Chapter 5

• “I want to strangle him!”
• Rage engulfed Ugo that she was shaking with it. She wanted to strangle him. How dare he condescend to her? Give the ring back and they won’t talk about it anymore? What nerve? He was the one who lied about his name. He was the one who disappeared and broke her heart. He was the one who walked into her life seven years later pretending not to know her and he said she was playing games?
• If not for what Kenny and her family would say, she would show this arrogant man what she’s capable of. Did he think she was a pushover? Did he for a moment think this is Ultra city where the richest rules? This is Waterside, her home town and this man standing before her was nothing but a cheap liar.
• He was nothing in her hometown. Her people respect only those deserving and never because of how much the person has and if Dante Henchman dared to fight her in her hometown, he would lose. It didn’t matter who he was or how much his father has. It doesn’t matter that he and his father owned the city, none of that mattered in Waterside but he obviously didn’t know that or he wouldn’t be so arrogant.
• “Quit playing lady and hand over my ring and I will forget the insults.” He barked causing Ugo to laugh, not that she was really laughing.
• “Game, me, playing game? You are the one who is playing game Mr. Dante but let me tell you one thing, no, I will tell you two things. One, this ring is mine and I’m not giving it out to anyone. Two, if you think that after everything, that I will let you marry my friend, you don’t know me at all.”
• Ugo was almost shouting. She was too angry to lower her voice
• “I couldn’t possibly claim to know you Ugo but what are you gonna do? Whatever crime you think I committed do you think it will matter to them? Maybe the mother yes, she believes I won’t make her daughter happy.”
• “And she is right.” Ugo retorted
• “It won’t matter to Kenny and her father,” he continued as if she had not interrupted him. “Kenny has already told everyone in this town that I am going to revive this town. People have accosted me and thanked me in advance. And her father, I watched him throughout the meal, he can’t wait to be connected to the Henchman family. So think my darling before you act.”
• He was almost gloating because he knew he was right. To him, whatever fight Ugo had coming, he already won. He was right about Kenny and her father and Ugo hated him more because of it.
• Kenny has boasted of what her fiancé was going to accomplish for her people while she shared the invitations to her engagement party. She hadn’t told people who her fiancé was or who his father was, and she had conspicuously written only his first name on the invitation card. There was rumour of the wedding invitation but so far Kenny had hidden it away to heighten everyone’s anticipation of meeting her fiancé.
• However, Kenny had made it clear that he got money, a lot of money to throw around. And Alfred, Kenny’s father has been smiling all evening after his daughter introduced her man to him. But to Ugo, none of these mattered because she will do anything possible to make sure the wedding didn’t go on. Before, she was going to try, but after meeting the so called fiancé, it was no longer a probability. It has become a duty that she must see to it. Kenny will never forgive her if she allowed her to marry such a heartless jerk.
• “I don’t understand it. You said somebody gave the ring to you, why didn’t you come forward with it when my father offered reward for it? Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) is a lot of money. You could have claimed that you picked it up from the accident scene and didn’t know who it belonged to.” He reasoned
• Ugo was quick to stop herself from gasping aloud. Ten thousand dollars, they offered $10,000 for the ring? She looked at the ring again. Then the stones must be real. Now that she knew whom the ring belonged to, there was no way it would be fake.
• “Will the money replace what the ring stands for?” she asked him in a mocking tone
• “Please, you could use ten thousand dollars.” He retorted looking her up and down.
• She wasn’t poor to the town standard but to someone like Dante Henchamn, she was a pauper, a worthless beggar but nevertheless, she was proud of herself and her achievements. So he could mock her all he wanted and it would never affect her. Ugo was not in a hurry, she could stay and play this game out until she figured out his game but right now, she couldn’t stand the man anymore. Being in his presence disgusted her. So she inclined her head to look straight into his eyes before making her resolution known to him. He’s 6.3ft, so no way was Ugo’s 5.9ft a match to him, but in her heels, she could look him eyeball to eyeball.
• “I could use the money but my ring is not for sell.” She concluded laying emphasis on ‘my ring’, then she turned to walk away.
• Dante grabbed her hand again and for a second time in one evening, he was shocked at the electricity that zapped between them again. He let her go immediately as if burnt. Ugo felt the electricity too but they both pretended that it didn’t happen.
• “In case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m not begging you to give me back the ring. You don’t want Kenny’s family to know you’re a thief. Who do you think they will side if this comes out? I don’t want to make a case out of this but I will. You don’t think I will walk away from my family heirloom now that I know where it is?” he was close to shouting too.
• This lady’s attitude is new to him and his attraction to her was annoying. She was beautiful yes some people might call her a rare beauty but, she was not his type so Dante has no idea why this cat lady will appeal to his libido. Not even Kenny his fiancé makes him feel this way
• “I don’t care what you do mister. My ring is not for sell.” She replied
• “Your ring? My father commissioned that ring twenty nine years ago. There’s no other like it in the whole world.” He’s angry now. Why is he arguing with this shit over what is his? What is she trying to achieve?
• “Be that as it may, the ring now belongs to me and I have proof to that. And as for marrying my friend, it will not happen. I will not let her marry a man like you. A man who gives out false names and makes false promises.”
• “What false promises did I make to you and what false name did I ever give to you?”
• “How many other false names do you make use of Iyke Chambers? She asked, turned and walked away, without a backward glance.
• Dante watched her go in shock and confusion. How did this lady, in this small town that he knew he had never visited before has his ring and his names? The names only few knew him with. Dante stared after her, he couldn’t quite believe what he heard but before he could chase after her and demand how she knew his names, Kenny called his name.