The Untainted
Chapter 88
The eatery had grown quieter.
Most of the evening crowd had already left, leaving behind the faint aroma of coffee, grilled food, and the distant hum of soft music playing through hidden speakers.
Bilal sat opposite Foxy.
Coincidentally—or perhaps not—they occupied the exact spot where Rihannat and her friends had been seated barely an hour earlier.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
His eyes studied the young woman carefully.
Trying to read her.
Trying to understand her.
Trying to discover what lay beneath that calm expression.
But she gave him nothing.
Strange.
Very strange.
How could someone so young possess such a disturbing dark aura?
He had met ruthless businessmen.
Manipulative socialites.
Cold-hearted executives.
Yet Foxy felt different.
Dangerous.
Rayyan's eyes had always reminded him of a peaceful dawn.
Rihannat's carried warmth and sincerity even if it was a first meeting.
Balkis and Folakemi possessed the gentle, carefree and lively innocence expected of university girls.
But Foxy's eyes...
They resembled a raging pit of inferno hidden beneath layers of ice.
Beautiful.
Chilling.
Captivating.
A dangerous combination.
A combination that instinctively warned people to stay away while also pulling them in, enchanting them.
Anyone foolish enough to mistake that beauty for harmlessness would likely walk straight into their own destruction.
Yet Bilal remained seated.
Because she had mentioned Rayyan.
And right now, any path leading back to Rayyan was worth exploring to him. He couldn't miss it.
Besides...
He couldn't afford to lose.
Not Rayyan.
Not his inheritance.
Not the image of control he had spent years building. He will never allow it to crumble in the front of a little girl. It will bruise his ego.
Whatever game this girl was playing...
He would handle it.
He wasn't a child.
"Mr. Bilal."
Foxy's voice interrupted his thoughts.
He looked up.
"I'm a schoolmate of Rayyan."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"I believe I can help you get your woman back."
Bilal's expression remained unreadable.
"How do you know she is my woman?"
"I have my ways, don't worry." She smirked.
"I know her routines."
Foxy folded her arms casually.
"Her classes."
"Her hostel."
"The places she visits."
"The people closest to her."
She paused.
"And much more."
Bilal leaned back slightly.
"And why would you do that?"
Foxy's smile widened.
"Because I enjoy opportunities."
The answer was vague.
Intentionally vague.
"I can help you," she continued. "If you don't mind methods that aren't exactly... conventional."
For a brief moment, clarity flashed through Bilal's mind. She wants to play dirty.
Then Foxy spoke again.
"But I need something in return."
There it is.
The real reason.
Bilal folded his fingers together.
"What do you want?"
"Her friends."
The answer came immediately.
Bilal frowned.
"What?"
"You want Rayyan." Foxy shrugged "I want the others."
Something cold settled in the air.
"You stay focused on your objective."
She tilted her head.
"And stay out of mine."
Bilal watched her carefully.
"You expect me to pretend I know nothing while we work together?"
"You want to use my influence?"
"Exactly."
"Simple."
The silence stretched.
Then Bilal spoke.
"You want to ruin them."
It wasn't a question.
"You want to destroy their image."
Foxy smiled.
A smile that never reached her eyes.
"I like intelligent men."
"So yes."
For the first time, Bilal's expression hardened.
"Did they offend you?"
No answer.
"Are you involved in some sort of cult?"
Still nothing.
Foxy clicked her tongue.
The sound was sharp.
Annoyed.
"Stop asking questions that do not concern you."
Her gaze locked onto his.
"Are you in?"
The edge in Bilal's voice disappeared completely.
For someone of her age, this girl was proving difficult to intimidate.
A hard nut to crack.
Perhaps even impossible.
Bilal exhaled slowly.
If their goals aligned, then their arrangement could be useful.
He had no personal interest in Rayyan's friends.
His concern was Rayyan.
Only Rayyan.
"Fine."
Foxy leaned forward slightly.
"Fine?"
"We have a deal."
The girl smiled.
A predator hearing exactly what she wanted.
"But," Bilal continued, "I don't want anything reckless."
His voice dropped.
"No scandals."
"No chaos."
"No one gets hurt." I have protect my name for long, I don't want any mishap.
Foxy's eyes flickered.
Amusement.
Nothing more.
For a two faced man like him to say this.
"You worry too much."
"I mean it."
"Then pray your definition of harm matches mine."
The statement unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
Foxy pulled out her phone and slid a piece of paper toward him.
My number.
"Save it."
Bilal did.
"I'll keep you informed."
She rose from her seat.
The conversation was apparently over.
"As events unfold," she continued, adjusting her bag, "you'll see results soon enough."
A smirk curved her lips.
Then she walked away.
Not once looking back.
Not once.
Leaving Bilal staring after her.
For reasons he couldn't explain, the restaurant suddenly felt colder.
He stood up too, walking out to meet his assistant and driver who are both waiting for him outside.
---
Meanwhile, the journey back to campus was unusually quiet.
Rihannat turned slightly toward the girl seated beside her.
"Are you okay?"
Rayyan smiled softly.
A small smile.
Fragile.
But genuine. She appreciates their care. She could read they all feel down because of her.
"It's fine, Rihannat."
She squeezed her friend's hand.
"I'm okay."
The answer satisfied no one.
Least of all, Rihannat.
But she let it go.
For now.
The car fell into silence once more.
Gone was the laughter that had accompanied them earlier.
Gone were the playful arguments.
The teasing.
The warmth.
Even Folakemi seemed unusually withdrawn.
Her thoughts remained trapped in everything she had learned that evening.
Rayyan's story haunted her.
A young woman whose consent had barely mattered. An arrange marriage. Giving her out without asking if she's willing.
A daughter who had obeyed her parents without complaint.
A bride who left everything familiar behind.
Her country.
Her friends.
Her support system.
All because she believed she was stepping into a life built on trust.
She had believed Bilal was a good man.
Responsible.
Mature.
God-fearing.
Everything he presented himself to be.
Everything he convinced her family he was.
Only to discover later that reality and appearance were two entirely different things.
The man she married was a stranger.
One who neglected his prayers.
Spent nights drinking and clubbing.
Surrounded himself with temptation which he called side chicks.
Then blamed her when the marriage collapsed.
Worse.
He stained her reputation while protecting his own.
Folakemi felt anger rising within her chest.
How lonely must Rayyan have been?
How much had she cried when nobody was around?
How many nights had she turned to Allah because there was literally no one else?
Her chest tightened.
Then her thoughts shifted.
To Balkis.
To Rihannat.
Every woman in this car carried scars except her and Faridat who came from wealthy homes.
Balkis had endured a mother willing to trade her daughter's happiness for status and wealth. Telling she and her sisters to sell themselves if needed.
A failed relationship that shattered her confidence and made her question her own worth. Although Balkis never go deep when she discussed it with them, they all could tell what happened to her. Something that could leave her with such a big trauma. If not rape, what else?
Rihannat had her own battles too.
Financial hardship.
Relentless pressure in school.
Working till late hours.
Countless temptations.
Suitors.
Wealthy heirs.
Smooth-talking fraudsters. Yahoo boys.
Men drawn by her beauty before her character.
Yet she remained steadfast.
Never compromising herself.
Never allowing attention to define her value.
She worked harder than people born into comfort to achieve highest scores.
And despite possessing beauty capable of turning heads, capable of raising up and bringing down kingdom and empires, influence capable of changing lives, she never allowed either to corrupt her.
Folakemi lowered her gaze.
A painful realization settled inside her.
These women had suffered.
They had every excuse to become bitter.
To become angry at the world.
To go astray.
Yet somehow...
They remained kind.
They remained pure.
Full of love and virtues.
And here she was.
Complaining about inconveniences.
Sulking over things she already possessed.
Parents who loved her.
Brothers who adored her.
A home filled with care and affection.
How ungrateful had she become?
The thought alone made her head ache.
If she had faced even half of what these women endured...
Would she still be standing?
She wasn't sure.
The car eventually entered the university gates.
The familiar sight of the campus greeted them.
Seifullah had already left earlier.
Deliberately.
He had sensed Rayyan needed time.
Space.
Room to breathe.
Before leaving, he had quietly collected her number from Rihannat.
Promising to call later.
Not to pressure her.
Not to demand answers.
Simply to check on her.
The gesture alone spoke volumes about the kind of man he was.
One by one, everyone stepped out of the vehicle.
The night air felt cool.
Comforting.
They exchanged hugs.
Offered salaams.
Whispered prayers for one another.
Then slowly dispersed toward their respective hostels.
Ridwan and Basit also left. Going back to their appartment.
Faridat chose to remain on campus rather than accompany her brother home.
Everyone needed solitude tonight.
A chance to process.
A chance to heal.
As Rihannat walked toward her hostel with her friends, none of them noticed the gathering storm slowly forming beyond the safety of their circle.
A storm driven by envy.
By pride.
By wounded egos.
And by people who had mistaken kindness for weakness.
By people who had sold their souls to the devil.
The first clouds had already appeared.
The thunder was not far behind.
@Olukoya Zainab