Chapter 63 — The Collins Welcome Party
By Saturday evening, the Collins estate no longer looked like a home.
It looked like a royal event center prepared for a global summit.
Luxury vehicles filled the massive compound one after another. Long black convoys passed through the grand gates while uniformed guards guided guests carefully. The entire mansion glowed beneath golden lights that reflected beautifully against marble fountains and crystal decorations.
Live islamic classical music floated softly through the air.
Everywhere—
Elegance.
Power.
Money.
Influence.
The Collins family had truly gone all out.
And tonight carried only one message:
Welcome home, Rihannat.
Inside one of the luxurious guest rooms upstairs, Rihannat stood frozen before the mirror.
She barely recognized herself.
The elegant champagne-colored gown fit her perfectly with modest sophistication. Her makeup remained soft and natural, enhancing her beauty without changing her simplicity.
She looked…
Different. In a breathtaking way.
Not like the quiet university girl struggling between two families.
Tonight—
She looked every bit like a Collins.
"You're breathing too fast."
Rihannat looked toward Balkis immediately.
The four girls surrounded her while helping with final touches.
Folakemi adjusted her scarf dramatically. "If I see any billionaire son tonight, nobody should hold me back."
Faridat burst into laughter instantly.
"You came for food and husband hunting."
"I came for opportunities," Folakemi corrected shamelessly.
They teased eachother playfully without holding back, even though they are all from impressive background they don't act like one at all.
Balkis is the only one from a lower family among them but they never mind.
Rayyan laughed softly from the couch.
Unlike the others, her eyes studied Rihannat carefully.
"You're nervous again."
Rihannat inhaled slowly.
"A little."
"A little?" Balkis scoffed. "Your hand has been cold since one hour ago."
Rihannat smiled helplessly.
Truthfully….. they understand her well.
She was overwhelmed.
Ever since they arrived earlier that afternoon from their girls outing, important guests had continued arriving endlessly.
Heirs of powerful families.
International businessmen.
Politicians.
Old family friends.
Foreign investors.
Everywhere she turned, influential names floated through conversations casually like ordinary people.
And the most shocking part?
They all came because of her.
She looked down from the top floor. Headache hitting her.
---------------------------
Downstairs, the grand hall buzzed with life and sophistication.
The Collins family did not merely organize a welcome party.
They organized a statement.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated the massive hall while waiters moved around carrying expensive trays of food and drinks. Laughter and conversations blended smoothly with soft music in the background.
Senior Mr. Collins stood proudly among several business tycoons while talking about his granddaughter repeatedly.
And every single time—
His face softened with visible affection.
Beside him, Senior Mrs. Collins looked emotional almost the entire evening.
Meanwhile Rihannat's foster parents remained overwhelmed.
Her mother especially looked close to tears multiple times.
"I still cannot believe all this," she whispered quietly to her husband.
Neither could he.
Because despite the luxury surrounding them…
The Collins family never once made them feel small.
Not once.
Instead, they treated them with open gratitude and respect for raising Rihannat with love.
"You gave us back our granddaughter alive and pure-hearted," Mrs. Collins had said earlier while holding her hands emotionally. "No amount of wealth can repay that."
The woman nearly cried after hearing those words.
And honestly—
So did Rihannat when she heard from folakemi who hosted her about every gossip out there.
"Rihannat!"
The girls turned as Seifullah entered the room suddenly.
Immediately, Folakemi whispered dramatically under her breath.
"Allahumma barik."
The man was effortlessly handsome.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, Seifullah carried himself with calm confidence that screamed old money without trying.
But the moment he entered—
His eyes landed on Rayyan.
And stayed there.
The room fell suspiciously quiet.
Rayyan noticed first.
Then Balkis.
Then Faridat.
Then finally Folakemi whose mouth nearly dropped open.
Ah.
Interesting.
Seifullah blinked quickly like he realized his mistake.
But two seconds later—
His eyes drifted back to Rayyan again.
Completely against his own will.
Rayyan herself looked confused.
Not uncomfortable.
Just confused.
Meanwhile the other girls were already dying silently.
Faridat immediately elbowed Balkis.
Balkis bit her lips to stop herself from laughing.
Folakemi looked ready to explode.
Rihannat narrowed her eyes slowly at her brother.
Oh.
Ohhhhh.
Seifullah finally cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Grandfather sent me to bring you downstairs."
His voice remained calm.
But his eyes betrayed him completely because they flickered toward Rayyan again.
This time Folakemi almost choked.
After Seifullah left the room hurriedly, silence lasted only three seconds.
Then—
"Yeeeeee!"
Folakemi screamed first.
Rihannat collapsed onto the chair laughing.
Faridat grabbed Rayyan dramatically.
"My sister!"
Rayyan looked horrified. "What?!"
Balkis laughed uncontrollably. "That man was fighting for his life inside here!"
"He kept staring!" Folakemi accused loudly.
"I noticed!"
"I did not even say anything!" Rayyan defended helplessly.
"That's the problem," Faridat replied wisely.
The room dissolved into chaos.
—
Downstairs, the atmosphere only grew grander.
Several influential guests had arrived already.
Among them—
Sulaimon Whitney.
One of the young heirs frequently mentioned in elite business circles.
Tall. Refined. Calm.
The type of man people noticed immediately after entering a room.
But tonight, his attention froze elsewhere completely immediately he walked in.
Balkis.
He recognized her instantly.
The same stubborn girl from months ago.
The girl who accidentally ended up sleeping in his hotel suite after her drink had been tampered with at the club by her so called friends or acquaintances.
He still remembered how defensive she looked the next morning despite the fact that he never touched her.
And strangely…
He had never forgotten her since then.
Balkis looked up during conversation with Faridat—
Then froze.
Her eyes widened immediately.
"No way."
Sulaimon smiled faintly from across the hall.
He looked calm.
Interested.
Dangerously observant.
"Oh my God," Balkis whispered.
Folakemi turned immediately.
"What?"
Balkis nearly panicked.
"Why is he here?!"
Unfortunately—
Faridat heard that sentence.
And more unfortunately for Balkis—
Faridat loved trouble.
"Who?" she asked excitedly.
But before Balkis could answer—
Another guest entered quietly through the main doors.
Simple black suit.
Soft smile.
Gentle appearance.
The perfect definition of a decent young man.
Segun.
Known as a simple and diligent student.
Heir and the illegitimate third son of a conglomerate in a giant and competitive family.
Nobody paid him much attention.
Why would they?
He blended too well.
That was always his greatest strength.
Invisible among crowds.
Harmless-looking.
Polite.
Educated.
Normal.
Yet beneath that calm smile hid something deeply unsettling.
A scheming and calculative mind.
His eyes moved slowly through the crowd like a hawk until they landed on Rihannat.
Then—
He smiled.
Not warmly.
Not kindly.
But with the satisfaction of someone watching his favorite story unfold exactly as planned.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The poor forgotten girl had suddenly become the center of elite attention.
He almost admired the irony.
Almost.
Meanwhile across the hall, Basit arrived alongside Ridwan.
And unluckily for Ridwan—
Faridat saw him immediately.
Her eyes widened brightly.
"There he is."
Ridwan froze.
Oh no.
Absolutely not.
He tried turning around immediately.
Too late.
Faridat was already marching toward him with dangerous determination.
"RIDWAN!"
Several people turned.
Ridwan closed his eyes briefly like a condemned man accepting fate.
Basit nearly laughed beside him.
"You're finished."
Ridwan glared at him. "You are not my friend."
Faridat reached them seconds later.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"I'm not avoiding you."
"You disappeared for weeks."
"I was busy."
"You changed your number."
Ridwan paused.
"…Network issues."
Faridat stared at him flatly.
Basit lost the battle and burst into laughter immediately.
"You liar."
Ridwan looked genuinely betrayed.
"Basit!"
Faridat crossed her arms proudly.
"Good. Since I found you now, you are driving me home after the party."
Ridwan nearly developed headache instantly.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"You're impossible."
"And you're suspicious."
Basit stepped away laughing before Ridwan could drag him into the madness. Walking towards Rihannat parents.
Across the grand hall—
Rihannat stood quietly beside her grandparents while greeting guests respectfully.
Her friends remained close by, still overwhelmed.
"Your grandparents are actually powerfully powerful," Balkis whispered.
Folakemi nodded repeatedly.
"The people I'm seeing here are world-known business tycoons."
"We are feeding our eyes tonight," Faridat added dramatically.
Rayyan smiled softly at Rihannat.
"This is huge."
Rihannat looked around the luxurious hall slowly.
The lights.
The laughter.
The warmth.
The overwhelming love surrounding her.
Then her eyes shifted toward her foster parents standing proudly nearby.
And suddenly—
Emotion tightened inside her chest again. Her emotion has been on a rollercoaster for some weeks now.
Because after years of feeling abandoned by life…
Tonight she finally understood something.
Allah truly restores beautifully.
Sometimes slowly.
Sometimes unexpectedly.
But beautifully nonetheless.
Yet unknown to her—
Not every eye watching tonight carried love.
From a distant corner of the hall, Segun watched her silently with unreadable darkness hiding beneath his calm expression.
And somewhere deep inside him—
A dark and dangerous glint shown in his eyes, like a game that pick his interest the more he played. His curiosity grows higher. To almost an obsession level now.
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