Lust in Ecstasy: Love, Lies and Revenge
Chapter 69: A New change

Chapter 69: A New change

The flight was long but uneventful. Ladi spent most of it lost in thought, going over his plans, his expectations, and the reality of what was waiting for him.

When the plane finally touched down in Vancouver, the cold hit him the moment he stepped outside. Even with the coat Eric insisted he buy, it was a different kind of chill—one that seeped into his bones.

The airport doors slid open, and the cold struck Ladi like a slap to the face. It wasn’t the kind of cold he’d known back home—this was sharper, cleaner, like the air itself had been filtered. His breath turned to mist as he exhaled, and for a moment, he just stood there, gripping the handle of his suitcase, taking it all in.

The city stretched before him in a blend of glass towers, neon signs, and distant mountains dusted with snow. The streets were alive but not chaotic—cars moved in an orderly flow, pedestrians bundled in thick coats hurried past, their boots crunching softly against the pavement. Even the honks and chatter had a different rhythm, a controlled urgency compared to the raw energy of Lagos.

"Hey, you Ladi?"

He turned to see a guy about his age, maybe a few years older, holding a sign with his name on it. Light-skinned, sharp features, wearing a navy peacoat and an easygoing smile.

"Yeah, that’s me," Ladi replied, shaking his hand.

"Jason. I’m with the team. Welcome to Canada, man."

"Thanks."

Jason led him to a sleek black SUV parked outside. The car was warm inside, a welcome contrast to the biting cold. As they pulled away from the airport, Ladi kept his eyes on the cityscape. The roads were flawless, the sidewalks clean. Even in the evening, everything felt structured, like the city had been designed with precision.

"So, first time in Canada?" Jason asked.

"First time outside Nigeria," Ladi admitted.

Jason chuckled. "Well, you picked an interesting place to start. Hope you’re ready for real winters."

Ladi smirked. "I’m already regretting my life choices."

They drove through downtown, past high-end stores with large glass windows displaying winter fashion, restaurants with glowing signs, and coffee shops filled with people typing away on laptops. It felt surreal, like he’d stepped into a completely different world.

"Your place is in a good spot," Jason said. "Close to work, nice neighborhood, and plenty to do around. You’ll settle in fast."

Ladi nodded, still processing everything. He had made it.

---

Ladi stepped into his new apartment, dragging his suitcase behind him. The place was modern and minimalistic—an open-plan living room with a small kitchen on the side, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, and a bedroom tucked behind a frosted glass door.

"Not bad, huh?" Jason said, dropping the keycard on the counter.

Ladi let out a low whistle. "Yeah, this is... something else."

Jason chuckled. "Company covers the first six months, so you’re good. After that, you’ll either renew the lease or move somewhere else."

Ladi nodded, still taking it all in. The apartment smelled fresh, like new furniture and recently cleaned floors. A welcome kit sat on the kitchen counter—a basket with coffee, snacks, and a note from the team: Welcome to Vancouver! Looking forward to working with you.

Jason clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright, man. I’ll let you settle in. Try to get some rest, yeah? You’ve got a big day tomorrow."

After Jason left, silence filled the space. Ladi exhaled, sitting on the edge of the couch. It was just him now.

He unpacked slowly, hanging up clothes, arranging his essentials. The heater hummed softly in the background, keeping the cold at bay. At some point, he ordered takeout—a burger and fries, something simple—but he barely tasted it. His mind was running.

He stepped onto the small balcony, the chill biting at his skin even through his hoodie. The city stretched beyond him, glowing in the night. He had really done it. He had left everything behind.

A part of him felt excitement, but another part—something deeper—felt like he was standing at the edge of something vast, unknown.

He sighed. "Here we go."

Then he went back inside, shut the door, and got ready for bed.

---

Ladi woke up to the soft hum of the heater and the distant sounds of the city below. For a brief moment, he forgot where he was. Then it hit him—Vancouver. His new life had officially begun.

He lay there for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling. No knocks on his door. No one calling his name. Just silence. A small part of him missed the chaos of home, but he quickly shook off the feeling. This was where he needed to be.

After a quick shower, he threw on a hoodie and jeans, grabbed his phone, and stepped outside. The cold air hit him immediately, crisp and refreshing. It wasn’t like Nigeria’s heat—it was sharp, biting, but in a weird way, it made him feel more awake.

He walked down the street, taking in everything—the towering buildings, the clean sidewalks, the mix of people rushing to work or grabbing coffee. The city felt alive in a way he had never experienced before. He passed a café and decided to step in, ordering a coffee just to warm his hands.

As he sipped, he pulled out his phone and checked his messages. A few from Eric, mostly memes and a "How’s the cold treating you?" text. Ladi smirked and shook his head.

Then Jason’s message came in: Be at the studio by 10. Time to meet the team for real.

Ladi took a deep breath, downed the rest of his coffee, and stepped back onto the street.

Time to get to work.

Ladi arrived at the studio early, the crisp morning air still carrying a chill. He stood in front of the sleek glass doors, exhaling slowly before stepping inside.

The lobby was modern, with minimalist furniture and a giant screen looping a trailer for one of the studio’s recent projects. He barely had time to take it all in before Jason walked up to him, dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie, his ever-present grin in place.

"Morning, man. Hope you slept well," Jason said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, better than I expected," Ladi replied, taking another look around.

"Good, ’cause you’re about to meet the team." Jason gestured for him to follow.

They moved through the studio, passing open-concept workspaces filled with developers hunched over their screens, designers sketching on tablets, and animators reviewing sequences. The place had a quiet but intense energy, the kind that came with people being deep in their craft.

Jason led him into a glass-walled meeting room where a handful of people were already gathered.

"Alright, everyone," Jason said, stepping aside. "This is Ladi. He’s joining us as an associate on the project."

A few nods and murmured greetings followed. One of them spoke, a stocky guy with glasses, leaned back in his chair hands at the back of his head interlocked. "So, you’re the guy Jason’s been hyping up?"

Ladi smirked. "Guess we’ll see if I live up to it."

Jason chuckled. "No pressure, right? Anyway, let’s get you settled in."

And just like that, he found himself surrounded by people he could learn from, grow with, and build something meaningful alongside.

---

The meeting room had an air of excitement, the kind that came with fresh possibilities. Ladi sat among his new team, taking everything in. Screens lined the walls, displaying snippets of gameplay, wireframe models, and lines of code. It was the kind of place he had always dreamed of being in—where ideas turned into reality.

"So, Ladi," one of the developers, a guy named Marcus, leaned forward. "We’ve all been throwing ideas around. What do you got?"

Ladi hesitated for a second, not because he didn’t have ideas, but because he had too many. He had spent years thinking about the kind of game he wanted to create. Now that he was finally here, he didn’t want to sound like a complete amateur.

"Well..." he started. "I’ve always been drawn to open-world games, but not just any kind. I want a world that feels alive, one where the choices you make actually change things. Not just scripted changes but real consequences that affect the gameplay down the line."

A few heads nodded. Someone jotted something down.

"I like that," a woman named Hannah said. "Like, actual evolving storylines that adapt to the player’s decisions."

"Exactly," Ladi said, feeling a little more comfortable. "And I think combat should feel personal, not just button-mashing. Something skill-based but not frustrating."

The conversation flowed naturally from there. Everyone tossed in their thoughts different mechanics they’d love to experiment with, gameplay elements that had been stuck in their heads for years. Ladi could feel the creative energy in the room, and for the first time in a long while, he knew he was exactly where he was meant to be.