The morning sun spilled warmly into the dining room as everyone settled around the table for breakfast. Christine sat primly, adjusting her napkin, while Star moved back and forth between the kitchen and table, dishing up portions with quiet focus—or rather, a lack thereof.
Mandume stepped into the living room, freshly dressed for work in a sharp, navy-blue suit. The moment he entered, Star froze mid-motion, her eyes glued to him. The spoon in her hand hovered above a plate, rice tumbling onto the polished wood instead.
Christine raised a brow. "Hello? That's Mandume, not a ghost."
"Oh—gosh, I'm so sorry, Grandma!" Star snapped out of her daze and hurriedly wiped the mess.
Maria's voice cut through the room like ice. "Why are you looking at him like that? Shouldn't you be concentrating on whoever actually impregnated you?"
The entire table fell silent.
Christine's face hardened. "Why would you say something so cruel?"
Maria shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. Just curious if she's prone to daydreaming."
"Star, don't mind Mom," Bonita said softly, glancing apologetically at Star. "She overthinks things... a lot."
Mandume walked over and pulled out a chair for Star.
She shook her head, flustered. "No, I'm still dishing food—just sit."
He obeyed with a quiet smirk. "How's your ankle?" she asked.
"I'm good. Looks like that stretching exercise we did last night paid off."
As he spoke, Mandume noticed Maria glaring daggers at Star across the table.
"Mom, you okay?" he asked cautiously.
Maria forced a smile. "Of course. How was your night?"
"Great, ma."
Everyone returned to eating, tension still simmering beneath the surface. Bonita, meanwhile, was grinning at her phone, seemingly untouched by the tension.
"Finally, Bonita's smiling," Star muttered under her breath.
After breakfast, Mandume drove Star and Bonita to school before heading off to work. But the story of the morning wasn't done.
Later That Day
Star's phone buzzed during class. Mandume's message popped up:
"Come outside. I'm here."
Confused, she made her way to the school gate. "What are you doing here?" she asked as he opened the car door.
"Come on. Hop in. Let's have lunch."
They sat across from each other in a quiet little café downtown.
"So, you didn't eat Grandma's food after all?" Star teased.
"I told her not to bother," Mandume said, his tone softening. "I wanted to have lunch with you."
Star blinked. "Hmm... that's kinda romantic."
Mandume smirked. "You think so?"
"Low-key," she teased, and he chuckled.
He reached across the table, brushing his thumb over the bracelet on her wrist. "I like this."
"Oh—this? Grandma gave it to me."
Mandume tilted his head. "She did?"
Star nodded. "She said it's an ancestral bangle. Apparently, after everything that happened with the pregnancy, she thinks I need protection."
Mandume leaned back, brow furrowed. Ancestral bangle? Since when do we have those? What game is Grandma playing now—loving her one day, slandering her the next?
"I didn't know we had ancestral jewellery," he said aloud.
"I don't really believe in ancestors," Star replied, "I believe in stars—like, actual stars. I'm only wearing it because of her."
Mandume reached across again and gently held her hand. "And I believe in you."
Star froze at the intensity in his eyes. She quickly tried to pull back. "Sir—"
Mandume didn't move an inch.
"Aren't you scared of your mom?" she asked quietly.
"Nope," he said firmly. "This is my life, Star. My decisions."
"But your mom... she has the final say. If she doesn't want us together, I respect that. I don't want to be the reason your family falls apart."
Mandume leaned in, voice low and steady. "You could never be the cause of my family's calamities. Never."
Star swallowed hard.
"Don't worry about anything," he added. "I'll handle it. Okay?"
She nodded, unsure whether to be comforted or afraid of how far he was willing to go.
They resumed eating, Mandume occasionally sneaking glances at her.
"I forget how to eat when someone's staring at me," Star muttered.
"I want to see how you'd manage that," Mandume teased.
"Please... let me eat in peace," she laughed.
As they finished, Star brought up something Bonita had said the night before. "So... Bonita's birthday is coming up?"
"Yeah," Mandume said with a boyish grin. "And I want to surprise her. I've been harsh lately. I want her to feel like she has the best brother in the world."
Star smiled. "I like brothers like you. Except... you're a little suspicious."
They both laughed, and the warm moment lingered.
Mandume dropped her back at school and headed back to work. But peace was short-lived.
Hours Later
Star sat in class, trying to focus when her phone began buzzing again. A private number. Again. And again. Until she snapped.
Frustrated, she stepped outside and answered.
"Who are you? Why do you keep calling me?" she demanded.
A voice crackled through the line—distorted, unrecognizable, and deeply sinister.
"The countdown begins now, Star Shining. I saw your lovely lunch date. Nice farewell. Three hours left."
The line went dead.
Star's blood ran cold.
"What... what the hell is this?" she whispered, staring at the screen. "Who's behind this?"
She turned slowly, scanned the school yard, then rushed back inside—back to the illusion of safety. But she knew deep in her bones...
Time was running out.