The air was cool when Jumoke arrived at the boathouse, the first light of dawn beginning to spill across the horizon. The lake was calm, its surface like glass, reflecting the colours of the sky in shades of pink and gold. The boathouse sat at the edge of the water, silent and still, waiting.

Bamidele was already there, standing near the water, his back to her. The moment she stepped onto the dock, he turned to face her, and the look in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. There was a mixture of fear and determination in his gaze, something she hadn’t seen before.

“Jumoke,” he began, his voice strained. “I’ve made a mistake. And now we’re both in danger.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “What do you mean? What’s happened?”

Bamidele walked toward her, his steps slow, measured, as if weighing every word. “Femi knows about us. He’s known for some time. And he’s not going to let this go.”

Jumoke’s heart sank. “What does that mean? What will he do?”

Bamidele’s eyes darkened. “Femi’s not the only one watching us. There are others—people with more power, more resources than we can imagine. If they find out the truth about us, it could destroy everything. Our families, our future... even our lives.”

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Jumoke took a step back, trying to process his words. “But... we can’t just hide forever, Bamidele. We can’t live like this.”

“I know,” he said, his voice softer now. “I’ve been thinking about it. And I’ve made a decision.”

Jumoke’s heart pounded in her chest. “What decision?”

Bamidele reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. He handed it to her, his hand trembling slightly.

“This is an ultimatum,” he said, his eyes searching hers. “It’s a letter from my family. They want me to end things with you. They’ve arranged a marriage for me—someone they believe will secure our future, our power. They think I’ll agree.”

Jumoke took the paper, her fingers brushing his for the briefest moment. She opened it slowly, her eyes scanning the words that confirmed what she had feared.

“Bamidele,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “They want to separate us. They want you to marry someone else.”

He nodded, his face hard with resolve. “But I can’t. I won’t. I refuse to let them control my heart.”

Her eyes filled with tears, but she held them back, afraid that if she cried, it would mean giving in to the impossible. “So, what now? What do we do?”

“We run,” he said, his voice firm. “We leave. We go somewhere far away where no one knows us, where no one can tear us apart. It will be dangerous, but it’s the only way.”

Jumoke’s breath caught in her throat. “Run? But what about our families? What about everything we’ve built?”

“I don’t care about anything else,” Bamidele said, his voice fierce. “I care about you. And I will not let anyone take you from me. Not even my own blood.”

The words hung between them, heavy and irreversible. Jumoke felt her heart swell with love and fear, knowing that what he was suggesting was not just an escape—it was a declaration. A declaration that their love, no matter the cost, was worth fighting for.