2025-04-22 04:30:07Tiana stood stiffly at the party’s edge, her hands clasped so tightly in front of her that her knuckles had turned white.
At her side, Carlos noticed. Of course, he noticed. His hand was warm and strong as he slipped onto her shoulder in a quiet, grounding gesture.
“Tiana,” he murmured, voice low enough to barely be heard over the music, “I’ll talk to my father. I’ll plead with him. I’m sure there’s still a way to get your company back on that list.”
The luxurious glow of the chandeliers above, the soft trill of the string quartet in the background, the laughter and clinking glasses all blurred together like a cruel joke playing out before her eyes. It felt like standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing the ground was about to vanish beneath her feet but being powerless to stop it.
The news had already reached her — first the blow from the Torres company backing out, and now the confirmed cancellation of all pending orders from the Adesins company.
The double hit settled heavily on her chest, squeezing until she could barely breathe. Her company, her pride, everything she had worked tirelessly for, was hanging by a thread so thin it was practically invisible.
For the first time that night, Tiana’s eyes, rimmed slightly with unshed tears, flickered with a glint of hope. Fragile, trembling hope that clutched at her heart like a drowning woman reaching for driftwood.
“Thank you,” she whispered to Carlos, forcing a smile that barely lifted the corners of her lips. She couldn’t trust herself to say more.
She didn’t know if Carlos could fix any of this. In truth, she doubted it.
The Torres family was fiercely proud and hardly known for forgiving perceived slights. But right now, she needed something to believe in. Something to stop the spiraling fear threatening to pull her under.
Outside the hall, beyond the glitter and glamour of the party, Jalen leaned heavily against the side of the sleek black car he arrived the party with Sonia, his phone still pressed to his ear.
“I’m sorry, son,” an older man’s voice came through the line, heavy with regret. “There’s nothing more we can do. It’s done.”
The older man was a known figure on the high tables of the Torres family whom Sonia had earlier introduced to. Jalen presented Tiana’s case to him with hope that something good could come out of it.
But nothing.
Even though he wanted to make Tiana pay for her cruel actions, which was why he warned Malik to cancel further contracts with the Black Blossoms after the ongoing one.
But tonight, he felt the hit was too much on her.
He had make her pay, but slowly just a the rat caught by cat; the cat plays with it slowly, chopping its body one after another till it finally give up its breath.
Jalen squeezed his eyes shut, jaw clenching so hard it ached. The finality in the older man’s tone drove the last nail into the coffin. The Torres family had taken a hasty decision here.
Tiana’s company was blacklisted, their contracts dead in the water.
He ended the call without another word, tossing the phone onto the passenger seat with a frustrated grunt.
It shouldn’t matter to him. Not after everything. Not after the divorce papers, the bitterness, the nights he spent convincing himself he was better off without her.
But it did matter.
Because despite the anger, despite the hurt, there was still a piece of his heart that remembered the woman she used to be. The woman who had once dreamed alongside him, laughed with him, built castles in the sky with nothing but faith and stubbornness.
He couldn’t stand by and watch her lose everything.
Without thinking further, Jalen pushed himself off the car and strode purposefully towards the grand entrance of the party.
He didn’t get far.
Two towering men in black suits stepped forward from the ornate gate, blocking his path. Arms crossed, and their faces hard, they sized him from head to toe like he was nothing more than a stubborn stain refusing to be scrubbed out of their perfect evening.
“Invitation?” one barked.
Seriously? Someone who just stepped out a few moment ago to catch some air?
“I need to speak with Sonia,” Jalen said, keeping his voice steady, though irritation simmered just beneath the surface.
“No invitation, no entry.”
The second man’s words were final.
Frustration bubbled dangerously in Jalen’s chest. His fists clenched at his sides as curious glances began to turn toward the commotion at the gate. The last thing he needed was to cause a scene, but they were pushing him to the brink.
Just as he opened his mouth, ready to force his way through if necessary, a soft, familiar voice floated through the air.
“Jalen?”
Sonia appeared, framed by the golden glow of the entrance. She wore an elegant silver gown that shimmered like liquid light, and her smile, upon seeing him, was warm and genuine.
The guards paled instantly, their posture stiffening with panic. Clearly, they hadn’t anticipated humiliating someone important enough to command Sonia’s personal attention.
She walked forward gracefully, her heels clicking softly against the stone steps, and waved a hand dismissively at the guards.
“It’s alright. He’s with me.”
They scrambled back at once, murmuring frantic apologies.
Jalen barely spared them a glance. His focus was entirely on Sonia.
He didn’t waste time. “Is there any way Tiana’s company can be reinstated?”
His voice wasn’t pleading, but it carried a quiet intensity that even Sonia, seasoned and poised as she was, couldn’t ignore.
Her smile faltered slightly, curiosity flickering across her face. She studied him for a long, loaded moment.
She hated to say no to him. Why the hell does he still care about the same woman who treated and dumped him like rotten trash?
"Jalen," Sonia called gently. "Why do you still care about this woman? After everything?"
Jalen didn't answer that, but the look on his face told Sonia everything she needed to hear.
Sonia sighed, and without a word, she pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and spoke in quick, efficient tones.
“Reinstate Tiana’s company on the partner list. Effective immediately.”
Jalen let out a slow breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
Relief — sharp, aching, and overwhelming pulsed through him, but he forced himself to remain outwardly composed.
“Thank you,” he said simply.
Sonia smiled again, softer this time. “Anything for you.”
Before either of them could say more, the heavy glass doors behind Sonia swung open, and the cool night air rushed in.
Tiana emerged, her hand still resting lightly on Carlos’s arm, her gown flowing elegantly around her.
Her eyes landed on the scene before her, and for a moment, she froze.
There was Jalen, standing casually close to Sonia, looking perfectly at ease, almost... intimate.
Tiana’s heart twisted painfully.
She instinctively turned to leave, her mind screaming at her to avoid the unfolding disaster, but Carlos, ever the showman, couldn’t resist twisting the knife.
With a wicked smirk dancing on his lips, he leaned closer and said, just loud enough for everyone around to hear:
“Looks like they must have been rejected at the entrance and have been loitering around for hours, waiting for a way in.”
His laughter echoed sharply in the night air, slicing deeper than he realized.
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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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