2025-04-22 03:34:25The drive to the evening gala had been long but not unpleasant. They’d made a stop at a suite owned by Sonia’s parents, where they both changed into new attires.
The soft hum of classical music filtered through the car speakers as Jalen and Sonia arrived at the grand venue of the event, the city's finest business gathering of the season.
As they stepped out of the car, a cool breeze swept past, stirring the sequins on Sonia’s emerald green dress and the crisp edges of Jalen’s black suit.
The entrance was already glowing with soft golden lights, welcoming guests of influence and prestige.
Jalen was adjusting his cuffs when he noticed Tiana.
She stood not too far from the entrance, her arm interlocked with a younger man’s. Her posture was perfect, her smile practiced. But the moment her eyes met his, the mask cracked.
Her expression faltered, lips parting in confusion before drawing into a tight frown.
What is he doing here? She wondered sharply. How on earth did he get an invitation to a gathering like this?
She quickly scanned his attire. Though simple, it was elegant, not that she was willing to admit that. In her mind, Jalen still didn’t belong in these circles.
He was from a life she had left behind, a shadow from a past she’d rather erase. And yet, there he stood, breathing the same expensive air, as though he had any right to be among the elite.
‘He probably still thinks we’re married,’ she thought bitterly. ‘Poor man, still clinging to memories. Still not realising we’ve moved on.’
Her fingers tightened slightly around Carlos’s arm - her date, whose eyes had narrowed the moment he saw the exchange. Tiana’s irritation began to swell as Andrew’s words came back to her.
“He punched me, Tiana. Just like that. No reason.”
It made no sense. Why would Jalen, the man who once brought her breakfast in bed and stayed up with her rehearsing speeches, suddenly attack her brother without provocation? Unless… unless he was really losing control.
On the other end of the walkway, Jalen’s reaction was more reserved. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he caught Tiana’s discomfort. He hadn’t known she’d be here.
From the way her eyes flicked to him and back again, it was clear she hadn’t known about his invitation either.
He almost laughed inwardly. That shock in her eyes; she hadn’t expected to see him among the high-profile guests. But it was the man beside her who caught his attention next.
The way the stranger placed his hand possessively on her waist made something stir in Jalen’s chest.
Was this the new man in her life? Already?
The moment of quiet tension broke when Tiana marched forward, her heels clicking with precision.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone sharp, eyes narrowing.
Sonia, who had been observing the subtle exchange, shifted slightly beside Jalen. The man next to Tiana stiffened, his jaw tightening as he gave Jalen a pointed look, clearly sizing him up.
“I was invited,” Jalen said calmly, folding his hands in front of him. “By a friend.”
Tiana scoffed and rolled her eyes, her gaze flicking away as though the conversation bored her. But something else caught her attention—Sonia. She looked at her with a brief flash of curiosity that she quickly buried under a layer of indifference.
Sonia raised a brow and leaned closer to Jalen. “Who is she?”
Jalen’s answer was quiet. “My ex-wife.”
The words landed like a dropped glass.
Sonia turned fully toward him, blinking. “You were married?”
Jalen nodded slowly, saying nothing more. It was clear it wasn’t a topic he wanted to expand on.
Sonia’s eyes flicked back to Tiana, who now stood with the composure of a woman above it all, but inwardly, her heart twisted.
She remembered those long nights Jalen would work late just to help her prepare her brand proposal. How he stood by her through thick and thin, often neglecting his own dreams for hers. She’d built so much of herself with his help.
And now he stood beside a woman that radiant and poised, and it stung more than she expected.
“You came here for me, didn’t you?” Tiana said suddenly, her voice clipped with accusation. “Trying to make a scene?”
Jalen looked at her, puzzled. “I didn’t even know you’d be here.”
She let out a humourless laugh. “So you brought her, what, to make me jealous? To parade your new girlfriend?”
Sonia bristled. “Excuse me?”
“My heart belongs to someone else now, Jalen,” Tiana continued with a dramatic flair. “Whatever you think you’re doing, it’s pointless.”
The words were cutting, but Sonia caught the undertone of something else; jealousy. Resentment. Perhaps even regret.
Carlos, seizing his moment, stepped forward. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you clearly don’t belong here.” He sneered at Jalen’s outfit. “This place is for refined men. Not those who throw on a suit and think they’ve become somebody.”
“Mr. Ordinary,” he added smugly, chuckling at his own insult.
Jalen stayed calm, but Sonia stepped forward. “Watch your mouth,” she said coldly. “You don’t know the man you’re speaking to.”
Carlos faltered, momentarily thrown off.
Jalen turned slightly, casting a side glance at Tiana.
So this is the kind of man she’s keeping company with now? The arrogance, the shallowness, it was a far cry from the woman she used to be.
Sonia leaned in and whispered, “They clearly don’t know who you are. Let’s not waste our time on them.”
As she gently took his hand and began leading him toward the hall, Carlos scoffed behind them. “Let’s see how long they last. At least we have invitations and class.”
His voice was loud, calculated, meant to draw attention.
Tiana remained still, watching them walk away hand in hand. She had nothing more to say, but her eyes lingered on Jalen, her heart strangely heavy.
As if needing to reclaim her own dignity, she said, “The party is hosted by the Torres family companies, just so you know.”
She said it like it should matter. Like it should change something.
Sonia didn’t respond. But her pace didn’t falter either.
Tiana turned away quickly when Carlos extended his hand again. “Forget him,” he said gently. “Tonight is about us.”
She forced a smile and took his hand. Together, they walked into the hall like a picture-perfect couple.
Inside the ballroom, the lights were low and warm, casting a soft glow over the polished floors and gilded ceilings. Soft jazz music played in the background as waiters moved through the crowd with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres.
Jalen turned to Sonia, a look of curiosity on his face. “Are you... the business rep from the Torres family?”
Sonia smiled proudly. “Yes. And you, Mr. Adesina, are seated right in front with me.”
With that, she guided him to a seat in the front row, a quiet yet bold declaration of her own standing and perhaps a subtle message to anyone watching.
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Chapter 135: A Wake-Up Call
Jalen lay on the operating table, his skin pale from blood loss, while the overhead lights cast a sharp glow over his lifeless form. Around him were two doctors and a nurse, their hands moving swiftly, carefully, trying to remove the bullets lodged deep within him. They had already administered sedation, enough to dull the pain and keep him unconscious. But even in his sleep, his body twitched slightly from the trauma. The chest wound had been dangerously close to his heart. A fraction of an inch and it would have been the end. One of the doctors muttered under his breath, “He’s lucky.”Just outside the emergency ward, Aisha sat in the waiting room. Her palms were pressed together, her eyes filled with fear and silent prayers. Her hair was slightly disheveled, her makeup long gone, wiped away by tears and sweat. Just hours ago, Jalen was talking and breathing. Even after the bullets hit him, he stood tall, commanding the scene. It was only when the medics began checking him at th
Chapter 134: A Life for a Life
“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
Chapter 133: The Breach
Inside the safehouse, Jalen sat in the bedroom, going through some old files and notes spread across the bed. The night had come unusually quiet. The crickets outside chirped in a lazy rhythm and the soft rustle of trees swayed gently like lullabies in the wind. Jalen's head throbbed gently, not from stress alone, but from the weight of knowing the kind of storm that lurked just around the corner. Every sound, every flicker of shadow made his mind spin. He didn’t trust peace anymore—it had become a suspicious visitor.In the kitchen, Aisha moved about, preparing something simple for their dinner. The scent of jollof rice drifted faintly through the passage. Her hair was tied back and her sleeves rolled. Yet her eyes were tense, and her hands, though busy, trembled at intervals. It had been over forty-eight hours since they both went into hiding, and nothing from outside had come—no word from Dennis, no update from Spider. But the silence wasn’t comforting. If anything, it was thr
Chapter 132: The Red Dot
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
Chapter 131: Desperate Measures
For the past 48 hours, not a single soul had seen or heard from Jalen or his lover, Aisha. Even Inspector Dennis, who had always had some form of reach into Jalen’s life, was completely shut out. Their phones were off. Their locations were off-grid. It was like they’d vanished into thin air.The city buzzed with tension.Every news channel, every trending topic on social media, carried one major headline: “Adesina on the Run: Drug Cartel Declares Citywide Hunt.”The footage of the botched kidnapping attempt at Aisha’s company had been leaked online. So had insider reports that Carlos Arturo, son of the late Fernando Arturo, had teamed up with the most dangerous cartel in the city—The Dragons, to eliminate Jalen.************The mood at the police headquarters was one of barely contained rage.The news of Kobi’s execution had hit the department like a bomb. Inspector Dennis, who had worked with him as an undercover agent for nearly four years, took it the hardest. That morning, he h
Chapter 130: The Price of Betrayal
Aisha trembled where she hid, crouched behind a concrete beam in the underground parking lot, her breath caught halfway in her chest. The entire place was almost silent except for the faint hum of cars from the distance. Then, the distinct sound of tyres screeching slightly on the concrete floor echoed, and she peeked out carefully.A black car had pulled in swiftly.She saw the driver step out—tall, poised, familiar.Jalen.Without thinking, Aisha sprang to her feet and ran toward him."Jalen!" she cried out, her heels clicking rapidly on the floor.Jalen turned, eyes scanning quickly. The moment he saw her, he rushed forward too. They collided into each other’s arms, breathless and relieved. She clung to him, and he held her tightly like she might disappear again if he let go.“Are you okay?” he asked, brushing her hair back, his eyes scanning her face, her arms, her waist, every inch of her body as if to confirm she was whole.“I’m fine,” Aisha said, still catching her breath. “
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