A WEB OF DECEIT

chapter 49

(Short)

Nkosikhona 

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The fact that Thelani had found a job-though not the kind of job I thought she deserved-didn't sit right with me. She's too smart, too driven to be working for a paycheck that barely covers the basics. I knew she could do better. She deserved to be at the top, calling the shots, not struggling to get by. I wanted to help her with that. Scratch that-I needed to help her.

I had already made up my mind. I was going to give her 10 million. It wasn't just because I could. It was because I wanted to see her succeed, to see her create something of her own. I had the money, and honestly, it wasn't exactly clean money, but Thelani didn't need to know that. She didn't need to know that part of my life. I could frame it as a gesture of love, a sign of my belief in her potential. That way, the money would look legitimate, and I'd be able to clean some of it through her business. A win-win situation. Still, I knew I had to be prepared for her questions.

It was just another regular day when she brought it up again-how she wanted independence, how she needed her own space. She was pacing the room, frustration written all over her face as she talked about how our living situation wasn't ideal. "I don't want to crowd your space," she kept saying. "It's your house, Nkosikhona. It's not ours."

Nonsense. Complete and utter nonsense. "I don't want you to move out, babe," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I love having you here. You make my house feel like a home."

"My house," she repeated, and I saw her shoulders tense. "See? That's exactly why I need my own space, Nkosi. This will never be *our* home. You keep calling it yours, and don't get me wrong, it is yours, but... I just... I need to feel like I have something of my own, you know?"

I could hear the frustration in her voice, the way she was struggling to explain herself. It was like she was trying to hold on to her independence while still being with me, and I understood that. But what she didn't understand was that I wanted to give her everything. She didn't need to feel like she was intruding, like she was just another guest in my life.

"Okay, babe," I said, offering her what I thought was a perfect solution. "Would you like us to buy our own house then? Something we choose together, something that's truly ours? Would that make you feel more at home?"

She shook her head, clearly frustrated. "You just don't get it, Nkosikhona."

"Well, help me understand," I said, trying to be patient. This wasn't going the way I wanted it to.

"It's pointless," she said with a sigh, her voice dropping. "You won't understand."

I could feel the conversation slipping away from me, and I wasn't about to let that happen. "Look, Thelani," I said, deciding to cut to the chase. "I want us to build something together. I don't want you to feel like you're just living in my space. And you know what? I want you to quit your job."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why?"

"I'm serious," I continued, stepping closer to her. "I'm willing to give you 10 million to start your own thing. You don't need to be working for someone else, earning peanuts. You could be your own boss, running your own business. I believe in you, and I have the resources to help you make it happen."

She looked at me like I had just told her the earth was flat. "Where do you get that kind of money, Nkosi? That's a lot of money. Where will I even start? I don't know if I'm capable of starting my own business. And taking your money... I don't know. It feels like too much."

I could see the doubt in her eyes, the way she was questioning herself. But I wasn't going to let her think she wasn't capable. I wasn't going to let her think small. "Baby, I own properties," I said, keeping my tone light, as if we weren't discussing millions of rands. "I have that kind of money, and giving it to you isn't going to break my bank. I promise you, I'll help you out with the whole thing. You're not going to do this alone."

She hesitated, biting her lip the way she always did when she was uncertain. "Nkosi... I don't know."

I moved closer and took her hand in mine, looking into her eyes. I had to make her believe this was about her, about us. Not about me and my need to clean some of the money I had stashed away. "You're more than capable, Thelani," I said, my voice gentle but firm. "You're smart, you're driven, and I've seen you handle way bigger challenges than this. I want to invest in you because I believe in you. This isn't just about money-it's about you building something for yourself. Something we can build together."

She looked away, still unsure, but I knew I had planted the seed. The idea would start to grow in her mind. And eventually, she'd come around.

Because, in the end, this wasn't just about love or support. It was about making sure the money I'd earned in ways she didn't know about could be cleaned, legitimized. She'd have her business, and I'd have my clean money, safe from prying eyes.

And the best part? She wouldn't even know. To her, it would look like I was just a loving boyfriend, offering to help her achieve her dreams.

But I knew the truth.

I always did.

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So sorry for the short chapter ,i promise the next one will be long enough  😘