Chapter 4
Episode 3: Betrayal in the Shadows
“Adebayo,” the man with the gun smirked, “I must say, I’m disappointed. I expected better from you.”
Adebayo’s face was a mask of fury. “Oladele. I should have known you were behind this.”
My mind reeled. Adebayo knew this man? What was going on?
Oladele’s gaze shifted to me. “And you must be Sade. I’ve heard so much about you. Your stepsister sends her regards.”
“Bidemi?” I gasped. “What have you done with her?”
He laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. “Done with her? My dear, she’s been working for me all along. How else do you think we knew about the diamonds on your land?”
The betrayal hit me like a physical blow. All this time, Bidemi had been playing me, playing all of us.
“Now,” Oladele continued, “hand over those documents. Slowly.”
Adebayo tensed beside me. I could see him calculating our odds, looking for a way out. But we were outnumbered and outgunned.
Just as Adebayo began to lower the documents, a commotion erupted outside. Shouts and the sound of running feet filled the air.
Oladele’s head snapped towards the noise, his gun wavering for just a moment. It was all the opening Adebayo needed.
In a blur of motion, he tackled Oladele, sending the gun skittering across the floor. I dove for it, my fingers closing around the cold metal just as one of Oladele’s men reached for me.
“Stop!” I yelled, pointing the gun with shaking hands. “Don’t move!”
The room froze. Adebayo had Oladele pinned, while the other men stood uncertainly, clearly not used to taking orders from a village girl.
The door burst open, revealing a squad of royal guards led by the prince himself.
“Perfect timing, Your Highness,” Adebayo grunted, hauling Oladele to his feet.
As the guards took control of the situation, the prince approached me. “Well done, Sade,” he said softly. “You’ve proven yourself more valuable than we could have imagined.”
I lowered the gun, my arms trembling with delayed shock and adrenaline. “What happens now?”
The prince’s eyes gleamed with determination. “Now, we bring down the Diamond Syndicate once and for all. And you, my dear, will play a crucial role in reshaping the future of our kingdom.”
As we left the building, documents in hand and prisoners in tow, I couldn’t help but feel that this was just the beginning of an even greater adventure. The naive village girl I’d once been was gone, replaced by someone stronger, someone ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Little did I know, the greatest test of all was yet to come.
