Novels by Onyizy

Did you do what I asked?” José asked the moment he walked in. His voice held that familiar sharpness, that commanding tone that always made Eilleen’s stomach tighten.Eilleen let out a tired sigh. “Yes,” she replied quietly.“That’s my girl,” José said with a smirk as he reached for her, patting her head like she was some obedient pet. “You see? It wasn’t that hard.”Eilleen felt disgust rise through her as she watched him through the mirror. She was sitting in front of her vanity, brushing her hair slowly, trying so hard to keep her face neutral. José stepped behind her, lifting her hair and pressing a kiss against her neck.“You see,” he whispered smugly, “you are a Santiago after all.”“No.” She pushed him away instantly. “I’m not.”She stood quickly and went straight into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Inside, she leaned her forehead against the cool wood and closed her eyes, trying not to cry.José didn’t bother coming after her. She heard the bed creak, then silence.

The drive was a little more than thirty minutes, yet to Eilleen, it felt like an entire hour of suffocating silence. Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel each time she imagined what she was about to do. Every lie she rehearsed sounded worse than the last, but she had no choice—not if she wanted to keep her son safe.When she finally pulled into the quiet compound, her heart thudded painfully. The house was a small, neat bungalow with a garden full of colorful flowers blooming at the front. Hibiscus, roses, lilies—she wasn’t sure—but their beauty made her throat tighten even more. A home this peaceful did not deserve the kind of news she carried in her chest.On the porch, a woman sat with glasses perched on her nose, speaking softly into her phone. Eileen recognized her immediately—Jocelyn’s mother. Seeing her in person felt like being struck in the stomach. She was thinner than Eileen expected, with worry lines around her eyes. A woman who had carried too many burdens for

That evening, Eilleen slept earlier than usual. Her body was exhausted, but her mind carried a heavy weight that refused to rest. Josh had also retired to his room not long after dinner, quietly sketching and drawing.The soft creak of the door stirred her from her sleep. She turned slightly, blinking against the dim light. Jose walked in, the faint scent of his cologne mixing with the sharp smell of alcohol and gun oil. He carried his briefcase, setting it on the table beside the bed. He slipped off his shoes gently and placed them neatly on the shoe rack behind the cupboard.“Where’s Josh?” he asked, his tone flat as he pulled off his shirt.“In his room,” Eilleen murmured, her voice still heavy with sleep.“Okay,” Jose said simply, giving a small nod.He sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone for a moment. The blue light illuminated his sharp features, his expression unreadable. Then he turned toward her. “I need you to do something for me tomorrow.”Eilleen slowly

As soon as José and his men left, Eilleen slipped quietly into the kitchen. Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone and typed a quick message to Detective Alvarez:Eilleen: They’re onto you. You need to be careful.It didn’t take long before a reply came.Alvarez: I know they are, but I can take care of myself.She sighed and texted again, Are the men talking yet?Alvarez: They are, but they aren’t saying anything to implicate José yet.Eilleen’s shoulders slumped. She knew this would be difficult. José’s men were fiercely loyal to him, bound not just by money, but fear. No one dared betray José Santiago.Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the stairs. Josh came running down, his yellow soccer ball in hand.“You’re not ready yet!” he exclaimed as soon as he spotted her still in her white robe.Eilleen blinked, confused. “What?”“Mom, I told you I had practice this morning!”Her eyes widened. “What? Really? Oh my God…. I’m sorry, honey. I’ll change right now!”She

The next morning, the air in the Santiago mansion was heavier than usual — thick with silence that made every sound echo. Even the birds outside seemed too afraid to sing. Eilleen woke early, nerves on edge. She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes she saw flashes of gunfire and Jocelyn’s blood.She moved quietly down the hall to Josh’s room. He was still asleep, clutching his stuffed bear pillow. He looked so peaceful and innocent that the sight of him nearly broke her. She gently brushed his hair away from his forehead and whispered a small prayer under her breath: Please keep him strong……to survive this.Downstairs, faint voices drifted up — José’s voice, low and angry, echoing from his study. The tension in his tone made her chest tighten. She crept halfway down the stairs, careful not to be seen. Through the partly opened study door she watched José pace back and forth, his phone pressed tight to his ear.“What do you mean they found it?” he growled. “Who gave them t

Back in Canada, Steve and Kate were trying their best to move on with their lives. Steve had grown more responsible, determined to be the kind of father Henry would be proud of. He kept himself busy with work, using it as a way to block out the haunting memories of his visit to the U.S.In all the years he had lived with Mia, he had never seen her as someone who could be blinded by money or ambition. But that night — that encounter — had shattered him completely. The way she looked at him, the way she walked away, it broke something inside him he didn’t know could break.Still, he had to keep going for Henry. His son needed stability, not a father who drowned in pain. Yet every night, when the house grew silent and Henry was asleep, the image of Mia walking away would replay in his mind like a cruel movie he couldn’t turn off.Kate tried her best to comfort him. She still couldn’t believe Steve was talking about the same Mia she once knew — gentle, kind, full of dreams. She was certai