Bonita sighed in relief, her shoulders loosening.
"He'll pass! I'm sure of it!" she said with a spark of hope.
Mandume shot her a cold glance as he turned to leave.
"Warn your boyfriend not to get too comfortable," he said and walked off.
Bonita turned to her mother, her voice softer. "Thank you, Mom… thank you so much." She hugged Maria tightly.
"I know Daniels wasn't eligible for the job because of that baseless scandal around his family... but you hired him anyway."
"Just for you, my daughter," Maria replied, her tone unusually warm.
"Thank you again. You didn't just do me a favor—Daniels really needed this job. You changed his life today."
"I know. That's why I did it. And Bonita—I'll make your wish come true."
"I love you, Mom!" Bonita whispered before pulling away and walking off.
Downstairs, Mandume's phone rang. It was Star's gynecologist.
"Today's Thursday," he muttered, suddenly alert. "Star's follow-up… is she even awake?" He answered quickly. "Hello?"
"Good morning, Mr. Davids. I'm calling from Rhino Hospital regarding Ms. Shining's appointment," the doctor said.
"Oh yes! The 10 a.m. one?"
"Yes. We tried contacting Ms. Shining, but she didn't answer."
"Understood. We'll be there."
As Mandume descended the stairs, the family stood waiting—everyone anticipating his next move. Olivia stood with barely hidden hope, expecting rejection. The others braced for good news.
"There comes my prince," Olivia whispered under her breath, "Will I be your manager forever?"
Mandume halted near the group. "Daniels, I hope you've updated my schedule. I have to be at the gynecologist at 10 a.m."
The tension broke—everyone but Olivia lit up with quiet relief.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!" Daniels said with a grin.
Olivia rolled her eyes and turned away. "Let's see how long you last as his PA," she muttered, heading upstairs. Bonita signed Daniels a silent 'good luck.' He smiled back.
"Grandma, see you this afternoon," Mandume said as he stepped out.
"Yes. And Daniels—good luck on your first day," Christine added kindly.
"Thank you, ma'am," Daniels replied.
Meanwhile, at home...
Star called Christine.
"Morning, Grandma."
"Morning, Star. How are you, my dear?"
"I miss you," Star said softly.
"I miss you too, sweetheart. Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes. And you?"
"I'm nothing without your presence, Star. But I'll manage," Christine replied, her voice tinged with longing.
"I'll visit soon."
"I heard even your mother is back in town," Christine added.
"She is. I'll be staying with both my parents now. But that doesn't mean I'm no longer part of your home, right?"
"Never. This will always be your home. And remember—Mendu is here for you," Christine said.
Star blushed.
"I didn't say you should blush," Christine chuckled. "Anyway, he just left for work... And Star—please take care of my grandson."
"Grandson?" Star asked, confused.
"My unborn grandson. You call me Grandma, so your child is my grandchild," Christine declared.
Just then, Mandume's name flashed on Star's screen.
"Grandma, he's calling—I have to go."
"Star?" Mandume's voice came through.
"Yes?"
"Your follow-up appointment is at 10 a.m., madam! I already informed Mr. Davids," he said in a mock-doctor tone. Star chuckled.
"You forgot, didn't you?" he teased.
"Nope! I saw the missed call while I was having breakfast."
"Alright, I'll pick you up at nine."
"I'll take a cab. Let's meet there," Star said firmly.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
Back at the office, Daniels adjusted to his new role. Mandume had barely stepped in when he tossed his phone and some files at Daniels.
"You're here for work, not for Star. Stick to that," Mandume snapped, then walked off to take a business call.
Minutes later, Daniels knocked.
"Sir, you called?"
"Get me my special from the café," Mandume said.
"Your… special?" Daniels asked hesitantly, but Mandume waved him off, still mid-call.
Daniels rushed to the café. The place was buzzing with early workers enjoying tea, coffee, or breakfast. He approached a woman sipping her tea.
"Hi," Daniels said.
"Hey, you must be the new manager—Daniels, right?" she said.
"Yes. And you are…?"
"Ndapewa. Engineering department."
"Oh, cool. So… who runs this café?"
"This place? No one really. We just come here for our 30-minute break. There's tea, coffee, and hot chocolate."
"That's all?"
"Yep. Make your own—machines are over there."
Daniels scratched his head. "Do you know what Mr. Davids' 'special' is?"
Ndapewa raised a brow. "His special? That comes from the inner room. Only his managers know how to make it. All the ingredients are in there. You're on your own."
Daniels swallowed hard. "Thanks, Ndapewa."
He entered the room. It looked like a mini-laboratory of caffeinated chaos—containers everywhere. Different kinds of teas, exotic coffees, mysterious powders.
"Where do I even begin?" Daniels mumbled, checking his watch. "Less than 20 minutes…"
He tried calling Bonita. No answer.
Back at the office, Mandume was still on the call.
"My boss is still busy, and I'm running out of time," Daniels groaned.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off.
"Olivia! She must know."
He dialed the home line.
"Davids Residence, Olivia speaking," she answered politely.
"Olivia! It's Daniels. Please—I need a favor."
"Sure, what's wrong?"
"Mandume asked for his special, and I have no idea what it is."
Olivia giggled. "Relax. Go into the inner café room. Today is Thursday, so it's the special chocolate. I'll walk you through it."
"Please hurry—I've got ten minutes."
Under Olivia's guidance, Daniels whipped up the special chocolate. He raced back to the office, placed the mug gently on the desk.
Mandume glanced at the clock.
"You're late," he said flatly. "Now I'll have to sip in haste."