At that exact time, Turab was sitting in his room, busy working on his system. He wasn’t feeling sleepy at all; in fact, he enjoyed working in the middle of the night when there was no noise.

He felt extremely hungry because the food they had eaten at the restaurant after returning from the airport hadn’t really satisfied him, and he hadn’t eaten anything else all day.

He got up, turned off his system, and left the room.

Going downstairs with the intention of entering the kitchen, he found that Leeya had already cooked some noodles because he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep without eating. Hunger alone was preventing him from feeling sleepy, but he knew that once he ate, he would feel content. He didn’t take his stomach lightly at all.

He headed toward the kitchen, and with great surprise, he squinted at the door he saw slightly open, indicating that someone was inside, since the light inside made it visible.

“Who’s in there?” Turab asked himself.

He turned off his phone light and continued walking cautiously until he reached the door, where he could see Leeya and everything she was doing.

Leeya, after finishing her Lipton tea, leaned her back against the kitchen cabinets, keeping her feelings to herself. She picked up the cup again to take a sip when she suddenly heard a voice from above:

“Who are you?”

A sudden wave of shock and fear hit her at the same time, causing her to drop the cup she was holding. The hot tea spilled all over her hands and onto the front of her clothes.

Terrified, she began to cry, her voice trembling as she said, “Please, forgive me. I swear I’m scared of seeing you because I didn’t hear you come in…”

Before she could finish, Turab, full of anger and frustration, moved closer to her. She tried to step back until she reached the wall, unable to move further.

He moved very close to her, so close that they could hear each other’s breathing. He placed both hands on either side of her shoulders, effectively trapping her.

In extreme anger, he said, “Who are you? Show your face. You’re the one I caught earlier snooping in my room. I swear, you’ll realize your mistake. Show me your face, I said!” he shouted.

She pressed herself against the wall, realizing she couldn’t open her face without being too close to him. She started crying, feeling relief that she could finally release her tension at that moment.

“Close your mouth or I’ll make you,” he said, tightening his hold on her face.

Quickly, she clamped her mouth shut with her hands. She felt pain as her hand was pressed against her mouth, yet oddly, it also brought a strange sensation of relief.

“Will you open your face, or what are you waiting for? I’m your friend in this game; should I keep talking like I’m not here?” Turab said harshly.

Suddenly, she pushed one of his hands away and ran out, holding her stomach.

He was extremely angry at what she had done. “Hmm, I swear, next time you won’t leave this house without learning your lesson,” Turab said, leaving the kitchen. His hunger disappeared completely due to his frustration.

---

The next morning, since early, Turab greeted his mom because he wanted to go to Abuja to visit his friend whose family had been in Mexico, and he mentioned that even little Fahad had been there since yesterday, which was why he wanted to go. They had called him repeatedly yesterday.

“What are you saying, Turab? We’ve gathered people; you can’t leave now,” his mother said.

“No, mum, I don’t mean to leave and not return until the event is over. I just want to prepare us there so that when the time comes, we can present our plan fully. You know I don’t have other friends besides them. I’ll stay there and make sure they follow my plan,” Turab replied, adjusting his cap.

“Okay, that’s fine. May God protect your journey.”

He wanted to ask his mom about the girl in the niqab he saw yesterday handling clothes, and whom he also saw in the kitchen the night before. But he decided not to ask, fearing his mom might ask questions about her as well. He kept it to himself, thinking about the day he would meet her and teach her a lesson, though he suspected she might be married since she wore a niqab.

---

Meanwhile, Leeya was preparing dinner with Nnene. Leeya focused on the cooking because she loved to cook and wanted to learn both Yoruba and Igbo dishes. Nnene explained the dishes to her, including “fufu” (cassava dough), which made Leeya laugh with joy.

Uchie and Aleena, in the same house, watched and laughed as well, enjoying the playful interaction without interrupting the work. They all continued cooking and cleaning together, sharing stories and laughter, which made the day lively and enjoyable.

---

Later, Okene arrived. He was surprised to see Leeya with her hair down, looking different from the night before. Leeya greeted him, and he noticed Nnene, who had helped Leeya prepare food and style her hair. They all exchanged greetings warmly, and Okene complimented their cooking.

Leeya served him food, and they continued to talk and enjoy the morning together. Okene expressed how much he would miss them when he leaves Lagos but promised to visit often and encouraged Leeya to continue her Islamic and school studies. Leeya was moved to tears by his words.