6 The restaurant in Victoria Island was bathed in low, golden ambient light, with soft jazz floating beneath the quiet murmur of high-society diners. When Lola stepped inside, her lemon-yellow dress hugging her silhouette with effortless grace, the subtle shift in the room was palpable. Maîtres d’s and patrons alike turned their heads, captivated...
Bestie Bestie – 5
5 The morning of Victor’s arrival, Lola stood in front of her full-length mirror, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to fasten the delicate silver chain around her neck. Her bedroom floor was a minor war zone of discarded outfits. She wanted something that struck the impossible balance: warm and beautiful, but effortless;...
Bestie Bestie – 4
4 Two weeks passed in a tense, silent stalemate. Every time Victor brought up visa document checklists or requested updates on her resignation letter, Lola deftly redirected the conversation. She cited heavy work wrap-ups, administrative delays, or sudden fatigue, constructing an insurmountable wall of excuses. Eventually, the evasion ran out of road. It was...
Bestie Bestie – 3
3 By the fourth month, the smooth, effortless rhythm they had built began to fray around the edges. The harsh financial reality of international student life in the UK had caught up to Victor. Between rent, rising utility bills, and the constant strain of sending money back home to Festac, his savings were depleting...
Bestie Bestie – 2
2 The door to the apartment clicked shut behind her, the silence inside a stark contrast to the roar of the airport ramps. She kicked off her heels by the entryway and walked down the hallway toward the warm light streaming from the kitchen. Her older sister, Ife, was standing over the stove, stirring...
Bestie Bestie – 1
Bestie Bestie by Anjolaoluwa Aderounmu Synopsis For years, Lola and Victor were inseparable—office husband, office wife, and unshakeable best friends. Romance was never on the table, and neither ever expected it to be. Then came Victor’s last day before relocating to the UK, when a shocking, out-of-nowhere confession changed everything: he asked Lola to...
A Las-Gidi Heist – 15
15 The air in the Banana Island mansion was cool, filtered through state-of-the-art central conditioning, carrying the faint scent of imported leather and expensive scotch. JFK stood in the centre of his expansive parlour, a crystal glass in his hand. Resting on the mahogany coffee table in front of him was the Black...
A Las-Gidi Heist – 14
14 The Escalade was a silent, leather-lined vault hurtling through the dying embers of the night. Outside, the world was a blur of Lekki toll gates and half-finished skyscrapers, but inside, the air was thick with the copper tang of blood and the electric charge of a team on the verge of implosion....
A Las-Gidi Heist – 13
13 The year is 2026, and the world outside the obsidian-glass walls of JFK’s Banana Island sanctuary is a frantic blur of high-speed rail, digital currency, and the neon hum of a Lagos that never sleeps. But inside the office, the air is filtered, chilled to exactly 18°C, and silent enough to hear...
A Las-Gidi Heist – 12
12 The rain in Lagos in August of 1996 conquered. It turned the red dust of the mainland into a thick, sucking clay and transformed the concrete canyons of Marina into a series of interconnected lagoons. On every street corner, the air was vibrating with a frantic, desperate joy. Nigeria had just done...