Chapter 205

"You’re serious?"

Yemi’s voice was low, careful. But I could hear the edge beneath it, the tension curling around each syllable.

I gripped my phone tighter, staring at the email on my screen as if the words would change if I blinked hard enough.

"It’s real," I murmured. "The offer, the contract—it’s all legit."

A beat of silence.

"Dee, this isn’t just any job," he said finally. "This is London. This is—"

"Everything I ever worked for," I finished for him. "A dream I didn’t even think was possible anymore."

Yemi exhaled, rubbing his palm over his jaw. I could see the storm in his eyes, the war he was fighting between being happy for me and the fear creeping in at the edges.

"You’d be running a whole division, Dee. Leading your own team." He let out a dry laugh. "Damn. You’d be unstoppable."

"But it means leaving." I looked up at him, my chest tightening. "Leaving you."

That was the part that hurt the most.

It wasn’t just a job. It was a choice. A sacrifice.

Because Yemi had just signed the biggest contract of his career here in Lagos. He was finally stepping into his own dreams, making waves, proving himself in ways that only he could.

If I took this job, I’d be walking away from everything we built together.

"What do we do?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he sat beside me on the couch, staring at the email on my phone like it was some kind of puzzle we had to solve together.

"When do they need an answer?" he asked.

"Three days."

Another silence. This one heavier.

I felt the weight of it pressing against my ribs, threatening to break something inside me.

"Three days to decide if we change everything." Yemi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

I hated the uncertainty in his voice. Yemi was always sure, always steady. But this? This had thrown both of us into unknown territory.

"What if we try long distance?" I offered, the words tasting like a lie as soon as they left my lips.

He turned to me, his expression unreadable. "You really think that would work?"

I swallowed hard. "I don’t know."

And that was the truth. I didn’t know if we could survive with an ocean between us.

"Say we do this," Yemi said, choosing his words carefully. "Say you take the job, and I stay here. How do we make it work?"

I searched for an answer, but all I could see were the obstacles.

"I don’t want to lose you, Dee." His voice was rough, filled with something raw. "But I also don’t want to be the reason you don’t take this opportunity."

I reached for his hand, lacing my fingers through his. "I don’t want to lose you either."

We sat there, holding onto each other, both of us knowing that no matter what choice we made, something would have to give.

Two days later

"This is crazy." I paced the living room, my phone clutched tightly in my hands. "I still don’t know what to do."

"You don’t have to know right now," Yemi said from the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. "But the deadline is tomorrow."

My stomach twisted. "I wish there was an easy answer."

Yemi walked over, setting his glass down on the table. "What does your gut say?"

I let out a hollow laugh. "My gut is confused as hell."

He smirked. "Your gut isn’t confused. Your heart is."

And he was right.

I wanted both. I wanted him. I wanted my career. I wanted a future where I didn’t have to choose.

But reality wasn’t that kind.

Just as I was about to respond, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, my pulse quickening.

"It’s them."

Yemi nodded slowly. "Then pick up."

I hesitated, then swiped to answer.

"Dee?" The voice on the other end was warm, professional. "Have you made a decision?"

I met Yemi’s gaze.

And then, taking a deep breath, I said the words that would change everything.

"Yes, I have."