed with a hand over her chest. "Thank you very much" she grabbed his hand. Joshua looked over her shoulder to hold her sister's eyes. Her eyes were cold. He skimmed his gaze back at Sarah and her eyes were warm, happy and full of life. Are they really sister? "So did you see him" she wrapped her hand over his arm. "Wow" her eyes went wide before she looked down at his arm. "You got muscles here" she squeezed his arm.

"Sarah" Lola called with a warning.

"Well" Sarah cleared her throat, stepped away from Josh and straightened her spine. "I came here to see you" she moved to her sister.

"Why?" Sarah looked over her shoulder at the man she had a crush on. Her cheeks became warm. He understood so Joshua stepped away.

Sarah cupped her hands over her Lola ear and whispered carefully "That witch is here with her children.

Joshua had not missed the way every muscle in Lola body became rigid. The pretty brown eyes became colder than he would ever wish for. Rage flamed in them as her hand curled into a fist. Bit by bit, the veins beneath her spotless skin extended. Sarah dropped to her toes, the happy mood gone and eyes gloomy and sad. Sarah gasped whipping her head to the side. Lola followed her eyes.

A woman strolled down the hallway. She walked with her head high, body moving in an elegant way. Two girls and a boy followed her. One of them should be nineteen if Joshua calculated well. Little by little, Lola turned to look at her. The woman stopped, her lips breaking into a smile.

"Lola, Sarah" she purred tipping her sun shades to look at them from the top. Her smile was sickly sweet, sinister he noticed. Who was she? "We meet again. How are you?" she removed her sunshades with flair and passed them over to the girl on her left. The girl was the eldest.

"Sister" the eldest one smiled. "Long time no see"

"He is inside" Lola spoke. "I am sure he expects you. He is yet to wakeup" Lola explained.

The woman's eyebrow quirked up. Without a word, she went inside with her children.

"That bitch and her rats" Sarah grinded out.

"Please excuse me" Lola sauntered in between them and left.

Joshua went after her. He found her sitting on a bench along a corridor. She sat, staring into space and maybe lost in thought or she chose to be that way. He had begun to stroll towards her when he halted, turned back and headed a different direction. He came back with a bottle of chilled malt. She might need it. Joshua sat next to her. Lola became aware of his presence. His scent had wafted the air around them. It was sharp and virile, the type that was relaxing.

"What do you want?" she questioned without sparing him a glance, her voice aloof.

"Here" he thrust the bottle at her. She dropped her gaze at the plastic bottle then looked back at his face. The corners of those lips of his moved up into a gentle smile. She snatched the bottle, twisted the cap and drank the malt. Just what she had yearned for after throwing up again in the toilet just like the day before. He pouted, the one that made him cute. She did not say thank you. So, she lack manners too. "Is something wrong?"

"It is none of your business"

"True" he eased his back against the seat. Joshua crossed his legs and threw a hand over it. "It is none of my business" he paused, his eyes resting on the side of her face.

It still amazes him how she attracts him. Why does he feel a strong pull towards her? It was something he had never felt for any woman he had been with. He won't be oblivious the slight surge of his heart as his eyes skimmed over that pretty face until they rested on those lips.

The plump pair. He wondered how they would taste. They looked soft inviting. What type would they be? The kind that would be full of energy or the type that would be soft and gentle. Lust. He became aware of it. The strong physical pull aside from the emotional one. Both, clashed together, strong and fierce making him ill at ease. He shifted away not sure about what he might do if he sat that close to her.

"Aside from having a razor sharp tongue, you seem like the type who will never allow her emotions burst forth. You hide them. Even when it hurts, you pocket them in"

Lola rolled her eyes. "Just fuck off, young man"

"I have always been young. You do not have to repeat it to me"

"Shut up!" she rolled her eyes again. He chuckled. That was a cute gesture.

"My advice to you as a friend"

"I don't consider you as one" she took another swing of the bottle.

"Well, as a foe" he grinned. She hissed. "When you bury so much in, it kills from within. Let them out. I do not mean cry. Tell someone how you feel, someone you feel safe around, someone you trust"

"Who do you think you are to tell me such thing?" she spat hating he could read through her. She believed she was good at holding things in.

She watched his smile grow softer and friendlier "I am someone who cares" he shrugged. "I will take my leave. I have a place to be at" he stood up. "Bye, Orekelewa" he sent a kiss through the air to irritate her. She threw him a murderous look. Just like the way he came, he left leaving a nagging feeling inside her.

Joshua checked his phone taking the turn that left out. A message came in. He was typing his password when someone spoke.

"Nine years and our meeting was the least I expect" He froze at the familiar voice. His eyes snapped up to know who it belonged to. They met smiling brown eyes.

"Lolu Osifeso" he called, his lips stretching into a smile with ease. He slipped his phone into his pocket and walked closer to the man. Lolu lifted his body from the wall to stand straight. "This world is a small place" Joshua laughed.

Lolu's eyes were hard, filled with fury as he stared at the man who had made life once miserable to him, a man that had made him nearly commit suicide. Lolu's eyes shifted to Lola who was still seated on the bench, head held in hand allowing her curls to fall over her face. She lifted her head up and pushed back the curls. Joshua's eyes followed his. Joshua sneered.

"Stay away from her. She is off limit for men of your kind" Venom dripped from Lolu's voice, eyes burned with loathing.

Joshua snickered. "You are in no position to tell me that even though you are her closest male friend"

"I am glad you know"

Joshua stared into his eyes. There was so much rage not just because of their feud in the past but also due to the lady he just spoke to. The bastard likes Lola just as much as he does.

"You like her" he glanced at Lola with a side of his lip up. "Right?" he let out a low chuckle. "You see dude. She does not see you that way. You also know that"

"We are even. She does not see neither of us that way"

"You should know me better Lolu" he took a step closer. Both men's eyes charred with ferocity, their veins pumped with jealousy and their head grew hot with the fact that one of them will lose her for the other. "I get what I want. She will be my woman" he pointed at Lola.

"We are no longer in UNILAG, The Don" Lolu teased with a smirk. "Life is different now. Don't think I will give her up like I had done with Blessing in the past. Don't think I am that timid boy you chased out of school"

"I like it. You have grown up"

"Come to think about it" Lolu reasoned, a hand caressing his extended goatee. "How will it be if Lola get to know that the man her grandparents want her to be with has the blood of the innocent on his hands, had made life miserable for people and is the famous Don of The Blades"

Anger spike in Joshua. He saw the knowing look in the guy's eyes. The guy might spilt out things he was willing to hide.

"You won't do such thing" Joshua grinded out.

"No I won't" he told understanding. He shrugged stepping back. "But karma is a bitch dude" Lolu's lips went up into a mocking smile before he turned around to meet Lola.

Joshua watched him as he sat next to her saying something that made her laugh. His hands balled into a fist next to his sides, his veins rising against his caramel skin. Her eyes were soft as she held Lolu's hands. That gesture burned Joshua deep into his heart. He dared not touch her if he does not want a slap. Lolu said something. Lola smiled at him, her smile turning lively while she was oblivious to the fact that she had become a war between two men maybe three because another watched from afar.