Chapter 139: On Our Own Terms

Maya’s POV

The kettle on the stove turns off with a soft click, and I pour hot water into two cups while looking out the glass doors of our kitchen toward the small garden behind our house near the botanical grounds. We moved the last three boxes into the hallway yesterday afternoon, and sitting here in this quiet house without security guards standing at the gate or laptop screens flashing with corporate account updates feels entirely different from every month we spent fighting Silas.

"Adrian, did you put the delivery box from the bakery on the table, or did you leave it in the hallway with the rest of the package mail?" I ask, turning around as he walks into the kitchen wearing a plain shirt and grey trousers.

"I put the box right on the table beside your tea, Maya, and the mail carrier just dropped off a letter from Sofia confirming that the Port Harcourt audit finished without a single issue," he answers, stepping up to the counter to take his cup from my hand.

"What did Sofia say about the new dock equipment that Damien ordered for the Lagos terminal last Tuesday?" I ask, leaning back against the counter while he takes a sip of his tea.

"She said the equipment arrived on time and the dock workers are already using the new cranes, so Damien didn't have to spend a single extra dollar on outside mechanics," he replies, setting his cup down on the table and taking my hand in his.

"It is good to hear that everything is running smoothly over there, Adrian, but I am so glad we don't have to manage those terminal schedules ourselves anymore," I tell him, walking with him through the open doors onto the back patio where two chairs are sitting in the shade.

"We gave Damien and Sofia full authority to run those operations for a reason, Maya, because you and I built this life here so we could focus on our own future without checking corporate ledgers every morning," he says, pulling his chair closer to mine so our knees touch while we sit together under the awning.

"Do you know what my favorite part of this entire week has been, Adrian?" I ask, resting my arm on the armrest and looking over at his face while the faint sound of birds from the nearby park fills the garden.

"Tell me what your favorite part has been, Maya, because I want to hear if it matches mine," he answers, turning his head toward me with a calm smile.

"It is waking up in the morning and walking into the hallway without seeing a guard standing by the front door or checking the window blinds to see if a car is watching the street," I say, leaning my head against his shoulder while his arm wraps around my back to hold me close.

"My favorite part has been sitting at this table with you every evening without having to discuss Silas, Minister Ade, or legal injunctions," he tells me, his fingers gently tracing the back of my hand while we look out at the green lawn.

"Silas is facing his trial in Lagos next month, and Prosecutor Ojo said we don't even need to fly back to testify because our written statements and the ledger evidence are more than enough to close the case," I mention, enjoying the simple comfort of his steady breathing beside me.

"Let the prosecutor and the courts handle my father, Maya, because he cannot touch our lives or our company ever again," Adrian says, his voice flat and calm as he dismisses the last memory of the feud that kept us running for years.

"Damien asked if we are coming back to visit the Lagos office for the end-of-year meeting, but I told him we are staying right here in London for the winter," I say, taking a small drink from my cup before placing it on the low table beside my chair.

"We are staying right here, Maya, and if Damien or Sofia need to talk to us about major company decisions, they can fly over here and sit on this patio with us," he answers, making me laugh softly as I look down at our interlocked fingers.

"We survived a lot of dangerous situations together, Adrian, from that small flat in London to the Lekki house and that mill near the canal, but standing here with you today makes every single struggle worth it," I tell him, turning my body so I can look straight into his eyes.

"We survived because we faced every single threat together, Maya, and I am promising you right now that my life belongs to you for as long as we live," he says, his voice filled with an absolute certainty that needs no corporate papers or legal stamps to make it real.

"My life belongs to you too, Adrian, and from this day on, we are living completely on our own terms without anyone trying to dictate our choices," I answer, leaning forward so my lips meet his in a long, tender kiss that locks our promise forever.

We stay seated together on the patio as the sun slowly goes down over the trees of the botanical gardens, casting a soft light across the grass while the evening air stays still around us. There are no more escape routes to plan, no more secondary keys to search for, and no more family betrayals to fear, just the two of us sitting side by side in total peace as our new life officially begins.