26/04/2025
LOVE REKINDLED
Chapter 1
Adesewa’s POV
Lagos mornings were their own kind of unpredictable. But mine? I liked to keep them as controlled as possible.
My alarm buzzed quietly at 6:00 AM. No loud music, just soft chimes that tugged me gently from sleep. I opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the soft light filtering through the sheer curtains. A new day. A big day.
I reached for my planner before I even got out of bed. One glance at the page and the nerves kicked in.
Mr. Bayo – Final Wedding Presentation (Ikoyi)
High-profile client. Major event. The kind of wedding that could land me in the pages of BellaNaija Weddings if I didn’t mess it up.
I sat up slowly, taking a moment to breathe. This was what I wanted. What I worked for. What I left so much behind to build.
After a quick shower, I picked my outfit with care black wide leg trousers, white silk blouse, gold earrings, and a soft n**e lip. Clean, elegant, and polished. I pulled my natural hair into a puff, slid on my watch, and gave myself one long look in the mirror.
You’ve got this, Sewa, I whispered. No shaking.
The apartment was quiet as usual. I lived alone not because I loved solitude, but because it was easier. Peaceful. My circle was small, and I intended to keep it that way.
By 7:30, I was in my tiny home office reviewing files, sipping on hot lemon water while my assistant, Funmi, sent voice notes and WhatsApp messages like a soldier going to war.
We can’t afford to fumble this, she said when she arrived. Mr. Bayo is loaded. I Googled his daughter’s fiance he owns, like, three lounges in Lekki. You pull this off, we’re booked till December.
I gave her a tight smile. We won’t fumble.
I didn’t tell her how my hands were slightly shaking. I didn’t tell her that a part of me was always scared something would go wrong. That someone would look at me and decide I didn’t belong in these elite circles.
But I was getting there. Slowly.
The drive to Ikoyi was smooth surprisingly. It was one of those rare mornings when Lagos didn’t feel like a battlefield. I even found myself smiling a little as we approached the venue.
This is the kind of place I want to plan my wedding in, Funmi said, staring out the window like she was daydreaming.
I didn’t respond. Weddings weren’t something I allowed myself to think about anymore.
Not after no, not today.
We arrived at the venue at 8:55 AM. Perfect timing.
The receptionist led us into a sleek, glass-walled conference room. I took a deep breath, held my folder close, and stepped in.
And then… everything stopped.
He was standing by the window.
No introduction. No warning. Just him.
Tolu.
My Tolu.
Or he used to be.
He turned slowly, like he felt me before he saw me. His eyes widened, just slightly. Then softened. And for a second, he smiled.
Adesewa?
The sound of my name in his voice did something I didn’t have words for.
I froze. What are you doing here?
I’m the best man, he said, his voice as smooth as ever, like we were old friends.
Like he hadn’t vanished without a word four years ago.
Like he hadn’t left me with silence and questions and a heartbreak I buried beneath work and ambition.
I forced a breath, turned to Funmi.
We’re leaving.
Sewa wait
No.
I didn’t look back.
I didn’t need to.
Because I already knew I wasn’t as over him as I pretended to be.
And now he was back.
