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ELEVEN

Lost in thought, Aaliyah barely noticed the time slipping away as they finished their lunch and made their way back to the office. But as they entered the building, they were greeted by the sight of Dayvon waiting impatiently by the front desk.

"What are you doing, Jayda?" he asked, his tone sharp with annoyance.

Jayda shrugged nonchalantly, her expression unreadable.

"Oh, just here to talk to you about marriage," she replied casually, her words sending shockwaves through Aaliyah's body.

" Oh, and I wanted to let you know that Ari is coming next week for the charity event, so we can start planning the wedding."

Aaliyah's eyes widened in astonishment, her mind reeling at the unexpected revelation. Marriage? What did Jayda mean?

Dayvon's jaw clenched, his composure slipping for a moment before he regained control.

"We'll talk about this later," he muttered tersely, his eyes flicking towards Aaliyah before he turned and strode away.

Left standing in the wake of the bombshell Jayda had dropped, Aaliyah couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping over her. She already knew Ari was gonna marry Dayvon but it kinda caught her off guard.

The evening was tense as Aaliyah and Dayvon sat at the dinner table. Dayvon finally broke the silence, his voice heavy with seriousness.

"Aaliyah, I need to talk to you about something important," he began.

Aaliyah's heart raced with anticipation. She could feel the weight of his words hanging in the air.

"I want you to marry me," Dayvon said abruptly, his tone businesslike.

Aaliyah's mind whirled with confusion. Marriage? It wasn't what she expected to hear.

But before she could respond, Dayvon continued, outlining his terms like a business proposal. They would marry, but if they didn't have a child within five years, they would divorce. It felt cold and calculated, devoid of any warmth or emotion. Dayvon spoke, and Aaliyah's heart sank.

Instead, it would be a strategic partnership, designed to benefit them both professionally.

" Look Aaliyah there had been so much going on between me and Ari during the years and I feel like there is no more love left, I don't even wanna get married to her"

Dayvon continued to speak, explaining his lack of love for Ari, Aaliyah felt a knot form in her stomach was clear that their relationship was hard but she didn't feel that at all.

"I don't even wanna get married to her," Dayvon confessed, his words hanging in the air like a heavyweight.

Aaliyah's heart ached at the raw honesty in Dayvon's voice. But despite his pain and uncertainty, Aaliyah couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't right. Marriage shouldn't be a business transaction it should be a union built on love, trust, and mutual respect. And as much as she cared for Dayvon, she couldn't bring herself to enter into a marriage with no love.

Taking a deep breath, Aaliyah met Dayvon's gaze, her own eyes filled with sadness and resignation.

"I'm sorry, Dayvon," she said softly. "But I can't do this. I can't marry you under these terms."

And with that, she rose from the table, her heart heavy with sorrow as she left Dayvon alone with his thoughts, but she wasn't gonna act to doing something like that.

Moments after Aaliyah left Dayvon alone with his thoughts, her phone buzzed with a message notification. She unlocked her phone to find a message from Dayvon.