The cacophony of noise emitted from each person's phone was deafening. Kano and Abuja engaged in a heated verbal duel, their voices filled with anger and hostility. It was evident that no one was truly listening to the other. The conference call among Kano, Lagos, Awka, Ibadan, Imo, Kaduna, and Abuja had quickly turned sour."Killing Paul was a terrible idea. It was a foolish move that will come back to haunt us," Kano shouted through the phone."No, it's not. It made the senate turn against Ike, and even some of the masses," Abuja retorted."Rubbish! We could have achieved the same outcome without resorting to murder.""Enough!" Awka interjected, attempting to calm the escalating tensions."I believe what Kano means is that things have spiraled out of control. Paul's widow went on live television, claiming she received a phone call," Lagos said."Why is that detrimental to us?" Abuja snapped."It's problematic because someone might investigate further and uncover the truth," Ibadan ex
Bukky’s Pov Bukky stared at her computer screen, reading a threatening message that had appeared in her inbox. The message, written in stark capital letters, bore a chilling command: "STOP TALKING IF YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE." The sender's email address was listed as kiilla@gmail.com. Fear gripped her as she pondered why anyone would send her such a menacing message.Bukky had known that Ike was a dangerous man, but she hadn't realized the depths of his recklessness. He had already sent his henchmen after her for daring to speak out about the truth, and that, in her eyes, was a grave miscalculation on his part. She was resolute in her determination not to back down, no matter the risks.As she wrestled with the menacing message, her phone rang, startling her. An unknown number flashed on the screen, raising her suspicions. She hoped it wasn't the same person who had informed her about Ike's involvement in her husband's murder.Taking a deep breath, she answered the call. "Hello," sh
Bukky’s POV Bukky's world spiraled into a nightmare. The room was drenched in her sweat, her fear palpable as she stared at the man pointing a gun at her. Questions raced through her mind. Who was this intruder, and how had he infiltrated her house, bypassing her security?With a shaky voice, Bukky finally gathered the courage to speak. "Who are you? How did you get in here? How did you get past my security?"The mysterious man responded with a sinister laugh. "The people I work for have powerful connections. I warned you to stop talking to the media."Bukky's heart raced as she realized that this was the same person who had previously informed her about Ike's involvement in her husband's murder and had threatened her earlier in the day.Desperate to find a way out of this dire situation, she tried to reason with the intruder. "But you only warned me today, and I haven't spoken to anyone."The man scoffed, irritated by her attempts to deceive him. "You foolish woman. Do you thin
Linda’s POVLinda was confused about what was happening,she had her gun pointed at a woman who sat on the floor, seemingly in tears. Linda had heard the gunshot and hurried to the scene. She needed to know what had transpired, but she couldn't find Bukky. Instead, this woman was there, and Linda was filled with questions.Linda's voice was stern as she demanded answers. "Why are you here? Who are you?"The woman, trembling with fear, pleaded, "Please don't shoot."Ignoring her fear, Linda pressed on. "Why are you here? Where is Bukky?"The woman's response was chilling. "She's dead."Linda felt a sharp pain in her heart.What did she mean by dead“What? I want you to turn around slowly, if you try anything funny I will put a bullet through your sulk, now turn around and raise your hands up” Linda orderedShe watch the woman do as she had instructed before asking “what do you mean by Bukky is dead” while still holding a gun to the woman’s head.The woman's voice quivered as she
Ada’s POVAda could feel Ike's anger from where she was standing; his words rang in her ears as she tried her best not to snap at him. "I was not with any man," Ada said calmly. She was not looking for a fight."Then where have you been?" She heard Ike bark in anger."I will tell you if only you will stop shouting at me," Ada replied back, already getting angry from his suspicion."Well, I am listening," Ike said, folding his arms as he glared at her.Ada flashed back to her time at the SSS office. Linda had taken her to her office and instructed her not to leave. She watched as Linda took the phone she had given her earlier out of the room. She knew they were going to copy the video to their computers for their investigation.She remembered the last words Linda had said to her before she left for her house: "Don't let Ike or anyone else know about what happened today. Word might get out, and the people who killed her might come for you to silence you. Keep it quiet; my team al
Ike PovIke woke up that morning, very worried that Joy was still angry with him. He did not know why he let his jealousy get the best of him. He was scared that she had gone to see another man, but he knew he was wrong. She had been in the house without going anywhere; she deserved to go sightseeing if she wanted to, and he did not have to question her.He frowned as he got up from bed. He was going to make things right with her. Things were already getting better between them, and he did not want to spoil it. She had refused to have dinner the previous night because he had upset her, but today he was going to give her breakfast in bed. He had asked Mrs. Okonkwo to prepare breakfast and bring a tray of food to Joy's room. He went for his boxers and put them on, then threw on a blue polo shirt. He had decided that he wasn't going anywhere today, even though he had to sort out his suspension from parliament. Today, Joy was his priority.A soft knock on the door drew his attention.
Ike's PovIke's mind was racing all over the place; he was shocked at what he saw on the news. One of the reporters at ABC reported it as an exclusive. The report said she was shot in the head by the assassin he sent, and he couldn't believe they were pinning everything on him. People were already believing this lie, and social media was going crazy. Many people were calling for his arrest, and others were planning to stage a protest at his house."This is madness; I didn't kill her," Ike said to Ade. Ade was the first person to call him about the news, and he had rushed to his side to comfort him."I know you didn't, but people believe you did because she accused you of killing her husband. Many think you did it to silence her," Ade replied."Why would I kill her, knowing people will point fingers at me? Can't people think, for God's sake?" Ike said in frustration."You didn't kill her; we are going to make people know that," Ada said."And how do you plan on doing that, Joy?" A
Ada’s PovAda could hear the surprise in Ike’s voice. She wanted him to be at peace, knowing that he was going to come home soon. "What are you talking about, Joy? How did you get this woman’s number? How do you know her?" Ike asked her many questions at the same time. She knew he was confused after everything. She is just glad she asked for Linda’s number before she left the SSS office yesterday. “Don’t worry, I will explain everything to you when you get home. But for now, you need to know that there is a video that will clear your name.” She heard silence before Linda’s voice came on the other end of the phone. “Don’t worry, he will be fine,” Linda said to her. Ada quickly called Linda after Ike was arrested. They both knew that Ike was innocent and understood that the killer or the people who sent him were the ones who leaked the real events surrounding the death of Bukky. Ada was thankful that they had video evidence which proved that Ike was innocent. “I know he will be fine
Ike’s PovConfusion and shock washed over Ike as he witnessed Ade and some guys being handcuffed, emerging from the building where Ada had been held captive. He rushed toward them, eager to unravel the unfolding situation.“Hey, why are you handcuffing my friend? Shouldn't you be going after the kidnappers?” he asked, bewildered.Linda looked at him with pity. “He is the kidnapper.”“I don't understand,” Ike said, glancing at Ade. “He is my best friend; he can't do that to me. Would you?”Ade did not answer; he only stared at Ike with intense hatred before being taken away. Ike remained in shock, grappling with the betrayal of his best friend. Hurt and on the verge of tears, he held himself together. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Ada walking up to him. They locked eyes for a few moments before he grabbed her and kissed her, feeling her respond to the kiss.“I love you,” he said after their kiss. “I mean those three words and eight letters.”“Are you sure? What about your
Ada PovAwakening in what appeared to be a dimly lit room, she realized she was securely tied to a chair. It took no time for her to comprehend that she had been kidnapped. Ada struggled to free herself from the chair, attempting to calm down and focus all her thoughts on devising an escape plan.She examined the room, hoping to find anything that might assist her, her mind wandering to how she ended up in this predicament. If she hadn't pretended to be someone she wasn't, she was certain she wouldn't be in this mess now. Shifting her thoughts from the chaos she was in, she pondered on Ike. Oh, how she missed him. Sitting there, she yearned to see him again, even if it were the last time. Knowing in her heart that he might never forgive her for what she did, whether she emerged from this ordeal alive or not, she was determined to confess her feelings and true identity to him. She believed that if he discovered she was the Ada from his secondary school who once dated him, he might un
Ike’s POVIke brushed past his wife and went upstairs to his room. He went to his bathroom and had his bath. While dressing up, he felt like he needed to talk to Joy and lay down some rules for her; she can’t go about talking to people in his house that way. She was very rude to his parents last night, which made him very upset. He needed to talk to her about that too; she needs to show his parents some respect. He was the man of the house, and she needs to do what he asks of her.Dressed up, he planned to go over to Ade’s house. He needed to pour out his heart to him, moved towards his wife’s room. As he was about to enter the room, he heard her having a conversation with someone. Out of curiosity, he decided to eavesdrop on her conversation, then heard her say, “That fool, he bought my story. He thought that some man rescued me from the plane incident. He does not know that I was with you, that I never went to the airport.” He heard her laugh; all this while she had a lover and she
Ada's PovAda sat at the back of the car, unable to stop herself from crying, thinking of the look in Ike’s eyes when she told him who she really was. She wished she could turn back time and do things differently. Seeing a sample blouse in a shop, she wanted to cheer up. She stopped the driver and went into the shop. She left the house without any clothes or shoes, only the purse Ike had once bought her, which had the bank ATM card tied to the account he opened for her after the plane incident. She lied to him, claiming she couldn't remember her password, and, not wanting to go to the bank, he opened another account for her. Her phone was also in the purse. After explaining everything to Linda over a call, Linda comforted her and gave her the address to her apartment, which she had just bought and never stayed in, but was willing to let Ada stay there. Ada was happy to still have a friend in Linda. She took a deep breath and walked into the shop.Benito's PovBenito saw his opportunit
Ike’s POVIke found himself in a bewildering situation, staring at two women claiming to be his wife. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion, unsure if he was experiencing some surreal illusion or if reality was playing a cruel game on him."Who are you?" he managed to utter, directing his question to the lady standing at the door."What?" Joy snapped angrily. "You don't know me again? And who the hell are you?" Joy glared at Ada, demanding an explanation.Ike turned to Ada, desperation in his eyes. "Explain this," he implored, his thoughts scrambled and emotions in turmoil."Who is that?" Joy demanded, seeking clarity."What is happening here?" Mma voiced her confusion."You really are dull," Joy scoffed at Ike's mother. "This girl," she pointed at Ada, "is impersonating me."Ike, still grappling with the surreal scene, looked at Ada, anticipating an explanation for this bizarre situation."I am sorry," Ada uttered tearfully. "I am not Joy. My name is Ada Okoli. I sneaked onto
Linda's PovLinda returned to the office after spending some time with Ada. It was still weird to know Joy as Ada, but she really did not care who Ada was; that’s her friend, and she was going to stick with her either way. She only hopes that Ada does the right thing by telling Ike.“Ma, we found something,” Musa's voice rang inside her brain.“What? How?” she asked.“We got the numbers of people from their registration book that bought that kind of gun from the last gun shop we went to, just like we did for the rest. One of the men said he sold it to someone else, but the registration on the gun still has his name. We asked for the number of the person he sold it to, and luckily he had it. We traced the number, and it was registered under one Benito Dam. He is an ex-convict, and nobody seems to know where he lives. It looks like he has software blocking where his location is, but we managed to trace it. I think this is the guy we have been looking for.”“Put someone on him now. I
Ada’s PovAda has been at Ike's parents' house for over two hours. It was past three in the afternoon, and she had been chatting with them since she entered the house. She couldn't wait to go home, not because she wasn't enjoying his parents' company but because she missed Ike."Maybe you should sleep here today," Mma Nnenna said."I would love to, but I have to go back home to Ike; he needs me. The people on the internet are tearing him apart," Ada replied. "Plus, I don't have any excuse to give Ike for not coming back home tonight.""You don't need an excuse; you are my daughter-in-law.""I know, Mum, but I want to be with Ike," Ada said. She really did not want to leave Ike on his own; he had a lot of hate comments on the internet, and she wanted to make sure he was okay."How do you feel about this whole Mary video?" Mma asked."I don't know; she did that for whatever reason. I am not bothered by it. Ike said she helped him get a room at the hotel because he was very drunk a
Mary's POV"So you admit to sexually harassing me?" Mary heard Ike ask. The tone of his voice put her off; he sounded like he was happy she said that, but she was not going to lose in this conversation."Yes, I do. I admit it. That was my chance to get you, and I used it," Mary remembered that night clearly. She was already making out with him in the taxi car on their way to the hotel before anything else. It was clear that Ike did not remember that part, and she wanted to taunt him further."In fact, I was already making out with you in the taxi; you seemed to have enjoyed it." Mary felt satisfied when she saw the look on his face; he was shocked. She did not care about what he had to say; she did not regret what she did. She currently has the advantage and will not give up on the love of her life."What? You did what?" Ike asked in panic."You heard me right; there is no way anyone will believe I did that to you. Just divorce your wife and come to me." Mary did not care if he ha
Linda’s POVLinda was shocked to hear what Joy had said. Is she not Joy? Then who the hell is she? Has everything after their friendship been a lie? She tried to compose herself.“What do you mean by that?” Linda asked, still shocked.“I mean that I am not Joy Nnenna; my name is Ada Okoli.”Linda was very confused; she could not believe what she was hearing.“Why did you lie that you were Joy, then?”“I didn’t lie. Joy was in the same plane as me before the plane had an issue and the pilot did a forced landing. The people who came looking for Joy thought I was the one because we looked alike. My friend who I was on the plane with convinced me to agree and say I was she. The rest is what you see happening.”“You know you can go to jail for this, right?”Ada said nothing; she just nodded her head in agreement. Linda felt bad for her friend, although she did not understand why she was being told this secret.“Why are you telling me this?”“Because you are my friend, and I am tir