Inside the quiet walls of the safehouse tucked away far from the chaos of the city, Jalen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, the heavy curtains drawn slightly to let in a peek of the fading evening light. A half-filled glass of wine sat in his right hand, while the phone pressed against his left ear captured his attention. His voice was calm but heavy with tension.“Spider, we can’t keep hiding here forever,” Jalen said, his tone firm. “We need to move. We need to attack. Sitting like this, waiting for them to make the next move... it’s not me.”Spider’s voice came through the line, low and cautious. “I understand, Jalen. But trust me, this is not the time for rashness. They’re desperate now. That makes them more dangerous than ever.”Jalen sighed, shifting the wine glass to the table beside him and rubbing the back of his neck. “Then give me something, Spider. Anything. Just don’t ask me to keep sitting here doing nothing.”There was a brief silence on the other end before Spide

“Don’t do this, Carlos,” Jalen said quietly, voice heavy with pain. He was on one knee, struggling to breathe after the gunshot, his chest burning with every breath. “Your fight is with me. Let her go, please.”Carlos stood tall with the pistol still pointed at Aisha’s head, his expression unreadable. “No, Jalen,” he replied flatly. “If this woman had done what she was sent to do, we won’t be standing here. She’s not innocent. She came here, got comfortable, and fell in love. She deserves everything that’s coming.”Jalen looked at Aisha. Her eyes were filled with tears, her lips trembling. “Please,” he whispered one more time.Carlos didn’t even blink. “Drop the gun.”Jalen hesitated. His arm twitched, but he knew he had no choice. Slowly, he let the gun fall from his hand. It hit the floor with a light metallic clink. He raised both hands in surrender.Carlos smiled. “Not so difficult, is it?”He turned to the only man left from his side. “Tie him.”The man quickly moved, tying Jalen

Jalen lay on the hospital bed with his chest bandaged and his arm resting weakly on the thin white sheet. The machines around him beeped quietly, registering every breath and heartbeat. The doctors had told him only yesterday that he was lucky to be alive, that the bullets could easily have ended his life. But for Jalen, luck had never been enough. He was restless, his body fighting against the stillness the hospital demanded of him. His eyes, sharp even in his weakness, darted from the ceiling to the window and back again.The doctor had passed by twice already that morning, reminding him sternly that he needed rest. But Jalen had no rest in his mind. He had seen too much blood, heard too many threats, and watched death come close to his door. Every passing minute felt wasted if he was not protecting the people that mattered to him.Aisha sat on the couch close to the bed, her palms folded on her laps, watching him with quiet worry. She could see the impatience on his face, the w

Bose was in the living room that evening, her wrapper tied firmly around her waist as she moved restlessly from one corner to the other. Joy sat quietly on the sofa, scrolling on her phone, but her mother’s deep sighs were loud enough to disturb anyone’s peace.“This is becoming too much,” Bose finally said, her voice sharp. “That girl - Aisha, what is she still doing around your brother? Haven’t we suffered enough as a family? Everywhere trouble follows Jalen, and now he has carried another woman into his life. Can’t he see what’s at stake?”Joy lifted her head, frowning at her mother. “Mummy, that’s not fair. Aisha has been there for him all through. You didn’t see how she stayed by his side at the hospital, refusing to sleep or eat until he opened his eyes. She cares about him, genuinely. Why can’t you see that?”Bose stopped pacing and fixed her daughter with a long stare. “Care? That is how it always starts. A woman comes close, claims she cares, and before you know it, she leav

The fallout from the leaked story about Aisha spread faster than wildfire. By mid-morning, the hospital compound was swarming with journalists, their cameras flashing at every possible angle, their voices overlapping as they shouted questions.“Mr. Adesina, is it true your girlfriend once worked with Carlos Arturo?”“Are you aware she had dealings with the Arturo Corporation?”“Do you still trust her after all these revelations?”The security men struggled to control them, forming a barricade at the hospital gate, but the frenzy didn’t reduce. The air was thick with tension, the kind that could suffocate even the strongest heart. Inside, Jalen sat up in his hospital bed, pale and still recovering, his mind torn apart by the noise from outside and the chaos within. He had survived bullets, betrayal, and business storms, but this, this test of loyalty and love seemed heavier than all.Aisha stood by the window, staring at the crowd below. Her hands trembled as she pressed them against