At that, Olaedo nearly sprang out of her seat to protest.
They had done nothing of the sort!
But as the weight of their supposed "marriage" hung in the air, she froze. Denying it now would only invite more questions, questions she wasn't ready to answer. And she couldn't afford that. Not here, not now.
Emeka, unaware of the storm raging inside her, continued firmly. "Until you come here with your people and perform the proper rites, Olaedo stays right here. Only then will we, reluctantly, acknowledge this marriage."
That, at least, sounded better.
The two sworn brothers exchanged a quick glance. Any sliver of compromise was better than outright rejection, so they nodded eagerly.
But before the tension could ease, Chibuzor cleared his throat, his tone cautious. "Ma, there's… one more thing. Saturday is the day of my family's annual ball. It's also the day I planned to announce my marriage to everyone. Could Olaedo come with me for that event?"
