Licking my dry lips, I crept out of my room. I wore black leggings and a dark sweater, moving like a shadow through the corridors. The main house was dark, illuminated only by the faint blue security lights in the hallways.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I climbed the stairs, avoiding the steps I knew creaked. I reached the second floor and glided toward the heavy double doors of Chief Segun’s office. To my surprise, the door was slightly ajar. A thin sliver of golden light spilled out onto the dark carpet.
Someone was already inside.
I froze, holding my breath, pressing my back against the wall next to the door. I strained my ears to listen.
At first, there was only the sound of papers rustling. Then, a low, frantic voice spoke into a phone. It was a voice I recognized immediately, but it didn’t sound like the dignified person I saw every day. It sounded desperate, malicious, and terrified.
“I don’t care how you do it, just get rid of her!” the voice hissed into the phone. “The girl looks exactly like Beatrice did at her age. Beatrice is already suspicious. She’s been asking questions. If Segun orders a DNA test, we are completely finished!”
I gasped silently, covering my mouth with both hands to prevent any sound from escaping.
“Twenty-two years ago, I paid you to make sure that brat disappeared forever,” the voice continued, cold as ice. “You told me she was dropped in a village where she would die of poverty or sickness. Now she is cleaning my floors, looking at me with those damn eyes! If she discovers the truth, she gets the entire inheritance, and I go to prison for life. Do you understand me? Arrange an ‘accident’ for her tomorrow morning. She must not see tomorrow night.”
My blood ran completely cold. The betrayal was so profound it physically nauseated me. The monster who had stolen my entire life, who had stripped me of my parents’ love and condemned me to a life of misery, wasn’t an outside enemy. It was someone right here, in the inner circle of the Alabi family.
In my shock, my foot shifted, brushing against a heavy ceramic vase that sat on a pedestal next to the door.
The vase wobbled. I lunged forward to catch it, but my fingers missed the smooth surface by a millimeter.
CRASH.
The sound of shattering ceramic exploded through the silent hallway like a gunshot.
Inside the office, the talking instantly stopped.
“Who’s there?!” the voice shouted, filled with sudden fury.
Footsteps—heavy, fast, and menacing—began marching directly toward the door. I turned to run, but my legs felt heavy, paralyzed by fear. Before I could even reach the top of the stairs, the office door flew open, and a harsh light flooded the corridor, capturing me completely in its beam.
I turned my head slowly, my heart stopping completely as I looked into the eyes of my executioner.
