“Effective immediately. No delay. I want Black Blossom erased from every single ledger linked to the Adesina legacy.”Jalen’s voice echoed through the conference room like thunder.He sat at the head of the table in the pristine executive boardroom of Adesins Corporation. To his left sat Mark Elberton, Director of Operations at CrestGold Beverages, one of the Adesina-owned companies based in Atlanta. To his right, was Ifeanyi Dube, Director of Finance and Strategy at Radiant Autos, also in Atlanta. Across the polished mahogany table was the only woman in the room, Alicia Norman, Chief Administrative Director at AvaLux Skincare, the family’s California-based cosmetic powerhouse.His personal assistant, Seline Arinze, stood quietly by the glass door, her tablet in hand, capturing every decision.“We’re not just pulling out projects,” Jalen continued, his fingers tapping the edge of a file. “I want every share Black Blossom owns in all our companies sold off. If they won’t sell willin

"Why didn't you tell me?!"The voice from the phone thundered so loudly through the receiver that Sonia, seated across the dining table, looked up from her toast with startled eyes.Jalen sighed deeply, closing his eyes briefly as he held the phone to his ear. The weight of the morning was already pressing down on him. "Mama, I didn't want to stress you. You know how you get when—""Oh, so I'm now someone you hide stress from, ba?" she snapped, her voice cutting through his explanation like a blade. "Don't give me that nonsense, Jalen! I watched that whole circus on TV yesterday. The entire court session. I couldn't reach you since then. My body was shaking throughout the night. My only son, being dragged through mud in court by that shameless girl and her troublesome family. And you're there telling me you can handle it?!"Jalen winced, pulling the phone slightly away from his ear. His mother's voice carried the particular brand of fury that only came from deep worry mixed with disa

Tiana sat in the living room like a statue. Her hands clenched tightly into fists, her chest rising and falling as if the air had suddenly become scarce. Her entire body shook, not from fear, but from something far worse, betrayal.Still in the dark blue suit she wore from work, she hadn’t even thought of changing. The weight of what she saw earlier at the mall refused to leave her mind. Her mother. Laughing like a schoolgirl. With Arturo of all people.From the dining area came the unmistakable sound of cutlery clinking against a ceramic plate.“Why are you panting like a stray dog?” Andrew’s voice rang out, thick with a mouthful of rice and stew.Tiana said nothing.He continued, still chewing, “Did someone chase you home? Or your new boyfriend left you?”She shut her eyes, counted to five, and inhaled sharply.Not today.Andrew didn’t know anything. He didn’t understand anything. He wasn’t worth it.As far as she was concerned, Andrew’s main skill was eating. If there was a caree

Arturo’s POVThey forgot me.All of them. The city, the companies, the suits and the wolves who once gathered in my office to eat from the same table I built with my own hands. They acted like I was never here. Like I didn’t shape part of the skyline they now take pictures in front of.But the Adesinas?They didn’t just forget.They erased.I stood by the window of my penthouse apartment, arms behind my back, eyes staring into the stretch of night over the city. The lights blinked like small stars trapped in a cage, but to me, they looked like memories.Memories of a time when I was respected. Feared, even. A time when the name Arturo Bismark opened doors and silenced arguments.That time died the day Jalen’s father turned his back on me.It wasn’t just betrayal.It was slaughter.We had a vision, the Adesina patriarch and I. A merger so powerful it would’ve taken our companies global. We signed the early-stage MOU in a room filled with lawyers and champagne. My father, already gettin

The internet doesn’t forget. And it doesn’t forgive either. By the time it was 10AM that morning, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook were ablaze with a clip of Andrew Brooks — drunk, uncoordinated, shouting at a young waitress, slurring words and swinging hands. And in less than five minutes, people watched as two lounge security men dragged him out like a bag of shame.Different captions competed for attention:“The face of Black Blossom humiliating a waitress.”“From court victory to club disgrace—Andrew Brooks’ downward spiral.”“Why is Black Blossom still tied to this toxic clown?”It was like wildfire. Commenters tore through his reputation like it never existed. But the damage didn’t end there. That afternoon, at Black Blossom’s office, the boardroom was cold and tense. Four of the board members sat still, expressions unreadable, while Tiana stood at the head of the table, arms folded.One of the board members — Mr. Gideon, a sharp-tongued man with graying beards, cleared his th