Her trembling hands reached out toward Obi. The tension was almost suffocating, and the guests in the hall exchanged uneasy glances.
Old Master, however, wasn't swayed. He slammed his cane onto the marble floor, the sharp sound making Ndidi flinch. "Stop this pathetic act! Do you think I'm blind? Your crocodile tears won't work on me!"
Ndidi's lip quivered, and she sank to her knees, wailing. "Father, please! I don't even know what's happening! Someone must be framing me!"
Obinna finally stirred and without hesitation, though deep in his heart, a shadow of doubt lingered. He couldn't deny the truth entirely, he was the one who had fought for the right to marry Ndidi despite the opposition.
If she were exposed now, his own pride and dignity would crumble alongside hers. That thought alone compelled him to stand by her, his support immediate and unwavering.
But his decision only deepened the chasm between him and his children. Even Ifeoma, who had been silently questioning the validity of Adamu's claims, now looked at him with a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
Nnenna, however, couldn't stay silent. Her temper flared, her voice cutting through the tension like a whip. "It's you!" she snapped, her tone brimming with fury. "You've never liked Olaedo from the very beginning, and now you're claiming to care about her? Don't insult us with your lies!"
Ndidi's face remained calm, but inside, she seethed. She should have ensured the girl's complete silence when they had sent her that picture. Regret burned through her veins, but she knew there was no time to dwell on it now.
Quickly, she shifted to the next phase of her defense, her voice ringing out with righteous indignation. "Fine! Where's your proof?" she demanded, her tone sharp and biting. "Do you think you can just accuse a member of the Arinze family without evidence? Do you think our name is some plaything for baseless accusations?"
The room fell into a tense silence, the air crackling with unresolved conflict as all eyes turned to the accusers, waiting for their next move.
Many of the guests nodded in agreement at Ndidi's demand. It was a fair point, the girl needed to present evidence if she wanted to back up such a serious accusation.
Nnenna let out a derisive laugh, her confidence blazing like a beacon. Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and unlocked the screen. "Sure! I'll prove it now. You all will see the serpent you've been nurturing in this house. Here it—"
She paused, her fingers swiping across the screen. Then again. And again. The room seemed to close in around her as her confidence began to falter. Her breaths quickened, her movements becoming frantic.
The voice recording was gone. The video… gone! Every trace of evidence had vanished from her phone.
Nnenna's face drained of color, the pallor stark against her earlier bravado. The shift did not go unnoticed. The guests, whose curiosity had been piqued, began to murmur among themselves.
The sound swelled, filled with mockery and judgment. Eyes filled with disdain and disbelief settled on her, their expressions accusing her of nothing less than a desperate, unfounded attack.
"She has nothing," someone whispered loudly enough to carry across the room.
"So this is what the Arinze family has come to?" another voice chimed in, heavy with ridicule.
Nnenna's hand dropped to her side, her phone clutched tightly, as shame clawed its way up her throat. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but no words came out. Ndidi's lips curled into a triumphant smirk, her mask of calm now replaced with quiet satisfaction.
"Well?" Ndidi's voice sliced through the crowd's mutterings, sharp and commanding. "Where is this so called proof, Nnenna? Or have you finally realized that slander has consequences?"
Nnenna swallowed hard, her mind racing for a way to salvage the situation. But the damning silence only deepened the humiliation.
Ndidi seized the opportunity to turn the tide in her favor. Her voice was clear, calculated, and filled with mockery. "I knew it! You're jealous of Olaedo's marriage to Chibuzor. That's the only reason you're trying so hard to turn her against the Arinze family."
"N-no, that's not true!" Nnenna stammered, her confidence wavering under the weight of the accusation. "Don't try to twist this—"
But the damage was done. Ndidi's words rippled through the crowd, drawing murmurs and nods of agreement.
"That makes sense," a middle aged man muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Her friend marries into a powerful family, and now she's trying to stir trouble. Classic envy."
"What a vile woman!" an elderly lady exclaimed, shaking her head in disdain.
The tide had turned, and the air grew heavy with judgment directed at Nnenna. Her protests fell on deaf ears.
"Stop it!" Olaedo's voice cut through the growing whispers. All eyes turned to her, startled by the sudden outburst. She stood tall, her expression resolute. "I trust my friend," she declared firmly. "Nnenna has never lied to me. Not even once."
Her words silenced the murmurs, but a sudden realization dawned on her, causing her heart to race.
The cloud.
Olaedo's eyes widened as the thought clicked into place. The voice recording might have been deleted from Nnenna's phone, but not from the cloud backup. There was still a chance to retrieve the truth!
She collected the phone from her and searched the storage immediately.
Olaedo's heart sank as she realized that Nnenna's phone had already been wiped clean. Even the cloud storage had been tampered with. The thugs had been meticulous, erasing every trace of evidence.
But she wasn't ready to give up. With determination etched on her face, she pulled out her own phone, ignoring the curious stares from the crowd. Her fingers moved swiftly as she accessed her cloud backup. Silence filled the room as everyone watched her, wondering what she was up to.
Moments later, Olaedo downloaded her chat history and headed straight to the technical team overseeing the event.