A DESPERATE DEAL

chapter 11: Come Alone

The car screeched out of the mansion.

At 3AM, rain hammered the windshield. Lagos was empty just streetlights and fear.

Damian drove like a madman. Knuckles white on the wheel. Jaw locked.

Ada sat beside him heart in her throat hands shaking.

Who is it? she asked. Her voice was barely a whisper.

Damian didn’t answer not at first. His eyes never left the road.

"My sister," he said finally. Voice flat. Dead. I haven’t seen her in 5 years.

Ada blinked. You have a sister?

"Had." He corrected her. "Her name is Tolu we didn’t end well after mom left, after dad died. We fought about the company. About everything."

The phone buzzed again same unknown number.

Damian put it on speaker his hand was shaking.

"Location sent. You have 30 minutes come alone. Or we start with her fingers. One by one."

A scream female cut short then click.

Ada gasped. Covered her mouth. "Damian"

"I heard it." His voice was stone Don’t.

His phone pinged, location: Abandoned warehouse. Apapa Port. Pier 7.

The drive felt like an hour. It was 15 minutes.

Neither spoke.

The warehouse was dark smelled like rust and salt.

Only one light bulb swinging from the ceiling. Casting shadows.

Two men, masks. Guns leather jackets.

And tied to a chair in the middle a woman.

Tolu.

She looked like Damian same eyes same sharp jaw but softer. Rounder face.

Bruised, Lip bleeding, hair a mess but she was glaring at the men like she wasn’t scared like she was daring them.

"Damian!" she yelled when she saw him. Voice hoarse. Don’t listen to them! Go! It’s a trap

One man pressed a gun to her head. Hard. "Shut up."

Damian stopped at the door hands up let her go. This is between you and me.

"Is it?" The taller man laughed deep, ugly because Vanessa said it’s about money 100 million. And the company. She said you’d pay anything for the family."

Vanessa. Of course.

Ada stepped forward from behind Damian. "Please. She’s innocent she has nothing to do with this."

The man turned the gun to Ada slow. And who are you? The fake wife? The one from the pictures?

Damian moved. Fast. In front of Ada. Blocking her. "Don’t you touch her. Touch me."

"Or what?" The man smirked. Gun still on Ada. "You’ll lose her too? Just like you lost everything else? Just like you lost your sister 5 years ago?"

Tolu was crying now silent tears. "Damian, I’m sorry, 5 years ago. For what I said. I’m sorry."

"Not now, Tolu." Damian’s voice broke. Just a little. "Not now. Stay strong."

The man checked his watch. "5 minutes, money or she loses a finger. Your choice, CEO 100 million. Cash transfer"

Damian reached for his wallet. Empty he patted his pockets. "I don’t have it not on me. My accounts are frozen. Because of the board."

"Then call someone."

"I can’t. No one will pick up at 3AM."

Silence. The bulb swung.

The man c****d the gun. The sound was loud. "Last chance 4 minutes."

Ada’s mind raced. 100 million She had it from the contract.

It was sitting in her account. Grandpa’s "gift". The money for her mom’s hospital. For the house.

Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone.

Damian saw it. Grabbed her wrist hard. "No."

"Damian, let me."

No, Ada. That’s your money for your mom, for your house, For your future. Don’t.

"I don’t care." Ada looked at him. Eyes wet but steady. "I choose you. Remember? I said it. I meant it."

She pulled her wrist free. Opened her banking app. Fingers flying.

"Done. Check it." She held the phone up.

The man checked his phone. His eyes widened. Smiled. "We got it. 100 million. Clean."

He signaled. The other man cut Tolu’s ropes with a knife.

Tolu rubbed her wrists. Stood legs shaky.

She ran to Damian and ugged him hard. Desperate. "I thought I’d never see you again, I thought you hated me."

Damian hugged her back. Stiff at first. Then tight. Like he was afraid to let go. "I never hated you. I was just stupid. And proud."

The men backed away toward the door. "Pleasure doing business. Tell Vanessa thanks for the tip. She’s good for business."

And then they were gone. Into the dark. Car tires screeching.

Silence only the rain on the roof.

Tolu pulled back. I looked at Ada. Really looked at her. "You’re the wife?"

Ada nodded. Wiping tears. "Ada."

Tolu studied her. Bruised face, but kind eyes. "Grandpa would’ve liked you. He always said Damian needed someone with guts."

Damian was on the phone now voice low urgent. Police, security his lawyer.

"We need to move now before they come back. Before Vanessa does something else."

In the car, no one spoke for a while.

Tolu in the back staring at Damian.

Ada in front staring out the window.

Damian driving faster now checking mirrors.

Finally Tolu spoke. "You look tired, bro."

Damian’s mouth twitched. Almost a smile. "You look like hell."

"Thanks."

Ada turned. "Are you okay?"

Tolu nodded. I am now thanks to you.

At Ada’s small house, he stopped engine running.

You should stay with me, Damian said. "At the mansion. It’s not safe here. Not after tonight."

Ada shook her head. "My mom is here in the next room. I can’t leave her not with nurses and bills."

"Then I’ll send security. 24/7. Starting now."

Tolu leaned forward from the back. "She’s brave, bro braver than you. You better not mess this up. Not again."

Damian didn’t answer. Just looked at Ada.

Before Ada got out, Damian caught her wrist. Gentle this time.

"Thank you," he whispered. "For choosing me, for choosing her for not running."

Ada nodded. Got out ran inside.

Back at the mansion. 5AM.

The house was dark, cold.

Damian and Tolu sat in the kitchen. Coffee. Neither drinking.

"Why did you disappear?" Damian asked. Voice rough.

"Because of you," Tolu said. Honest. Because you cared more about the company than us than mom. Than me. You became Grandpa 2.0. Cold. And I couldn’t watch it.

Damian closed his eyes. "I know. I’m sorry."

Tolu sighed. "The board meeting is in 3 hours what are you going to do?"

"Tell the truth."

They’ll destroy you. And her.

"Maybe." Damian looked at his hands. "But I’m tired of lies tired of pretending. Grandpa was right."

His phone buzzed. Email. From Vanessa.

Attachment: 3 Photos.

Photo 1: Damian and Ada. Kissing in the kitchen last night.

Photo 2: Ada transferring money.

Photo 3: Them leaving the warehouse together.

Subject: See you at 8AM, CEO. Bring your wife.

Damian dropped the phone It cracked on the tile.

She was in the house, he whispered she saw everything she followed us.

Tolu picked up the phone. Scrolled. "Then we fight back with the truth all of it."

Damian looked at the time. 6AM.

2 hours until the board meetig.

2 hours until his whole life came crashing down.

2 hours until he had to choose: The company. Or Ada.

He stood. Straightened his tie. Face stone again. CEO mode.

Call the lawyer. And call Ada.

"For what?" Tolu asked.

"Because if I’m going down " He paused at the door. "I’m going down as her husband. For real this time. No contract no lies."

His phone buzzed again. Unknown number.

He didn’t answer.

TO BE CONTINUED...