Olaedo stressed the word ex, letting it hang in the air with deliberate emphasis, a clear break from the past she had left behind. Her eyes flicked briefly to Chibuzor before returning to the sea of onlookers. "At the time, there was no connection between Chibuzor and me. I cut all ties with my past before I accepted his proposal. The man on that stage was brought here with only one purpose, to cause trouble."
Her voice wavered just slightly, but she regained her composure. "And Adamu… I never thought you would betray me like this. After everything I've done for you, how could you?"
The crowd stirred, the shift in their perception palpable. While some still clung to their biases and doubts, others, those who could see past the scandal, began to nod in agreement.
Even some family members seemed to waver, though not all. Ifeoma, Ndidi remained unmoved, while Chukwudubem looked down, his expression unreadable as ever.
Adamu, the man at the center of the storm, began to sweat. The room, once filled with outrage, was now filled with suspicion, and the eyes of the guests turned to him like a predator closing in on its prey. He shot a quick glance at Ndidi, who subtly urged him to stand his ground.
He sneered, drawing strength from her silent support. "Cut off from your past? Hah! You really are as bad as Maduabuchi said. CEO Chibuzor, you would better get rid of this woman before she betrays you again."
His words barely left his mouth when Chibuzor's icy gaze fixed on him. The cold, commanding presence of the young CEO froze him in place. Adamu trembled, his knees nearly buckling under the weight of that gaze.
"Don't speak unless spoken to," Chibuzor's voice was cold, as though each word was a shard of ice. "If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it."
Despite the doubts swirling in his mind, Chibuzor's priority was clear. Someone was attempting to disgrace his wife, and by extension, his family. For now, she was innocent until proven guilty.
As her husband, it was his duty to protect her, from outsiders, from family, and even from himself. If the accusations proved true, there would be consequences. But until then, no one would harm her.
Still, the situation was unsettling. How had Adamu managed to gain entry to this exclusive family event? The security was tight, and yet he stood there, uninvited. Someone from within the family had to be behind this, a bold player who thought they could get away with it.
Chibuzor's gaze never left Adamu. "You've got some nerve, showing up here," he muttered, his tone chilling. And with that, Adamu crumbled. Under the intensity of Chibuzor's icy glare, he collapsed onto the stage floor, his composure shattered.
Desperation flashed across Adamu's face as his eyes darted across the room, seeking any shred of support. His gaze settled on Ndidi, her subtle nod betraying her role as the mastermind behind this plot.
But Chibuzor caught the exchange, and his lips curved into a smile. Sharp, cold, and void of amusement. A smile that sent a chill through the air, a reminder that he was always one step ahead.
Chibuzor knew he was piecing the puzzle together, but without concrete evidence, his hands were tied.
Chibuzor knew he was piecing the puzzle together, but without concrete evidence, his hands were tied. His gaze shifted back to Olaedo, the softness in his eyes unmistakable.
He offered her a silent promise, one of trust, reassurance. Whatever this was, they would face it together. And for a fleeting moment, Olaedo found peace in those eyes.
How much she needed Chibuzor to believe her, she couldn't understand. But she shoved the thought aside, focusing instead on finding a solution to this growing nightmare.
The chats were gone. Deleted in a moment of emotional turmoil. She couldn't retrieve them, couldn't show the world that those messages had been sent six months ago, before Chibuzor, before all of this. And now, standing before her was the very man she had taken from the slums, the man she had raised from nothing and shaped into something… and he was stabbing her in the back without a single shred of guilt.
Even after Maduabuchi's betrayal, she had vowed not to let that hurt poison her dealings with Adamu. She had treated him with kindness, gave him opportunities, made him part of her world. And now… this.
'What a wicked world,' she thought bitterly. I should have known. Birds of a feather really do flock together.
A decision formed in her heart, cold and final. No more help for Adamu. He had used her, betrayed her, for what? A moment's advantage? The only exception would be his mother's medical bills; that woman had done no wrong in this, and she still deserved her compassion.
As the tension in the room thickened, the Arinze relatives saw their chance. For years, they had waited for an opening, a crack in Chibuzor's otherwise unblemished armor. And now they had one.
They quietly rallied behind Adamu, their unspoken support giving him the strength to stand tall again. He straightened, his trembling legs no longer betraying him as he faced the room with renewed confidence.
Chibuzor, however, had seen it all. His gaze swept over the room, his eyes catching every subtle alliance forming against him. The cold fury in his eyes was palpable. He knew this was no mere coincidence, this was orchestrated. But if they thought this flimsy accusation would be enough to bring him down, they were gravely mistaken.
With a barely perceptible shift in his posture, Chibuzor's voice rang out, low and commanding. "You think this is enough to break me?"
Adamu froze, but his response was cut off before he could speak. Chibuzor's icy gaze swept across the room once more. "You'll all regret underestimating me."
The other relatives didn't waste the opportunity to pour salt on the wound. Their mocking voices grew louder, almost as if they had been waiting for this moment.