We're sharing our favourite romantic reads. I have many but at the moment, mine has to be Bound to Ransom. I love this story because the love between Henry and Gloria is not conventional. I love these two. Read the full chapter one from the book below.
Chapter One
Henry Coker stepped out of the chilly car as his chauffeur
held the door open. The hot and humid air outside struck him as soon as the
soles of his Italian-made, black leather brogues hit the concrete driveway.
All around him, the Lagos Island business district announced
itself. Blaring car horns, animated conversations, spicy food aromas, and
exhaust fumes—pedestrians and vehicles jostled in a kaleidoscope of scents,
movements, and sounds.
In the distance, several construction cranes extended
upwards like skinny arms. Some of them belonged to projects currently underway through
his firm. This whole area stood under regeneration;
old office blocks being renovated or new
ones being built. Boom time had come for the Nigerian construction industry.
He glanced up at the overcast sky through his dark
sunglasses. A storm brewed.
Just the way he liked it. He thrived on trouble. Challenges
made him tick.
He shook out his shoulders and straightened his navy silk suit,
pulling out his cuffs. He was a man in his prime—young, rich, and successful.
Unlike his best friend, Ike Thomas, his early years had been
marked by trouble, his youth filled with
hardship as the son of a single mother
who had worked her bones off to provide for him and his younger sibling. He’d laboured
from the bottom to the top, scraping and saving and learning and investing.
Wisely. Ruthlessly.
Today, all his hard work would yield a major result.
He strode across to the entrance of the five-storey building
that housed Rawlins Constructions, Ltd.
“Good afternoon, sir.” A security man in blue and black
uniform held the glass door open for him.
Nodding in response, Henry crossed the threshold.
In the lobby, the blue fabric covering the padded chairs
appeared faded, nicks and tears evident, too. The eggshell-coloured walls bore marks from scuffs and palm prints and
needed a fresh coat of paint. Or two.
The jaded furniture showed outward signs of a business in trouble. At least,
the air conditioners still worked, banishing the humid heat after the door
swung shut behind him.
The last time he’d been here, he’d worked for the company as
an employee. A long time ago. How things had changed in only a matter of years.
The waiting area sat empty bar the pretty, dark-skinned receptionist
currently distracted with her mobile phone. Raising her head, she stowed the item away and gave him a welcoming smile.
He could’ve been the first person to walk in here all day, judging from her
pleased expression.
“Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?” she greeted,
sitting up straight.
He leaned his arms on the high desk, returned the smile. “My
name is Henry Coker. I’m here for a meeting with Chief Rawlins.”
“Sure, Mr. Coker. Chief is expecting you. Please take the
lift to the fifth floor. His secretary will meet you in the lobby.”
He read the name on
her white plastic employee ID card hanging on a blue sash around her neck. “Thank
you, Busola.”
“You’re welcome, sir.” Her eyes sparkled with surprise and
pleasure at the mention of her name and her lips widened.
He believed in treating everyone hospitably regardless of their station. One could never predict the
future. His life stood as a prime example.
With a nod, he headed
for the lift, pressed the button, and stepped into the empty box after it
arrived. He took a quick, uninterrupted ride up to the top floor where a
smartly dressed woman in a red top, black pencil skirt, and black high heels met
him in the foyer. She looked to be in her early thirties.
“Welcome, Mr. Coker. I’m Simi. Chief is waiting in his
office.” Her smiling lips matched the colour of her top.
“It’s nice to meet you, Simi. Lead the way.” He maintained
the pleasant expression he’d given the receptionist.
She lowered her dark lashes coyly before sashaying down the
corridor, her curvy hips swaying. He followed her as his body kicked to life and he suppressed his libido. He'd been
celibate for too long.
The office building that used to be busy and full of employees
now seemed deserted, the workspaces
abandoned, and the amount of accumulating dust showed that no one had used the
desks for weeks.
At a panel with the peeling plaque that read Managing
Director, she knocked once and then turned the handle.
The door opened into an office covered in dark wood. It was
dated and reminded him of an old movie set. Chief Rawlins sat behind a huge
mahogany desk.
He strode towards the man.
“Chief, it’s good to see you,” he said in a light tone as he
extended his hand.
“Henry, thank you for coming to see me,” Chief said as he
took his hand in a firm shake.
“Well, when the boss invites an ordinary barrow boy like me up to his office, I have no
choice but to answer the request.” His voice rang with humour.
Chief gave a laugh. “We both know that you’re not a barrow
boy anymore, and I’m not your boss.” He
waved at the chair. “Sit down.”
Henry lowered his body into the seat. “Well, no matter. It’s
always important to give respect where respect is due.”
“And I appreciate it, which is why I wanted us to have this
chat as a one-on-one without anyone else’s
involvement for now.” Chief paused. “Can I get you a drink?”
“No. I don’t drink when conducting business. But I’m happy to have one once we’ve concluded our
discussion.”
“That’s a good idea.” His gaze darted around the room and
his hands fluttered before he leaned his elbows on the desk. “I need your
help.”
Henry knew what was coming,
but he wouldn’t save the old man the trouble. He’d been monitoring Rawlins
Constructions for years. A business that had once been synonymous with
construction at its height had started declining due to mismanagement,
embezzlement, and corruption. Six months ago, one of its tower blocks had
collapsed, killing residents and destroying homes and properties.
The building had been
constructed on marsh land with a poor
foundation, substandard materials, and in wrong quantities. Apparently, city
planning officials had been bribed to obtain the appropriate license and certificates—an investigation had found that out
after the accident. The insurance would’ve normally paid but due to the
irregularities, the cover had been voided.
Now, the end was near for the business Chief Rawlins had set
up, and the only reason he would call Henry to his office would be to ask for
his help in rescuing the firm. Chief and the company were facing both criminal
and civil lawsuits. The shares had dropped
so much that the whole thing was worth nothing to any investor.
Henry leaned forward, mirroring Chief’s pose.
“Tell me how I can help,” he said, pretending he had no clue
what the man wanted.
“I presume you know the situation already with the collapse
of Greco Mansions. Because of the legal action in place, all my assets have
been frozen, as well as the company assets. The business is running with shell staff. I’ve had to send people home until
further notice. My lawyers assure me that we’ll win the lawsuit, but in the meantime, investors are getting rid of their
stock, which has made the value plummet.”
He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed his sweaty forehead.
“I have to think about the families of the men and women who have worked here
for years. I have to think about my family.”
“How would you like me to help?” Henry asked in a grave
voice.
“You’ve worked for Rawlins. You know this is a good company.
Unfortunately, there were a few managers who have been embezzling funds. I
found out who they are and dealt with them. I don’t want this company to go
down the drain. This is where you come in.
I need you to buy Rawlins Construction.”
Henry puffed out a heavy sigh. He pulled his brows together
and tapped the table with his fingertips.
“This is a bad time to think about selling the business,
Chief. Your stocks are worth nothing in the open market,” he said quietly.
The corners of Chief’s mouth tightened. “I know that, which
is why I’m talking to you privately. You know that this company is worth a lot more
than what anyone else would value it. Our reputation and contacts alone are
worth a lot.”
“I’m sorry to say, Chief, but the reputation of Rawlins
collapsed along with Greco Mansions. And your contacts won’t want to be linked
with a company being sued for fraud as well as criminal negligence and corporate
manslaughter.” He deliberately kept his tone matter of fact, but his words were
the nails in the coffin.
Chief’s eyes narrowed
before he forced a smile. “Fine. Perhaps our worth is down the drain, but I was
hoping to appeal to your sense of loyalty. I picked you up from the gutter and
gave you a job. You wouldn’t be the man you are today if I didn’t give you a chance.”
Henry’s hands clenched around the arms of the chair. He
sucked in a shallow breath and released it, holding himself back from saying that he would’ve made it even if
the man in front of him hadn’t offered him a labourer’s job many years ago.
But he didn’t want to rile the man. He still had an ace up
his sleeve that he would play when he was ready.
“Yes, sir. I appreciate the opportunities you offered me. I
learned the tools of the construction business from Rawlins.”
He’d worked damn hard and gone from labourer to foreman in a short space of time. It had taken his
sweat and determination and sometimes his blood, considering some of the
injuries he’d incurred.
After his degree program, he’d worked even harder setting up
his firm. He’d found suppliers happy to give him the materials without the
inflated prices. He’d found dedicated workers—young men like him struggling to
survive in Nigeria hit by the aftermath of successive unstable governments and
a rough economy. Gradually, he’d built up a thriving business and workforce,
undercutting Rawlins Constructions for the contracts and winning more and more
bids.
And the key to their success was that they delivered, which
made the clients recommend them again and again.
“So, will you help me?” Chief asked, his desperation now
evident in his feverish eyes and twitchy fingers.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Henry sighed. Such a shame to
see a man of Chief's calibre brought to his knees. For sure, he would insure himself from making the same mistakes
the old man had made.
Still, it didn't stop his heart from pounding with
anticipation at the opportunity presented to him. One of the things that drove
his successes constituted of his ability to capitalise on openings like this
one.
“I’m happy to help your business. I will take on your
creditors and pay off your debt. The business itself, I will buy for a token
sum, and absorb your operations into mine.”
Chief slumped into his chair and closed his eyes. For a
moment, Henry worried he had fallen ill until he saw the steady rise and fall
of his chest. A slow smile appeared on the old man’s face as he opened his
eyes.
“Thank you,” Chief said.
Henry held himself steady,
but he didn’t smile in return. “Don’t thank me yet. I want something in return
for helping you.”
The old man shrugged. “Sure. I realise nothing goes for
nothing. So if it’s something I can give you, then sure, you can have it.”
It was Henry’s turn to smile. “It’s definitely something you can give me. The question is if she’ll
come to me willingly.”
“She?” Chief scratched his cheek before rubbing his chin. “I
don’t understand.”
Henry sat back in the chair, ready to show his ace card. He’d
waited years for this. He placed his elbows on the arms of the chair and
brought the tips of his fingers together to form a steeple. He held the man’s
gaze, making sure he wouldn’t mistake his words.
“I want your daughter, Gloria, in return for me helping
you.”
The man still appeared confused.
“Gloria?” Then a smile returned to his face. “Oh, I get it.
You want to marry my daughter.”
He shrugged. Marriage wasn’t exactly the thing he had in
mind. Revenge was top of his list. Especially since the woman in question had
once told him he wasn’t good enough for her.
“No, Chief. I don’t want to marry your daughter. A happily
ever after will never work between the two of us as your daughter seems to
dislike me so very much. She once said to me that she wouldn’t marry me if I were the last man on Earth. And you didn’t
exactly approve of her being in a relationship with me, either.”
The man’s head reared back as if Henry had struck him. His
mouth opened and closed like a fish, but
he said nothing.
“So you see, marriage is kind of out of the question,” Henry
continued. “And considering her track record, it’s not a good idea, anyway. How long did her last marriage last? Three
months? Six?”
Chief seemed to go white,
and he dropped his gaze. He tugged the collar of his lace buba and more sweat
beaded his forehead.
“Yes, my daughter has had disastrous relationships recently.
But what has that got to do with any of this? What exactly do you want from
her?”
“As I said already, I want her. Whatever amount I use in
paying off your creditors will constitute the amount of the bride price for
Gloria. She will live with me and to all intents and purposes, she will be my
wife. But any day she decides to leave me, which she is free to do anytime, I'll be obliged to call back the
amount I paid your creditors. Everything you own will belong to me. There'll be
no legal documents listing her as my wife, but there will be documents
outlining the exact amount you owe me.”
“What? You’re buying my daughter?” Chief Rawlins looked like
he was about to have a heart attack.
Henry stood up and walked around the desk as he reached out.
The man pushed him away and glared at him.
“I asked you a question.” He banged on his desk with his
fist. “Are you offering to buy my daughter in exchange for helping my
business?”
“Yes.” He didn’t return to his chair. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets
in a relaxed pose. “I’ll give you time to think it over and convince your
daughter it’s the right thing. But we both know your creditors won’t wait for
long. Have a nice day, Chief.”
He knew exactly how long some of those creditors would last because they were businesses linked to
him.
Henry turned around and walked out of the old man’s office.
He’d made his move. The next one was Gloria’s. And he couldn’t wait.
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