The Koeksister Confusion

Nathan entered the kitchen, mouth watering. Without hesitation, he grabbed a bite of one of the desserts Vicky had made earlier. His eyes lit up.

"Damn," he whispered. "This is dangerous."

Just then, Vicky stepped out of the bathroom, dressed to impress. She moved toward the kitchen, unaware of the chaos about to unfold. Nathan, meanwhile, held up a koeksister, playfully placing it over his eye like a monocle.

"Everything in here is love-formed," he said with a cheeky grin. "Now tell me—who's my love-life koeksister?"

At that exact moment, Vicky appeared in the doorway. Nathan blinked—and she was gone. Startled, he pulled the dessert away from his face. Nothing. No Vicky. 

Vicky, crouched behind the door, was yanking her dress free from a hinge it had snagged on.

Nathan, now spooked, muttered, "Is this some kind of magical dessert? Or maybe… Necro's messing with me again? No. I'm leaving before it gets weirder."

He darted out with the koeksister still in hand—just in time to run into Tonia. She spotted the dessert and froze.

"That's Vicky's baking," she realized, recalling Vicky's words: "Whoever eats my dessert will bring colour to my life."

Nathan, caught red-handed, gave her a guilty, awkward wave before escaping.

Back in the kitchen, Vicky stood and dusted off her dress.

"Finally done. Let me just pack up…" she paused, scanning the counter. "Wait—where did my desserts go?"

Tonia entered, grinning like a cat who'd caught the cream.

"So, that was your Prince Charming?" she teased. "Girl, he's cute. I'm proud of you!"

Vicky frowned. "Where's my koeksister? And… who ate the other one? Tonia?"

Tonia smirked. "Don't act all innocent. I know."

"Know what?"

"Your Prince Charming," Tonia said, arms crossed.

Vicky blinked. "My what?"

"Never mind," Tonia said playfully. "I'll catch you one day, though."

"You ate my desserts and now you're accusing me of something? I get it—must be the hormones," Vicky replied, rolling her eyes.

Tonia raised an eyebrow. "Wait. You seriously didn't see who ate them?"

"No. I came in the moment you entered."

"Well… your Prince Charming did," Tonia said.

Vicky scoffed. "Right. And I'm Cinderella."

She brushed it off. But something lingered in her expression—curiosity? Or confusion?

Meanwhile, Ruben finally spotted Nathan but chose not to meet him yet. He simply observed, silently calculating.

At the Shikongo Residence

"Mom, I'm 24! Please—this is classic! It suits my style," Cinthia groaned.

"I know, I know…" Sofia cooed. "Cinthy, come on, let me dress you up!"

"You're not serious," Catty muttered, amused.

"Oh, just because she's 24 doesn't mean she should go out looking naked," Sofia said.

Aune burst in, arms loaded with outfits.

"Seriously, Mom? You went to Kuku's store?" Cinthia sighed. Catty burst into laughter.

Later, at the Carlos Resort Event Hall

"Good evening, everyone!" Jack's voice boomed over the speakers. "I trust you're all great—and thirsty for some juicy moments tonight?"

The crowd cheered. A few shouted that they missed him.

"Mr. Jack! Man, Carlos Resort is back!" Sir Derek grinned.

"I want to share something personal," Derek continued. "That meeting… short, but the vibes? The tea? The wine? Impeccable. Everything was just… right. Keep it up."

Jack smiled. "Thank you, Derek. It's a pleasure. And yes, I'm back. From now on, if I host a meeting, you get a dinner party. But the credit isn't mine alone…"

He turned toward the back of the room.

"Victoria Samuels."

Vicky, busy in the kitchen remaking desserts, barely heard her name. She was murmuring to herself, focused.

"She's the genius behind all this," Jack continued. "The wine, the tea, the concept—all hers. She's just 24, but has a dream to turn ordinary into unique."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"I thought it was Candy Smith, the South African planner."

"Yeah, me too!"

Nathan's eyes widened. He recognized the style, the presentation—her work.

"This is… extraordinary," he whispered.

Jack pressed on. "Let's invest in our own country. Grow together. Make contracts with fellow Namibians. Even if it's a small profit, there's strength in perseverance. That's business."

He paused, then beamed.

"Also, congratulations to my good friend Nathan Shikongo—he's getting married soon. And let me just say—marriage ain't for the weak."

Laughter and applause erupted.

"Now let's enjoy the night! Hit the music!"

The crowd roared as music kicked in. People flooded the dance floor. Cinthia, recording the event on her phone, grabbed a stranger for a dance. Their laughter lit the room—and sparked a new friendship.