Chapter 1— The Prey

Prologue:

They never knew they’d fall in love with their opposites, a thief with a detective intertwined in love.

It has been proven again and again that we can’t choose who we fall in love with and love makes us do crazy things.

Why don’t we just follow where it leads?

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© 2022 Esther Imoseme Aruna.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means whether by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

DEDICATION

To the Salami-Aruna Family.

To Victor Olarenwaju Olorunjuwon.

DISCLAIMER

All names and characters in this book are fictitious. They have no existence outside this book.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

All thanks to the Almighty God for his constant love!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Esther Imoseme Aruna is an upcoming writer. She has written a few other books such as Forced to Marry, The Great Escape, The Wrong Dark house, Kimo the Dancing Frog, An Affair to Remember and many more are yet to come!

She currently resides in Nigeria with her family.

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Chapter 1

Lara ran up the stairs of the Fortuna auction building, she was aiming to get to the roof— which was part of her escape plan.

This time she had stolen the beautiful Van Cleef and Arpels Diamond ring worth 950 grand! She had tons of security men in pursuit of her, she continued to run through the stairs— the elevators had been immediately shut down from use, so the jewel thief wouldn't have an easy escape.

Lara had the diamond ring wrapped up in a black piece of cloth, she stuffed it into a little black strap bag. She held on to the bag like her life depended on it.

Tap tap tap!

Her high heeled shoes stabbed the stairs as she continued to run, she didn't mind the long journey ahead of her, she only cared about escaping the building as soon as possible. She had planned how her evening would go.

Jack Miller the computer expert would hack into the building's computer software in order to be in control of the system's controls. Jack was at the top of the building doing his job, he succeeded in aiding the taking of the jewel. The lights had gone off an hour after the bidding had began, Lara sat amongst the bidders; listening and watching the rich men and women as they fought to buy the priceless jewel, it was only a little piece of shiny ring but the price had already reached 950 grand.

"Going once, going twice!" The auctioneer announced.

"Come on jack, what the hell are you doing up there, someone's about to buy off the ring!" Lara whispered angrily into the little chip in her ear.

"Sorry boss, I'm almost done, stall for me a little more!" Jack replied from the roof.

"970,000 dollars!" Lara quickly raised up her bid paddle nervously yet boldly. She had broken a sweat.

"Wow! Ok! Do I hear a million?" He continued to search their faces.

"Come on jack I haven't got all day, I didn't come here to buy a jewel!" She whispered again.

"Going once, going twice", the auctioneer raised his gavel.

Boom!

The lights went off, in the twinkling of an eye the whole building went pitch black!

"Oh oh oh!", everyone began to murmur.

"What's going on?!" A woman's voice screamed in the room.

"Please calm down everyone, there's no cause for alarm!" The auctioneer announced in the dark. "I'm sure everything's fine!"

Boom again!

The building lightened up, Jack had switched the lights back on.

Arrrrrraaaahhhhh!!! The auctioneer screamed like a lady; terrified of the sight before him— the box was empty, the diamond ring was gone!

"The ring is gone!" He announced with a loud voice.

Immediately the men in black began to search for the thief, somehow one of them managed to see a figure running up the stairs with a gun.

"Requesting immediate lock down of the whole building, we are in pursuit!" One of the men placed his hand on his left ear and commanded with a deep serious voice.