Jalen sat quietly beside Sonia as she slowly chewed her dinner. Her hands trembled a bit while raising the spoon to her lips, and he noticed. He noticed everything. The tension in her shoulders, the stiffness in her smile, the fear hiding behind her eyes. Yet, he said nothing about it. He didn't want to feed that fear any further. He just needed her to be safe, and that meant telling her only what she needed to know for now.When she asked who he had called earlier, he glanced at her, then looked away again. "An old ally," he said simply. "Someone I trust. He can help us figure out who sent those men tonight." That was all. No mention of Spider. No mention of the gang. No mention of the weight of blood and history.Sonia didn’t press further. Instead, she nodded silently. He helped her upstairs, his palm gently resting at the small of her back as she climbed each step slowly. She was exhausted, and her body showed it. The events of the night had taken a toll on her. When they reac

"Does your sister, Tiana, know about this?" Jalen asked, his voice calm but loaded with unspoken weight. His eyes didn’t flinch as he faced Andrew. The man in front of him chuckled dryly, shaking his head like someone who found amusement in chaos.Andrew scoffed, folding his arms. “You’re hoping she’ll come save you?” He stepped forward, sneering. “Nah. No one is coming to save you today, brat!”With that, he lifted his hand and gave a sharp wave.“Deal with him,” he barked.Five men rushed forward like unleashed dogs. Jalen squared his stance, cracking his knuckles. The first thug threw a punch, Jalen ducked and delivered a heavy blow to the man’s jaw, sending him straight to the ground. Another came from behind, trying to grab him, but Jalen twisted, elbowed him in the ribs, and landed a knee to his stomach.It was like a dance of fury.In seconds, all five lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain or unconscious. Jalen’s chest heaved, but he didn’t move an inch from his posit

At the precinct, four uniformed officers lounged behind the front desk, sipping lukewarm coffee and laughing among themselves. The conversation, loud and careless, circled around the man currently locked in one of their holding cells.“Did you see the way he was shouting earlier?” one of them said, chuckling. “Acting like he owns the whole city.”“He even said we’ll lose our jobs,” another added, slapping his thigh. “Just imagine! A man like that? With his tattered shirt and dusty shoes? Please.”“He must think he’s some lost prince waiting for his crown,” the third officer mocked, mimicking Jalen’s deep voice.“A prince without a throne,” the first laughed. “You could smell middle-class on him from the gate.”They burst into another round of loud laughter.Jalen had said what he said out of raw courage. He had no detailed plan. No prepared contacts. He simply hoped that someone, anyone, who still cared about him would come looking. Maybe Sonia. She wouldn't abandon him. Not now. N

"So, this is your idea of being a man?"Tiana’s voice rang across the luxurious office like a whip cracking against stone. Her face was red, her chest rising and falling as her fingers tightened around her handbag.Andrew stood across the room, arms crossed, jaw clenched. He looked ready to spit fire too.It was past 2 PM, and Barrister Lowell's office, meant to be a place for legal deliberation, had turned into a shouting match.Evelyn sat tensely on one of the leather chairs, hands clasped together, eyes moving from her daughter to her son. Barrister Lowell stood beside his desk, trying to maintain composure, though the tension was beginning to rattle even him.“All this nonsense we’re going through now,” Tiana continued, voice sharp and unforgiving, “is because of your stupidity, Andrew. You carried thugs to fight a man who has every legal and financial power to destroy us!”Andrew stepped forward, eyes wide. “So what? He beat me up the day you divorced him! Or have you forgotten h

The cameras flashed like thunder.The questions hit her ears like bullets.“Miss Brooks, is it true your brother attempted to murder Mr. Adesina?”“Is your company at risk due to your family’s criminal allegations?”“Can you confirm your brother’s connection to drugs?”Tiana stood frozen in front of the entrance to Black Blossom headquarters, her heels wobbling slightly under her feet. She was still holding her bag, one hand lifted slightly to shield her face, but the reporters showed no mercy.“Do you have a statement for the public?”“Is it true your brother hired over twenty thugs?”The world spun slowly around her. She could barely breathe, let alone speak. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears. For a moment, she thought she might faint.“Please, clear the way! Step back!”Her assistant, flanked by two other staff, charged out of the building, shielding her with their bodies and pushing the crowd back. Slowly, Tiana managed to step into the office building, but the noise from the p