Chapter 2 The Letter, the Lies, and the Lock

The next morning, Adanna did not wake up to the usual noises of life in Ajegunle.

No children crying, no mothers shouting, no sound of gospel music from Mama Chika's radio.

The only thing she heard was silence...

...because she hadn't slept at all.

The letter lay on her chest like a weight.

Her mother's words echoed in her mind over and over again:

"You were born for more than this... You are the first daughter of Chief Eze Ikenna."

Those words had changed everything.

She had spent the entire night staring at the picture in the envelope. Her mother, young and glowing. Her father-yes, she had forced herself to call him that-standing beside her, proud and handsome. There was no mistaking it. That was the same man who now owned private jets, controlled oil blocks, and appeared on Forbes magazine as one of Africa's wealthiest.

He had held her mother once.

He had made promises. And then... he had disappeared.

Why?

Why leave her mother to rot in the slums?

Why leave her, Adanna, to suffer, beg, and starve?

The answer, according to the letter, was fear. Fear of family. Fear of scandal. Fear of losing the perfect public image.

But that was his shame, not hers.

And now, after seventeen years of being ignored, Adanna had a decision to make.

"Do I go to him? Or do I burn this truth and stay where I belong?"

She already knew her answer.

That Morning

She dressed carefully in her cleanest uniform-the one she saved for visiting the school principal or attending assembly on special occasions.

It was patched at the armpits, and the white collar had long lost its brightness, but it was the best she had.

She folded the letter and photo into a nylon bag and slipped them deep inside her bra. Then she tied a scarf over her hair, picked up her school bag, and stepped out into the street.

Her neighbor, Mama Nkechi, spotted her and shouted, "Adanna! You no dey sell boli today?"

Adanna shook her head. "I get small something to do for town."

"Town?" The woman raised a suspicious eyebrow. "You no wan go school again?"

Adanna smiled and kept walking. She didn't owe anyone an explanation-not today.

She walked past the narrow gutters, past the boys who whistled at her, past the house where she had once begged for water when her mother was sick. All the memories felt distant now.

Her destination was clear: Ikoyi.

The heart of Lagos wealth. The land of high walls, security dogs, electric gates, and glass mansions. Where Chief Eze Ikenna lived.

She didn't have money for a bus. So she walked until her legs ached, then took a danfo and lied that she was going to help her "aunty" clean. The conductor didn't argue. She didn't look like a threat.

By noon, she stood in front of the Ikenna Estate, her mouth dry, her heart racing.

The gates alone were taller than any building in Ajegunle. Black metal with gold edges. There were two security guards, both dressed in black suits with ear pieces.

Adanna hesitated.

How do you tell strangers that the most powerful man in the country is your father?

How do you prove you exist to a family that erased you?

She took a breath and stepped forward.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said, forcing herself to stand tall.

The guard closest to her gave her a once-over and frowned. "Yes?"

"I'm here to see Chief Eze Ikenna."

The man laughed immediately, a harsh sound. "You think this is a party? Who invited you?"

Adanna held her ground. "Please. Tell him my name is Adanna. He will know. I'm his... I'm his daughter."

Both guards burst into laughter now.

"Daughter? You?" the second guard said. "Omo, this one na movie. Where your camera crew?"

"I'm not joking," she said firmly. "I have proof."

"Madam, abeg shift from here before you embarrass yourself. This no be Nollywood."

"I just need five minutes. Please."

The first guard stepped forward. "If you no comot now, I go call police."

Adanna's hands tightened into fists.

She wanted to scream. Cry. Beg. But she didn't.

Instead, she slowly reached into her bag and pulled out the letter. She held it close, refusing to let it touch the guard's hand.

"Then take this inside. Let someone-anyone-read it. It's from my mother. She used to know him. Please."

The guard rolled his eyes. "Na wetin be her name?"

"Ngozi. Ngozi Ifeoma."

That caught their attention. Just slightly.

The older guard narrowed his eyes. "Wait here."

He walked back inside the gate and disappeared behind the mansion. The second guard eyed her like she was something that crawled out of the gutter.

Adanna stood still.

Five minutes passed.

Then ten.

Then fifteen.

She didn't move.

Finally, the gate opened slightly.

The guard returned, his face unreadable.

"You. Come inside."

Inside the Mansion

Adanna stepped in, her heart thudding with every step.

The mansion looked like something out of a movie. White marble walls. A water fountain shaped like a lion. Cars parked in a neat line-black jeeps, a white Rolls-Royce, and a red Ferrari. Flowers everywhere. Even the air smelled rich.

She had never seen anything like it.

"Wait here," the guard said, leading her to a waiting room with tall glass windows and white couches.

She sat, trying not to touch anything.

A few minutes later, a tall, elegant woman entered the room. She wore a silk blouse and tight pencil skirt. Diamonds on her wrist. Expensive hair. Sharp eyes.

"You said your name is Adanna?"

"Yes, ma."

"I am Mrs. Grace Ikenna. Chief's wife."

Adanna froze.

This was her... stepmother?

The woman didn't sit. She stood like a queen, arms folded, eyes filled with suspicion and something else... fear.

"My husband is a very busy man," Grace said coldly. "So when you bring a letter from the past, claiming to be someone's child, you need to be very careful."

Adanna reached into her bra and brought out the letter. Her hands trembled as she held it out.

Mrs. Ikenna snatched it and read quickly.

Her eyes narrowed. Then her lips tightened.

She folded the letter and looked at Adanna like she was dirt.

"You need to leave now."

Adanna blinked. "What?"

"This... is nonsense," Grace said flatly. "Whatever your mother told you, she was wrong."

Adanna felt heat rise in her chest. "But the photo-"

"Photos can be edited. Letters can be forged."

"I'm not lying!"

"I said leave!" Grace snapped, voice sharp like broken glass. "If you ever come back here, I will have you arrested for harassment. You don't belong here."

Tears sprang to Adanna's eyes, but she didn't cry. Not in front of this woman.

Grace turned to walk away, then paused.

"Do yourself a favor, girl. Go back to wherever you came from. Chasing shadows will only bring you pain."

And with that, she was gone.

A maid appeared. "Madam said I should escort you to the gate."

Adanna followed in silence.

The mansion door slammed shut behind her like a verdict.

Back Outside

As she stepped out of the estate, the same guards smirked.

"Hope say dem give you biscuit?" one of them joked.

Adanna ignored them and kept walking.

Tears burned behind her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall.

She had come with hope.

She left with fire.

They didn't believe her. They didn't want her. But she wasn't giving up.

If her father wouldn't acknowledge her, then the world would force him to.

She would find proof.

She would make noise.

She would take her place-even if she had to break every wall to get in.

Meanwhile... Inside the Mansion

Grace stood in her private room, the letter crumpled in her fist.

She opened a drawer and pulled out a small photo album. Inside, hidden between pages, was an old photo-the exact same one Adanna had brought.

Her hands shook as she stared at the younger version of her husband... with Ngozi.

"So the girl is real," she whispered.

A voice behind her spoke.

"She knows."

Grace turned.

It was Chief Eze Ikenna himself.

He had been watching from the top of the stairs the whole time.

"I warned you," he said quietly. "This day would come."

Grace's eyes blazed. "You told me she was gone!"

"I thought she was."

"You lied to me. To your family. To the press. If this comes out-"

"It won't," he said firmly. "We'll handle it. Like we always do."

He turned and walked away, his face hard.

But his hands were shaking.

Because now... the past had returned.

And this time, it wore the face of a daughter he could no longer hide.