Chapter 6 The Walls Close In

Ben's Next Move

Ben sat in his office, the early evening sun casting golden streaks across the polished floors. The Lagos skyline shimmered in the distance, but his gaze didn't register any of it. Jane's blackmail hung like a noose around his neck, but it wouldn't strangle him-not yet. He had Tomiwa now. And Tomiwa never lost.

He picked up his phone and dialed. "We need to talk."

"Something wrong?" Tomiwa's voice was crisp and direct.

"Meet me at our usual spot in an hour."

He hung up without waiting for a reply.

Ben stood and adjusted his suit. His movements were precise, his mind calculating. Jane thought she was closing in. But he was three steps ahead. He wasn't just planning to survive-he planned to win.

---

Frank's Hidden Agenda Deepens

Frank paced in the corridor outside Chief Laz's private wing. The buzzing in his pocket sent a ripple of anxiety down his spine. Again. That same number.

He ducked into the nearest restroom, locked the stall, and pulled out his phone.

Your loyalty is being tested. You know what to do.

Frank stared at the message. His reflection in the mirror looked like a ghost-eyes hollow, skin pale. He had sold information to someone who wasn't even Shadrach. Who was this mystery handler? Their instructions were vague but authoritative, like someone who knew more than they let on.

He wiped sweat from his brow. Chief Laz had been grooming him for more responsibility, opening doors most sons only dreamed of walking through. The guilt clashed violently with his fear.

But it was too late to turn back. He had made a choice.

He typed a reply.

Chief Laz is moving money quietly. He doesn't trust anyone-not even his sons.

The response came almost instantly.

Good. We'll be in touch. Stay useful.

Frank exited the stall, his chest tight. The bathroom light flickered briefly. It felt like an omen.

---

Collins' Gamble

The penthouse restaurant on Victoria Island was dimly lit, but Collins felt exposed. Across from him sat Hande, his expression unreadable beneath a sculpted beard and tinted glasses.

"You have twenty-four hours," Hande said, swirling his wine. "After that, I start taking things you care about."

Collins grinned lazily and leaned back in his chair. "Relax, man. You know I'm good for it."

Hande tilted his head. "Do I? Because from where I'm sitting, you're slipping. And I don't do charity."

Collins felt the pressure in his temples mounting. He hadn't expected Hande to be this aggressive so soon.

"I've got a new venture," Collins said. "Big return. I'll cut you in."

"I don't want a piece," Hande said sharply. "I want my money. Or I start with your apartment in Lekki. Then your car. Then maybe your family."

Collins stiffened. That wasn't a bluff. He knew Hande's kind.

"Give me forty-eight hours. I'll double your money."

"You now have twenty-three," Hande said and stood.

Collins sat frozen as the man walked away. He was on the edge of a cliff-and the wind was picking up.

---

Jane's Growing Suspicion

Jane tapped her manicured nails against her desk, the rhythm matching the irritation thrumming in her chest. Ben was supposed to be unraveling. But he was calm. Too calm.

She'd expected defiance, maybe a desperate attempt to negotiate. Instead, she got polite dismissals and unreadable smiles.

She opened her laptop and began pulling up internal files-bank statements, travel logs, off-the-books meetings. Nothing incriminating yet, but something didn't add up.

She opened a private folder-hidden away under innocuous labels. Inside were the files she'd compiled on Ben for months. Transaction screenshots. A questionable real estate deal in Abuja. Pictures of him meeting Tomiwa off company premises.

Her brow furrowed. Tomiwa again.

She clicked on the timestamped photo. Ben handed him a small black envelope.

What was in it?

She leaned back in her chair. Maybe Ben had an angle. Maybe he was planning a move.

She smiled coldly.

Let him try.

She was ready.

---

Ben Meets Tomiwa

Ben slid into the back booth of a nearly empty jazz lounge. Soft saxophone music played, masking their conversation. Tomiwa joined him moments later, dressed casually but with the posture of a trained fighter.

"You sounded tense," Tomiwa said.

"Jane's getting bolder. She's poking around the company files now. She's trying to find something more serious than what she already has."

Tomiwa nodded slowly. "You think she's building a legal case or just looking for more leverage?"

"Doesn't matter. She already has too much. I want her neutralized. Legally, if possible. But if not..."

Tomiwa's eyes hardened. "You want something planted?"

"No. Not yet. But I need options."

Tomiwa pulled out a small flash drive. "I started looking into her past. She's got a trail. Former employers. One got shut down for embezzlement. She left right before the storm hit."

Ben raised a brow. "You think she was involved?"

"I think she's done this before. She gets close to powerful men, finds leverage, then bleeds them slowly."

Ben exhaled. "We're dealing with a professional."

"Yeah. But so are we."

Ben took the flash drive. "Let's find her crack. Before she finds mine."