Alexander packed his bags the following morning one after the other, properly arranged. Daniela saw him and was eager to know where he was going. “ Where are you going Alexander? “ she said, staring at him face to face.” I have business meetings in Abuja and they are very important, “ He replied, as he rushed inside the car . The driver drove him to Abuja's most exclusive hotel. As a businessman, business meetings were a normal occurrence but this particular one, Alexander wasn't travelling for a meeting. He headed straight into the arms of a past he should have left behind- A past that had the power to destroy everything he had built with his wife.The moment Alexander stepped into the hotel suite, Christiana was already waiting for him. She had always known how to seduce him. She was wearing a crimson silk gown that brought her curves, her lips painted the same shade as her dress, She stood by the windows with a glass of wine in her hand.“ Alexa
The next morning, while Alexander was having his bath, Daniela seized the opportunity . She opened his suitcase carefully,her hands trembling. At first, Everything looked normal - clothes, toiletries, and a few work documents . But as she checked through the side pockets, She found something that made her blood run Cold. A receipt from La belle suites . The date stamped on it was two days ago,confirming he had stayed there for at least two nights.She stared at the paper,her heart pounding. Why would Alexander stay in a luxury hotel instead of the company provided accommodation he always used? Her thoughts were diverse as she considered the possibilities. She placed the receipt back, exactly where she found it and closed the suitcase, her mind filled with a lot of thoughts.The following evening, Daniela prepared dinner as usual, though her hands trembled as she chopped vegetables . Alexander entered the kitchen staring at what she was cooking. “ Dinner sm
The early morning sun shined through the curtains in Daniela's bedroom, Casting a glow across her face. Her skin was Frigid, and her breathing labored as she fought against the fever that had kept her bedridden. She barely could hear the distant sound of Alexander's car pulling out of the driveway.A knock at the door pulled her out of her thinking. “ Madam, Should I bring you some tea?” Blessing concerned voice was heard through the doorway. Daniela forced her heavy eyelids open, her voice barely heard. “ No, just check up on Noah. Make sure he's ready for school “. Blessing hesitated,lingering through the doorway scanning through Daniela's pale face. “ But you don't look fine. Should I stay back today?I can handle everything here”.“ No” Daniela replied,her tone firm despite her discomfort. “ Noah needs to be in school. Pls just make sure he's okay and safe”.With a reluctant nod, Amaka disappeared down the hall and did as her boss said. She bathed
The house, once lively with the sound of Noah’s laughter, was now silent like a graveyard. Daniela sat in the living room, her fingers holding Noah’s favourite toy car. Her eyes were red,dark circles marking her face like someone going through depression. It had been four days,four unbearable days since their little boy vanished without a trace. Alexander stood by the window, his phone pressed tightly to his ear. His voice filled the room as he issued instructions to the private investigators he had hired. “ I don't care how much it costs”, he screamed . “ I want results. And I want them now”.Daniela barely paid attention to his words. Her mind was stuck on the “ What ifs”. What if Noah was scared?What if he was cold?What if they were hurting him? She squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the tears that threatened to spill for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “ Did they find anything? “ She whispered,her voice cracking from crying. Alexan
Later in the evening, after the officer had left, Daniela sat in the living room staring at her phone. Alexander was upstairs, but she couldn't bring herself to join him. She felt insensitive, as though she was watching her life crumble from a distance. Her phone rung again, and her heart leapt. She opened the message, her blood running cold as she played another audio file. “ Mama! Papa! Jonah's small voice cried, filled with pain. “ Please help me! They said they'll hurt me if you don't do what they say!” The recording ended Daniela in utmost silence. She replayed the message, her heart breaking with each repetition of Noah's desperate tears.“ Alexander” She screamed, her voice pale.He came running , his face reddish. “What is it?” She gave him the phone to check for himself. He took it, his expression darkening as he listened to the recording. When it ended, he slammed the phone on the table. “ That's it”, Daniela said, her voice
As the door shut behind her, Daniela felt doubts hardening in her chest. She had spent too long depending on Alexander as the head of the house. But this time, She couldn't rely on him. Noah's life was at stake , and she wouldn't let anyone, not even her husband stop her from saving her child. She wiped her tears away, holding her trembling hands. She had no plan or clear idea of how she would raise the ransom money, but one thing was certain she would do whatever it took. Daniela went to her bedroom and locked the door. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contact lists. As she scrolled, She came across a name Liam Carter. He was an old friend,someone she had once trusted deeply before Alexander came into her life. Liam had always been helpful, and though they hadn't spoken in years, She knew he could help her navigate the cross road she was in. Her fingers clicked over the call button,but just as she was about to press it, A message notif
The car ride was heavy with speed.The rain poured endlessly, a reflection of the storm going through Daniela's life. Liam's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly,his jaw clenched in concentration. Beside him, Daniela sat stiffly clutching the bag of money on her lap as if her entire life depended on it . Her chest tightened with every passing minute . “ This is all we have”, She murmured to herself . “ What if they won't take it?” Remember, it's a hundred million they requested for properties and this is just ten million”. “ They 'll take it”, Liam assured her deeply, though the doubts in his eyes betrayed his calm tone. “ They'll have to.Stay focused. We'll handle whatever comes next”. Daniela nodded weakly, her mind racing . It wasn't enough. She knew it wasn't. The kidnappers had demanded two million , but this was all Alexander had agreed to give. She bit her lips, her fingers trembling as they gripped the bag tighter. The thoughts of leaving with
The dim light from Liam’s laptop cast shadows across the small apartment. Daniela sat on the edge of the couch, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her mind racing. Liam was hunched over the keyboard, his face illuminated with a determined glow as he scrolled through security footage and accessed private records through his network of contacts."There’s something here," Liam said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.Daniela jumped to her feet and rushed to his side. "What is it? Did you find him?""Not yet," Liam replied, zooming in on a grainy video from a nearby convenience store. "But this footage was taken a few blocks from the drop-off point. Look."He pointed at the screen, where a van with no license plates idled suspiciously near the curb. Two masked men climbed into the vehicle minutes after the drop-off time."They didn’t even wait," Liam muttered. "They left right after rejecting the money."Daniela’s breath caught. "That has to be them. Do you think Noah was in
The palace was quiet—too quiet. Even the birds that usually fluttered outside the grand windows of the king’s chamber were absent, as if nature itself mourned the weariness of the man within.Alexander sat on the edge of his bed, the heavy robe of royalty pooling around him like a shroud. The golden crown, once proudly perched upon his head, now lay abandoned on the floor, its polished surface reflecting nothing but a broken legacy.He had sent the servants away hours ago, requesting solitude. But truth be told, he had been alone for far longer than that—ever since Daniela left, ever since the boy vanished. Ever since he traded his humanity for power.The voices from the past echoed relentlessly in his mind."You want her to be queen? There is a way…""Put this powder in her drink. It will cloud her mind and draw her to you.""Rub this oil on your palms before you touch her—she will not resist.""You must act fast. The elders are watching. You need an heir."At the time, it all seemed
The palace was quieter these days—too quiet for a man who once ruled with noise, power, and pride. Alexander sat by his window, fingers toying with a half-filled goblet of wine. Outside, the moonlight brushed the edges of the thatched palace roof, casting ghostly shadows on the walls. Chisom had long drifted to sleep, her breathing soft, steady. But Alexander was wide awake—again.It had been six moons since she was brought to him, her skin soft as silk, her smile gentle, her body yielding. Each night, she came to his bed, and each night, he held hope in his loins and in his heart. But morning always came with the same bitter emptiness. No signs. No whispers of cravings. No swelling belly. No child.He had tried everything—spiced roots, fertility herbs from the palace medicine woman, and even late-night rituals performed by the native priest. Still… nothing.Alexander rose from the bed, pacing the cold marble floor with heavy feet. A fire burned in the hearth, but it did little to tha
The morning sun filtered through the bright white curtains of their new apartment, casting golden rays across the hardwood floor. Lydia stirred beneath the duvet, her hand instinctively reaching out to the other side of the bed.Empty.She blinked, sat up, and glanced around. The soft scent of brewed coffee and toasted bread teased her nose. A smile curled on her lips.He’s in the kitchen again.Throwing on a light robe, she padded down the hallway and into the warm, open space where Gabriel stood shirtless, wearing joggers and flipping pancakes with an exaggerated chef’s flair.“You’re going to burn them,” Lydia teased, leaning against the doorframe.Gabriel turned, spatula in hand, and grinned. “And good morning to my beautiful wife.”She walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. “Good morning, chef husband.”He kissed the top of her head, then plated a stack of fluffy pancakes. “I thought we could eat on the balcony today. The sun’s not too harsh yet.”They
The early morning sun filtered through the intricate lattice windows of the palace, casting golden shapes across the polished floors. Drums beat faintly in the distance, signaling the dawn of a new day—and a new queen.Chisom sat quietly on the edge of a carved mahogany bed, her feet barely touching the polished ground. Around her, the royal maids fluttered like bees, tying her hair into delicate loops, rubbing her arms with perfumed oil, and whispering instructions she barely absorbed.“Your new robe, my queen,” one of the maids said, presenting a cloth woven with silver threads and royal blue patterns. “You must wear it before you greet the king.”Chisom nodded faintly, still unsure how to wear the title of "queen" in her heart. The palace air was thick—not just with incense, but with the weight of expectation. She could feel it in the walls, in the eyes of the elders who measured her with unspoken judgment, and in the stiff bow of the guards who had served another before her.As sh
The palace air brimmed with anticipation, thick like a brewing storm. Inside the grand hall, the scent of burning incense drifted from gold-plated bowls, curling in the air like whispers from the ancestors. Soft drums echoed in the background, played by two palace boys, steady and ceremonial. The marble floors had been scrubbed to glass-like shine, reflecting the rows of candles burning along the corridor.Alexander sat on the throne, robed in deep crimson, his royal crown resting heavy on his head. His face was unreadable—a mask of calm, yet behind his eyes, something stirred. Pain. Memory. Resignation. This was not how he envisioned choosing a queen.Beside him, a guard stood silently, holding a scroll with the names of the maidens. The chamberlain motioned, and the doors opened.One by one, the virgins began to enter.The first maiden, Awele, stepped forward with her head lowered, her feet bare, anklets chiming with each timid step. She was beautiful—smooth dark skin, full lips, an
The sky above the palace bled into a melancholic gray, the sun hiding behind thick clouds as though mourning with the king. The royal garden, once Daniela’s favorite place, stood untended. Wildflowers grew in stubborn defiance through cracks in the once manicured paths. The scent of blooming hibiscus clashed with the scent of time—that old, dusty silence that lingered in places where laughter had died.King Alexander stood still on the palace balcony, arms crossed behind his back, cloaked in heavy velvet. He wasn't the same man he was two years ago. The weight of loss had carved lines into his once-youthful face. His shoulders drooped beneath invisible burdens. Power still clothed him, yes, but it no longer fitted him like pride—it clung to him like grief.His eyes scanned the horizon—the same trail Daniela had once fled down with the child. The same trail the guards had failed to watch. His jaw clenched at the memory.Every now and then, he imagined seeing her figure walking back, ch
The evening of the engagement party felt like a dream to Lydia. The grand ballroom was bathed in warm, golden light. Crystal chandeliers hung high above, their glimmering reflections dancing across the polished marble floor. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries, depicting stories of love, fortune, and legacy. Every corner of the room was carefully designed to evoke luxury, but it was the people who made it truly come alive.Guests murmured and laughed in soft clusters, champagne glasses clinking as they raised their toasts to Gabriel and Lydia. They had all come from different walks of life—wealthy socialites, business moguls, close friends of the family. But tonight, there was one thing that united them all: the promise of the future, the joining of two lives. Gabriel stood at the center of it all, a striking figure in a tailored suit, his posture confident but warm as he greeted guests. He was the picture of a man who had everything under control. But as his eyes scanned
The soft light of the morning sun was seen through the blinds, spilling its warmth over the living room of Gabriel’s apartment. Lydia sat on the sofa, her bare feet tucked under her as she scrolled through a wedding magazine, lost in thought. The room was filled with the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee, and the faint hum of the city outside only added to the quiet peace of the moment.Gabriel had just stepped out of the shower, a towel draped low on his hips, his hair still damp. He smiled as he saw her lost in the magazine, the occasional flutter of the page drawing her attention. It was one of those simple, perfect moments that made him feel like everything he’d ever wanted was right here.“You look like you’re plotting world domination,” Gabriel teased, stepping into the kitchen, his voice a warm caress.Lydia glanced up from the pages, offering him a playful scowl. “I’m plotting the perfect wedding, thank you very much. There’s a difference.”“Ah, my mistake,” he grinned, lean
Dark clouds thickened above the palace like a warning, casting long shadows that crept along the courtyard stones. A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the occasional rustle of dry wind against the banana trees that lined the palace fence.Alexander stood stiffly near the throne room window, eyes fixed on the sky. When the priest finally arrived, the guards ushered him in with reverence. The old man’s steps were slow, but his presence demanded respect. His hair, thick and snowy white, spilled down to his shoulders like ancestral feathers. His robe, dyed deep maroon with sacred herbs, carried the scent of ancient incense.He bowed slightly, then looked up. His eyes—milky but sharp—settled on Alexander’s face. “You sent for me, Your Highness?”Alexander gestured toward a mat. “Sit. There is trouble in the land.”The priest slowly lowered himself, folding his legs under him. “I know,” he said softly, voice like wind brushing through dried leaves. “The spirits whispered last ni