As the evening settles in, Star enters the kitchen to cook, a routine she's stuck to for the past two days. She's met by Bonita, who is busy preparing a sauce for their dinner.
Star moves to take a pot, but Bonita quickly blocks her path.
"Where do you think you're going?" Bonita asks with a raised eyebrow.
"I want to cook dinner," Star responds calmly.
"I'm already preparing it," Bonita snaps. "Mom will join me soon, so step aside."
"I want to cook my own food," Star says, her tone unyielding.
Bonita gives her a scathing look. "Oh, really? This is my father's house, and there are rules. We all cook and eat the same food. We've been watching you cook and eat your own meals—what's wrong with Mom cooking for us?"
Star meets her gaze, cool and composed. "Sorry, let's cook together then. I don't want to just stand around and do nothing."
Bonita glares at her. "Didn't you hear me? We're cooking already. Now disappear."
Star's patience snaps. "Hey, Bonita… we're not fighting, right? So why are you talking to me like that? If you want to fight, go ahead."
Bonita stands, fuming.
"Fine, you want to cook?" Bonita throws a bunch of dirty plates and pots at her. "Start by washing these."
Star takes a breath and smiles. "Calm down, thank you! I love doing this."
As she scrubs the pots and plates, Bonita huffs, "Dinner today? Cut the cabbage, fry the potatoes, and Mom will roast the meat. This kitchen stuff—how do you even do it?"
Bonita leaves, and Star gets to work. As she cuts the cabbage, Mandume sneaks in, his arms wrapping around her from behind. Together, they slice the cabbage.
"I think I should start helping in the kitchen too. So by the time we marry, I'll know the basics," Mandume jokes.
Star smirks. "Of course, you should. I like submissive husbands. It's not always the wife's job to be submissive."
Mandume glances at her, distracted, and his hand slips, the knife cutting Star's finger.
"Au!" Star yelps in pain.
Mandume's face pales. "Oh my gosh!" He pulls her to the sink, washing the wound with care, blowing on it to soothe her. He rips the end of his shirt to bandage her finger.
Star smiles, feeling the warmth of his care. "I'm fine. It hurt, but not anymore. My doctor took care of it."
Mandume breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank God."
"Now, sit here and relax while I finish the cabbage," he insists.
"No, I'm here to cook," Star responds with a playful glint in her eye. "And why do I suddenly feel like a wife?"
"Because your husband is around," Mandume teases.
Star giggles. "Should we tell your mom about us?"
Mandume raises an eyebrow. "About us?"
"Mm-hmm," Star murmurs, shy but curious.
Mandume looks thoughtful. "Let's take it slow. By the time she finds out, we'll be inseparable."
Star hesitates, biting her lip. "Wait, so if she finds out now, she'll kill me?"
Mandume chuckles. "No, not that far. But she won't like it… especially after I just broke up with Tiffanie. I want you to understand who we are, how we can act. Let's keep it a secret for now, from Mom and Bonita."
Star sighs. "I'm terrible at keeping secrets, especially something like this. I've never done it before."
Mandume grins. "Don't worry. I've got it covered."
"I trust you," Star says softly.
She smiles at him, her voice rising. "Don't you think we're already powerful?"
Mandume looks at her, intrigued. "You think so?"
"Yeah," she nods, remembering the past. "Remember when we first met? You called me in the evening. I didn't pick up. Then you texted me on WhatsApp, asking about my profile. That's when something inside me clicked. I checked your profile picture, and from that moment, I fell for you. But I tried to hide it, because you were rich. I thought you wouldn't like someone like me. But seeing you every day, talking to you... that feeling just grew stronger."
Mandume chuckles softly. "So, we've been playing hide and seek with our love?"
Star giggles. "I guess so."
Mandume's smile deepens. "Then it's time to stop hiding."
"I'm just scared of your mom," Star admits, her voice dropping.
Mandume gently touches her shoulder. "Don't worry about it."
He steps closer and kisses her on the forehead. She smiles, warmth filling her chest.
As they finish preparing the cabbage, Star heads upstairs to find Maria. "Mom says you're the one to roast the meat?"
Maria, in her room, is on the phone with her long-time friend, Kefas. "I don't remember where I put that letter… but I remember putting it in Mandume's room, then I took it. His office was the last place I had it. I just hope Mandume hasn't read it yet."
Kefas responds, "Are you sure he hasn't read it? Maria, I don't understand why you're only looking for it now."
Maria presses, "I'll explain later. Just help me find the letter tomorrow."
Mandume and Star, meanwhile, finish cooking except for the meat that Maria is supposed to roast. Star heads upstairs to check on her.
Maria, distracted by the call, quickly hangs up as she hears Star approaching. She quickly grabs her laptop and pretends to be busy.
"Oh, Mom. We're done cooking," Star says, peeking into Maria's room.
Maria quickly tries to cover her nervousness. "Oh, yeah… I totally forgot. But I'm kind of busy with office files right now. Can you roast the meat instead?"
Star watches her, suspicious of Maria's anxious behavior. "Sure… but maybe you can show me how to do it?"
Maria stammers, "Ah, Boni can do it. She'll show you. I'll be done with this in a minute."
Star notes how Maria tries to avoid eye contact, her laptop powered off. "Is everything okay with your laptop, Mom?"
"Oh, it's just… it's off," Maria says, fumbling.
Star nods, though something feels off. "I'll ask Bonita to show me."
Star leaves the room but stays hidden, curious about Maria's sudden shift. Maria, feeling the tension, calls Kefas again but doesn't get an answer.
As Star heads to the living room to ask Bonita to help with the meat, she realizes there's something more going on than just cooking dinner.
The tension in the air rises, and Star whispers to herself, "Who is Kefas? What letter are they talking about? What's really going on here?" She feels the weight of the mystery pressing down on her.
Star returns to the kitchen and begins roasting the meat, following Bonita's vague instructions.
"I'm sure this is fine," Star mutters to herself, checking the meat.
When Mandume returns, he tastes it, his face contorting. "Ghoua… it's awful."
Star frowns, feeling embarrassed. "I knew it! It's nasty."
Mandume quickly stops her from throwing it away. "No! It's delicious. I swear everyone will love it."
Star glares at him skeptically. "But you almost threw up!"
"I was just joking," Mandume grins. "It's actually really good. How did you make it?"
Star shrugs. "Google helped me."
Mandume laughs. "This is actually nice."
And for a brief moment, the tension between them lifts.