Chapter 3: The Offer

The next morning, Ella woke to find a thick envelope resting on the wooden table, its edges crisp and unfamiliar. Her mother, who had been humming a tired tune while cooking, held it in trembling hands.

“Ella… you won’t believe this,” Mama whispered, her voice shaking. “A man… a very rich man… he sent this for us.”

Ella’s fingers itched to touch the envelope, but fear held her back. She had seen how the rich treated the poor—like pawns, like insects. She looked at Mama. “Who… who sent it?”

Mama swallowed hard. “He says… he is Richard Williams. The billionaire we saw on TV. The one they call the Ice King.”

Ella froze. Her mind raced. That man… the one who had looked at her with those cold, piercing eyes? The man who seemed untouchable? He had sent money for them?

Mama ripped open the envelope with shaking hands. Stacks of naira notes spilled onto the table. Ella’s jaw dropped. The total amount could pay all their bills for months—and then some.

“That’s… that’s impossible,” Ella stammered. “We can’t accept this… we don’t even know him!”

Mama placed a firm hand on her daughter’s shoulder, eyes glistening with tears. “Ella, listen to me. This is a blessing. Do you know how hard it has been for me to keep food on this table? How I’ve begged, worked, and cried just to send you to school? This man… he’s offering help. He says he wants you to work for him. In his mansion.”

Ella’s heart pounded. “Work? What kind of work?”

Mama shook her head. “I don’t know all the details. He said it’s safe… respectable. All I know is that he said if we accept, we will never worry about money again. I… I can’t refuse him, Ella. We have nothing, and you are all I have.”

Tears blurred Ella’s vision. She sank onto the chair, clutching the envelope as if it were both a blessing and a trap. Her mind screamed warnings: Don’t go near him. He’s a dangerous man. You don’t belong in that world.

But she also heard her mother’s desperate voice, whispering, Please, my child. Save us. I have no choice.

Ella had always been proud of her independence, her morality, and her dignity. But now, pride felt like a luxury she could no longer afford.

She nodded slowly, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. “Okay… I’ll go.”

Mama hugged her tightly, pressing the envelope against her chest. “Thank you, Ella. You’re saving us. God bless you, my daughter.”

That night, Ella couldn’t sleep. Her thoughts raced uncontrollably. She imagined the mansion—a world of luxury she had never seen. Crystal chandeliers, marble floors, servants in crisp uniforms. She imagined Richard, sitting in his office, calm, confident, powerful. And worst of all, she imagined the way his eyes had lingered on her, cold and magnetic.

The thought made her shiver.

She felt trapped, caught between two impossible choices: refuse and let her family continue to suffer, or accept and risk stepping into a world she had no power in—a world dominated by a man who had everything and wanted more.

By dawn, she had made her decision. She would go.

The journey to Richard’s mansion the next day was surreal. The taxi drove past streets she had known all her life, gradually replaced by wide boulevards, neatly landscaped gardens, and tall walls with iron gates. When the taxi finally stopped, her breath caught. The mansion towered above her, all glass and marble, reflecting the morning sun in a dazzling display. Guards in black suits flanked the enormous gate, their arms crossed, faces stern and unreadable.

Ella’s stomach twisted. The envelope of cash felt heavy in her bag, like a warning she couldn’t ignore. Mama had kissed her forehead, whispered, Be careful, my daughter. God protect you.

A security guard opened the gate after checking her ID, and she stepped onto the perfectly paved driveway. Every step echoed in the cavernous courtyard, and the air smelled of flowers she had never smelled before.

A tall, impeccably dressed man appeared on the balcony above, and Ella’s heart froze. Richard. He was taller than she remembered, his posture immaculate, his expression unreadable. His eyes scanned her face, and for a moment, Ella thought he could see into her very soul.

“Ella Okoro,” he said, his voice deep and commanding, yet calm, as if stating a fact that needed no argument. “Welcome.”

Ella’s lips parted, but no sound came out. She simply bowed her head, trying to hide her fear.

Richard’s eyes glinted with something she couldn’t name. Curiosity? Amusement? Desire? The combination made her uneasy, but strangely, she couldn’t look away.

“You’ll find the house… different from what you know,” he said, turning and walking inside. “Follow the housekeeper. She’ll show you to your quarters.”

Ella swallowed hard. Her mother’s voice echoed in her mind: Save us.

And with that thought, she stepped fully into Richard Williams’ world.

Little did she know… it was a world from which she could never return the same.