The house was silent when Tiana and Nina stepped into it, but the peace didn't last for long. As soon as the door closed behind them, Tiana turned sharply, her face tight with rage."Nina, what exactly were you thinking?! Carlos? Of all people!" Tiana's voice was raised, each word laced with disbelief and anger.Nina, still clutching her purse, lifted her chin defiantly, even though her voice trembled. "I know you're upset, big sis, but I'm an adult. I have the right to make my own decisions.""Adult?" Tiana scoffed. "Is that what you call this? Sneaking around with a man like Carlos? My ex, Nina! My ex who now happens to be my husband's son!"Nina looked away, her silence speaking more than any defence could. She had not known everything. But even now that she did, her feelings were real, and she wasn't ready to throw them away just like that.Their voices grew louder. Emotions, already stretched, flared like dry leaves under fire. Neither of them noticed the door creak open until E

“We did it, Jalen,” Sonia said, clinking her glass gently against his. “Black Blossom is finally yours.”The soft hum of jazz music floated in the background as they raised their glasses, their eyes meeting with a shared spark of triumph. Sonia’s laughter echoed through the room as she leaned towards Jalen, her smile radiant. Jalen nodded, his smile subdued but present. There was something different about him this evening; his eyes sparkled, but not with the wild gleam of vengeance that had defined him in recent weeks. Instead, there was a stillness in his gaze, a sense of resolve. He brought the glass to his lips and took a slow sip, then set it down with a soft thud. Sonia watched him closely, her happiness slightly tinged by curiosity.As she leaned back into the sofa, she turned her head slightly, eyes still on him. “Now that it’s yours, what’s next?” she asked softly. “What do you intend to do with Black Blossom?”There was a pause. Jalen looked at her, then turned his gaze

Nina sat across from Carlos in a small, quiet café tucked away from the usual buzz. Her fingers were clenched tightly around the edge of her cup, untouched since they arrived. Her eyes, usually warm and lively, now carried a dull gleam, clouded by confusion and betrayal."I just don't understand," she said finally, her voice low but firm. "Why didn't you tell me the truth, Carlos?"Carlos shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze falling to the table between them. He knew this conversation was inevitable, yet he wasn't prepared for the ache in her voice. "Nina," he began, "I didn't mean to keep anything from you. I just… I didn't know how to say it. I didn't want to lose you."Nina scoffed. "You didn't want to lose me, so you decided to lie? You knew all along that my sister, Tiana, was your ex. You knew she's now married to your father. And yet you stayed silent?"Carlos looked up at her, his eyes pleading. "I never wanted things to get this complicated. When we started talking

The sun had barely broken through the morning mist when the courtroom doors creaked open, letting in streams of lawyers, journalists, and curious spectators. There was something different about today. It wasn't just another legal session. It was a battle, a reckoning that had brewed for months under clenched teeth and sleepless nights. People filed into their seats, eyes darting across the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the big players.Jalen Adesina sat quietly in the second row, dressed in a crisp black suit. His face was carved in stone, betraying no emotion. But inside, his heart pounded with a slow, deep rhythm. His mind was locked on one face, Andrew Brooks. And he didn't have to wait long.Andrew walked in, flanked by his legal team, but it wasn't just his appearance that turned heads. It was the man beside him; tall, calm, a robe flowing with effortless elegance. Barrister Martins Ottoman. Again.The same man who turned the last case on its head, the same voice that

The ringing of his phone broke into the quietness of the morning. Jalen stirred from sleep, one hand reaching for the phone without even opening his eyes.When he finally looked at the screen, his heart sank. It was his mother. He sighed, already sensing the storm that was about to hit."Hello, Mummy," he greeted, trying to mask the tiredness in his voice.But before he could say anything else, the voice on the other end exploded."Jalen! What is this nonsense I'm hearing again? Another court case? With that same useless Brooks family? Jalen, haven't you had enough?"Jalen sat up, wiping his face as the flood of her words poured into his ears. He could almost picture her; standing in the middle of her living room, her wrapper tied firmly, hands akimbo, phone pressed hard to her ear, voice rising with each word."Mummy, please calm down," he said softly, knowing fully well that calming her down was going to be a mission on its own."Don't tell me to calm down! Do you know the number of