LOGINThe first few nights at her parents’ house were the hardest. The mansion’s silence had been replaced by the faint creak of familiar walls, but the ache in Zara’s chest stayed the same. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Regan’s face — confused, hurt, angry. His voice still echoed in her head, the last word he’d said before she left: “Zara, please.”But she couldn’t go back. Not yet. Maybe not ever.Each night followed the same rhythm — she’d put the twins to bed, scroll through her phone until her thumb hurt, stare at Regan’s contact, and then lock the screen before temptation won. Sometimes she’d draft a message — “Are you okay?” or “Have you eaten?” — but she never pressed send. Instead, she’d bury her face in her pillow and cry quietly, trying not to wake her babies.Her mother noticed, of course. Mothers always do. So did Kemi, who slept over most nights to keep her company. They didn’t talk much about Regan; they didn’t have to. His absence filled the space around them.“Zar
The Kareem mansion felt unusually hollow without Zara’s laughter echoing through the halls. The once lively corridors—where the twins’ giggles filled the mornings and the scent of Zara’s favorite lavender candle lingered in the evenings—now felt like a grand, empty shell. Every sound, every creak in the marble floor, reminded Regan that she was gone.That night, he didn’t sleep. He lay awake on the edge of the bed they once shared, staring at the ceiling. The sheets still smelled faintly of her perfume, and her hairbrush lay untouched on the dresser. His chest tightened as he remembered the look on her face before she left—pain mixed with resolve. She hadn’t just walked away from him; she had walked away from everything.Morning came slowly, the pale light seeping through the curtains. Regan dragged himself up and changed into a crisp shirt, though his reflection in the mirror told the truth—he looked exhausted, his eyes sunken, his jaw tense.Downstairs, the clinking of fine china an
The drive to the Tunde residence was quiet, almost painfully so. The hum of the car engine was the only sound breaking through the heavy silence that hung between the three women. Zara sat in the backseat, cradling one of the twins against her chest, while Kemi gently rocked the other. Her eyes were red and swollen, her breath shaky. Each passing streetlight illuminated her face—tired, bruised by emotion, but determined.When the car finally turned into the familiar driveway of her parents’ home, Zara exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. The sprawling compound that once felt too quiet now felt like sanctuary. Home.Mrs. Tunde hurried out of the car first, her wrapper slightly loose, her face lined with worry. “Come down, my daughter,” she said softly, helping Zara step out. “You’re safe now.”Zara nodded faintly, clutching her sleeping child tighter. The front door creaked open as they entered, and the faint scent of lemon polish and her father’s favorite cologne wr
Zara burst out of the bedroom like a storm, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe. Her cheeks were wet, and her hands trembled as she held the railing, half-running, half-stumbling down the stairs.Kemi and Mrs. Tunde, who were still in the living room, shot up immediately.“Zara!” her mother cried, rushing to her. “What happened?”Zara could barely speak at first. She gasped for air, clutching her chest. “He—he didn’t agree with me,” she finally managed, her voice breaking. “He said if I expose his father, I’ll destroy everything they’ve built. Mummy, he’s going to tell Chief Kareem!”Kemi’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? Are you sure?”Zara nodded frantically. “I saw it in his face, Kemi. He’s torn, but his loyalty to his father… it’s stronger than anything. I can’t stay here. I can’t let him warn Chief before we leave. Not with the babies.”Mrs. Tunde didn’t even hesitate. Her years of being a mother kicked in immediately. “Then we leave now,” she said, her tone firm and
The moment Zara stepped into their room, she could already feel it — the storm brewing inside Regan.He stood near the edge of the bed, his hands clenched tightly, chest rising and falling with sharp breaths. The veins in his neck pulsed beneath his skin, and his eyes—dark, fiery, unreadable—locked on her the second she closed the door.Zara hesitated near the door, her fingers gripping the doorknob as if it were the only thing keeping her upright.“Regan…” she started softly, her voice breaking slightly.He turned sharply, his eyes burning with disbelief. “Who was that?” he demanded, his voice low but shaking. “Tell me I didn’t just see who I think I saw.”His tone wasn’t loud—but it carried more weight than any shout could. The fury behind it was contained, controlled, dangerous.Zara’s lips trembled. She swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling with each uneven breath. “You saw right,” she whispered finally. “That was Zainab.”“Since when, Zara?” His voice was cold, shaking wit
The silence that followed Regan’s shout was sharp enough to cut through the night air.Zainab had already disappeared beyond the gate, swallowed by the shadows, but the echo of her name — “Zay!” — still hung thickly in the corridor like a ghost refusing to fade.For a few seconds, no one moved. Mrs. Tunde’s hands flew to her chest. Kemi’s eyes darted from Zara to the door, her pulse racing. And Zara— she just stood there, frozen in place, her heart pounding so fast she could barely breathe.Then Regan turned. His eyes, wide with disbelief and confusion, locked on Zara. The soft, loving man she knew was gone — replaced by someone she hadn’t seen in months. Someone whose anger was quiet but dangerous.“Zara,” he said slowly, his voice low but vibrating with tension. “Upstairs. Now.”The authority in his tone made even Kemi step back.“Regan, please,” Mrs. Tunde said quickly, stepping forward, trying to calm him. Her voice trembled slightly — she knew the kind of storm that could follow







