Mag-log inJOSH'S POVThe bass from my car speakers was still loudly blaring pop music when I pulled into the compound. I had spent the last three hours driving aimlessly up and down the Lagos Island expressway, the windows rolled down, letting the humid night air try to scour the lingering scent of Maison de Soie’s sickening lavender and Ada's choking jasmine - vanilla out of my memory.Leaving Ada standing on that platform in her pinned-together, multi-million naira overtight dress, plus the unbelievable look her face held, had felt good for exactly five minutes. Then, the reality of the trouble I had invited, slammed me right back down.I cut the engine, grabbed my phone, and walked through the heavy front doors of the mansion.The house was suffocatingly quiet, but the air felt heavy, like the atmospheric pressure right before a tropical storm rips through Lagos. I didn't even make it past the grand foyer before the double doors of my father’s private study swung open.He stood in the doorwa
ADA'S POVThe dining room of my father’s house in Banana Island always felt like a fortress. Tonight, the heavy mahogany table was laden with Rice, plantain, stew cooked with assorted meat and offals, and grilled croaker fish, the scent of home cooking temporarily pushing out the humiliation that had been tracking me all week. I had come home for the weekend to heal my wounds and pretend, even for a second, that my life wasn't spinning completely out of control.Here, I was Ada Williams. The only daughter of a shipping tycoon. A prize, not a nuisance."You're barely touching your fish, Ada," my mother said, elegantly patting her lips with a linen napkin. She looked at me with that sharp, analytical gaze she used for everything from charity boards to business alliances. "Is Chief Adeyemi's family still pushing for that ridiculous butteryellow and emerald color palette? Because if they are, your father can make one phone call and—""It's fine, Mummy," I lied, my voice tight as I aggress
THIRD PERSON POV The showroom of Maison de Soie located in Victoria Island was a sanctuary of silent, obscene wealth. It smelled of expensive French lavender, Lemon zest, and the crisp, starchy scent of imported tulle and other fabrics. Thick, cream-colored fluffy rug swallowed the sound of footsteps, and the floor-to-ceiling mirrors reflected rows of mannequin torsos draped in ivory silk, white Chantilly, hand-beaded lace, and crystals that caught the morning sun. It was a place meant for blissful, exotic and expensive brides. For Ada, it was an exciting moment. For Josh, it was a waiting room. Josh sat on a plush, velvet armchair in the corner of the private fitting suite, his long legs stretched out in front of him. His head was down, his thumb idly flicking upward against the glass of his phone screen, scrolling through sports highlights he wasn't even processing. He wore a simple black t-shirt and dark baggy jeans, looking entirely detached from the multi-million naira busines
BECCA'S POVTwo days of staring at the sterile white ceilings and hearing the mocking hum of the hospital generator had done nothing to dull the ache in my heart. When the two police officers walked into the ward, their heavy boots scuffing the linoleum, I braced myself for the handcuffs. I braced myself for going back into the the cell. I braced myself to set my face on the brutal policeman who had assaulted me. After everything—the scathing remarks from sister Mary, the Fellowship suspension, the old man's murder, the loss—jail felt like the natural next step in my ruin.Instead, the older officer just adjusted his belt, barely looking me in the eye. "Rebecca? You’ve been cleared. You are free to go."I stared at them, my throat dry. "Cleared? How? By who?""Investigation is concluded, you were clearly not at the crime scene at the time of the murder," the younger one muttered, already turning toward the door. "Case dismissed from above. Pack your things."They left without another
Josh’s POV I tore through the front doors of my father's mansion, tracking mud and rainwater across the pristine marble foyer. My chest was still heaving and burning, the adrenaline from my father's office vibrating in my hands."Where is Ada?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the quiet house like a whip.The head housekeeper jumped, her eyes darting to my soaked clothes. "Master Joshua... Miss Ada hasn’t returned since you both left this morning. We assumed she was with you."I didn't answer. I pulled my phone from my pocket, my wet thumb slipping against the screen as I dialed her number. It rang once. Twice. Three times. The moment she picked up, I didn't even give her room to breathe."Where the hell are you?" I hissed."Josh?" Her voice sounded slightly muffled, followed by a faint rustle of music in the background. She sounded defensive, already hiding behind her usual shield of grievance. "Why are you screaming at me? You left me at the restaurant like a madman! My mother
Josh’s POV The rain that had been threatening all day finally broke just as I tore through the gates of the Adeyemi Empire headquarters. I didn't even bother parking in my reserved spot. I slammed the brakes right at the entrance, leaving the engine idling and my car door wide open as I stormed past the security guards. They didn't dare lay a hand on me. They saw my face and knew better. I had a quiet, vibrating rage in my chest that could have leveled the entire six- storey building. I didn't take the private elevator. I took the stairs two at a time, my wet shoe soles squeaking violently against the polished granite, my chest heaving under an expensive custom made shirt that suddenly felt like a straightjacket. By the time I threw open the double oak doors of my father’s office, I was nearly hyperventilating. He didn't even look up from his tablet immediately. He sat behind his massive glass desk, the skyline of Lagos completely blurred by the downpour behind him, looking like th







