I pressed my back against the cold brick wall, holding my breath so tight it felt like my lungs might burst.
Through the crack in the window, Kael's eyes scanned the darkness. For a heartbeat, I swore he was looking straight at me.
"Is something wrong?" Morpheus Kane's smooth voice echoed inside.
Kael hesitated. His gaze lingered on the window one second longer, then he shook his head. "Nothing. Just shadows."
I didn't move until I heard the low rumble of their voices again. Only then did I risk crawling backward, my palms scraping against rough concrete as I crept away from the warehouse.
When I finally reached the safety of the street, my knees buckled. My hands trembled so hard I could barely steady myself.
Kael Obinna, the man who had saved me, the man who made me laugh again — was tied to Morpheus Kane. My father's enemy. My family's curse.
I stumbled home under the moonlight, a storm raging in my chest. Every memory of Kael replayed itself differently now — his too-quick smiles, his sudden silences, the shadow in his eyes.
It all made sense.
Too much sense.
But one thing didn't:
If Kael was truly my enemy… why had he saved me that night?
I didn't know the answer, but I knew one thing: I couldn't confront him yet. Not until I uncovered the truth about this oath they spoke of.
And so, I made a vow of my own.
I would keep smiling at Kael. Keep laughing. Keep pretending.
Until the day I had enough proof to The next time I saw Kael, I smiled like nothing had changed.
I let him walk me through the marketplace, let him buy me roasted corn from the street vendors, let him brush his hand against mine as if it were all effortless.
But inside, I was counting every word, every glance, every lie.
When his phone rang and he excused himself, I listened closely to the name he muttered under his breath before stepping aside.
"Kane."
I pretended not to hear. My laughter covered my suspicion like sugar hiding poison.
That night, when he left me at my door, I didn't go to bed. Instead, I pulled out the dusty trunk that had been sitting untouched in my late father's study.
Inside were papers yellowed with time, letters, and contracts from the Aduke family business. My hands shook as I sifted through them — until one name leapt out at me.
Morpheus Kane.
My father had written about him in his own handwriting, jagged and furious: "Never trust Kane. He binds with oaths, but his word is death."
The word "oath" again. What did it mean?
As I turned another paper, a photograph slipped out — a business gathering, years ago. My father stood tall, handshakes frozen in time.
And beside him, younger, but unmistakable, was Kael Joshua.
My breath caught.
Kael had known my father. Long before I ever met him.
I stared at the picture until my vision blurred, torn between rage and heartbreak. By day, I played the role of the girl he thought he had fooled. By night, I dug deeper into the truth my father had tried to leave behind.
But the deeper I searched, the more one question clawed at my soul:
Was Kael Joshua my savior… or the executioner of my bloodline?