THE DOMINEERING CEO: The child of deception

The Trade

---

CHAPTER 8:

My foot hit the gravel.

Cold air. The smell of rust and diesel.

Victoria’s gun was pointed right at my chest.

“Step away from the car, Lila,” Damien’s voice cracked behind me. “That’s an order.”

I didn’t turn. If I turned, I’d look at him. And if I looked at him, I’d cry.

“Hi cousin,” I said.

My voice didn’t shake although I was tight in my chest

-my mom, Damian told me I'd be fine right ?

“You always did have bad taste in shoes.”

Victoria laughed. But her finger was still on the trigger. “And you always had bad taste in men. Look at you. Sleeping with my best friend’s husband 2 weeks after her funeral.”

“She was pregnant,” I said. “Did you know that?”

Victoria’s smile flickered. Just for a second.

“Shut up.”

Behind her, my mom was tied to a metal chair. Tape over her mouth. Eyes wide. She was shaking her head at me.

-Don’t come closer.

I took one step forward anyway.

“Let her go,” I said. “You want me. Not her. Take me and let her go.”

“That’s the plan,” Victoria said. “20 million for mommy. And you come work for me. See? Family.”

Damien moved. I heard his footsteps. “Richard, come out. We both know you’re in there.”

Silence.

Then a door creaked.

Uncle Richard walked out. He wasn’t alone. 3 men with guns.

“Damien, Damien,” he sighed. “You’re making this messy. I told you to sign the shares over. You didn’t listen. Now look.”

“You killed Amara,” Damien said. Flat.

“I didn’t pull the trigger,” Richard said. “I just paid someone to. Same as I paid someone to take Grace tonight.” He looked at me. “You should’ve taken the money and run, girl.”

My mom made a sound behind the tape.

“Enough talking,” Victoria snapped. “Trade. Now. The girl for the old woman.”

Damien’s eyes met mine. For one second.

-Trust me, his eyes clearly said

He nodded. Barely.

“Fine,” Damien said. “Lila goes. You release Grace.”

Victoria lowered her gun a little. “Untie her.”

One of the men cut my mom’s ropes. She stumbled. I ran to her. Hugged her. She was ice cold.

“Mom, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

We started walking toward Damien. 5 steps. 4 steps.

That’s when the first gunshot rang out.

*BANG.*

Victoria screamed. Not from pain. From shock.

The light above us exploded. Glass everywhere.

“GET DOWN!” Damien roared.

He tackled me and my mom to the ground. His body covered us.

More shots. From the roof. From the cars.

Chaos.

I heard Richard yelling. “Who’s shooting?!”

“Not us!” Victoria yelled back.

Someone grabbed my arm. Dragged me.

It wasn’t Damien.

It was one of Richard’s men.

He threw me into the back of the SUV. Slammed the door.

Through the window I saw Damien. He was on his knees. Blood on his white shirt.

“NO!” I screamed. Banging on the glass. “DAMIEN!”

The SUV peeled out.

My mom was in the front seat. Hands tied again.

Victoria was driving. Laughing.

“Don’t worry,” she said, looking at me in the rearview mirror. “He’s not dead. Yet. But he will be. After you sign these.”

She threw a folder into the back seat.

Inside: Transfer papers. Cole Group. 51% ownership.

And a marriage certificate.

Damien Cole + Victoria Cole.

Dated for tomorrow.

“Soon I’ll be Mrs. Cole,” Victoria said. “And you... you’re going to be the reason he dies.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

UNKNOWN NUMBER:

"If you want him to live, sign the papers. If not, check the news in 10 minutes. Damien Cole. Dead."

I looked out the window. We were leaving Abuja. Heading to the highway.

No guards. No Damien.

Just me, my mom, and the woman who killed Amara.

And then my phone buzzed again.

DAMIEN:

"Lila? Are you okay? Play along. I’m coming."

How? He was shot.

Unless...

Unless that wasn’t his blood.

Unless this was all part of his plan.

The SUV swerved.

Victoria cursed. “Who’s following us?”

Headlights. 2 cars. Fast.

Damien?

Or

Richard?

Victoria grabbed the gun from the dashboard. Pointed it at my mom’s head.

“Call them off. Or I pull the trigger.”

I picked up my phone. My hands were shaking.

And that’s when I saw it.

On the transfer papers.

A signature already there.

Damien Cole.

But it wasn’t his signature.

It was forged.

Which meant...

The person who wanted Cole Group wasn’t Richard.

It was someone else. Someone who had access to Damien’s signature.

Someone in the car with me.

I looked up.

Victoria was smiling.

TO BE CONTINUED...