The Billionaire's Fake Wife

Chapter 11: The Message

The hallway felt too small with Kene standing in it.

Ada’s hand shook as she held the phone out to him. The screen glowed in the dim light: _“You chose the wrong man, Ada Okeke. He’ll get you killed.”_

Kene didn’t touch the phone right away. His eyes stayed on her face first, scanning for fear, for panic. When he didn’t find it, his jaw tightened.

“Did you reply?” he asked.

Ada shook her head. “It came in just now. I was going to call you.”

“Good.” He took the phone from her, his fingers brushing hers. The contact was brief, but it sent a jolt up her arm. “Don’t reply. Don’t call this number. Don’t delete it.”

“Who is it?” Ada whispered.

Kene’s expression darkened. He read the message again, slower this time, like he was memorizing the cadence of the threat. “Someone who knows your full name. Someone who’s been watching.”

Ada’s stomach dropped. “Since when?”

“Since Victor walked into your life,” Kene said. “Maybe before.”

He turned and started walking down the hall. “Come. We’re not doing this in the doorway.”

Ada followed him into his office. It was bigger than her entire apartment, all dark wood and glass, with a wall of screens showing different angles of the house. Two of his security team were already inside, heads bent over a laptop.

When they saw Kene, they stood immediately.

“Sir.”

“Get out,” Kene said.

They didn’t argue. The door closed behind them with a soft click.

Kene set Ada’s phone on his desk and pulled his own out. He took a photo of the message, then forwarded it to someone. His thumbs moved fast, typing out instructions Ada couldn’t see.

“Trace it,” he said to himself.

Ada stood near the door, feeling suddenly out of place. “Kene—”

“Sit,” he said, nodding to the chair in front of his desk.

She sat.

For a long moment, he didn’t speak. He just stared at the screen, his jaw working. When he finally looked at her, his expression had shifted. The anger was still there, but underneath it was something else. Guilt.

“This is my fault,” he said.

Ada frowned. “No, it’s not. You didn’t send that text.”

“I brought you into this,” he said. “I made you my wife on paper. I made you a target. Victor wouldn’t have come near you if it wasn’t for me.”

Ada’s chest felt tight. “So what do we do? End it? Call it off?”

Kene was quiet for a long time. Then he said, “No.”

Ada blinked. “No?”

“No.” He came around the desk and crouched in front of her, so they were eye level. “I’m not losing you because someone sent a text. Not like this.”

Ada swallowed hard. “You don’t even know me, Kene.”

“I know enough,” he said. “I know you’re braver than you think. I know you stood in that garage and didn’t run when the first shot was fired. I know you care about your mother more than you care about yourself.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I had your background checked,” he said bluntly. “Before the contract. I needed to know who I was dealing with.”

Ada flinched. “You had me investigated?”

“I had to,” Kene said. “I don’t make deals blind. But what I found… it wasn’t just data, Ada. It was a girl who’s been carrying her family since she was eighteen. A girl who works two jobs and still sends money home. A girl who deserves better than what I offered her.”

Ada didn’t know what to say to that.

Kene stood and walked to the window, looking out over the dark city. “The message came from a burner. We’ll trace it, but it’ll take time. Until then, you don’t go anywhere alone. My men are with you 24/7. If you need to go to work, they’ll drive you. If you need to see your mother, they’ll drive you. Understood?”

Ada nodded slowly. “You’re not giving me a choice.”

“I’m keeping you alive,” Kene said. “You can be angry about it later.”

Ada let out a shaky laugh. “You’re impossible.”

“So I’ve been told.”

There was a knock at the door. Oscar stepped in, his face grim. “We found something, sir.”

Kene turned immediately. “What?”

“CCTV from the garage. We got a partial plate on the getaway car. It’s registered to a shell company. But…” Oscar hesitated.

“But what?” Kene prompted.

“The shooter’s build matches someone we’ve seen before,” Oscar said. “Ex-military. Worked for Victor two years ago. Name’s Tunde.”

Kene’s expression didn’t change, but Ada saw his fingers curl into a fist. “Where is he now?”

“Off-grid,” Oscar said. “But we’re tracking his last known location. I’ll have an update in two hours.”

“Good. Double the guard on Ada’s room tonight. And hers only. I don’t want anyone else getting in the way if this escalates.”

Oscar nodded and left.

Kene turned back to Ada. “You heard him. Tunde. He’s dangerous. He doesn’t miss.”

Ada felt cold all over. “Why would Victor send him after me? I’m nobody.”

“You’re my wife,” Kene said simply. “To them, that makes you leverage.”

Ada stood up, suddenly needing to move. “I can’t sleep knowing someone’s out there trying to kill me because of you.”

“Then don’t sleep alone,” Kene said.

Ada stopped. “What?”

“My room,” Kene said. “You sleep in my room tonight. The security there is tighter. If Tunde gets past the perimeter, I want you where I can reach you in five seconds.”

Ada stared at him. “That’s not—Kene, we’re not—”

“I’m not asking you to share my bed,” he said, cutting her off. “There’s a guest room connected to mine. Separate door. You’ll be safe, and I’ll be five feet away if anything happens.”

Ada wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him this was too much, too fast, too dangerous. But the memory of his body shielding hers in the garage was fresh.

“Okay,” she said quietly.

Kene nodded, like he’d expected her to say no and was relieved she didn’t. “Oscar will escort you. I’ll be down in ten minutes. I need to make a call.”

Ada left the office with Oscar, her mind racing.

Ten minutes later, she was standing in Kene’s bedroom. It was massive, minimalist, with a king-sized bed and a door she assumed led to the guest room. It smelled like him—cedar and something clean, like soap.

Kene came in five minutes after that, still on the phone. He ended the call as soon as he saw her.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

Ada nodded. “Yeah.”

He pointed to the door on the left. “That’s your room. Bathroom’s inside. If you need anything, knock. I don’t sleep much.”

Ada hesitated, then said, “Thank you.”

For what, she wasn’t sure. For not letting her go? For not making her face this alone?

Kene just nodded. “Get some sleep, Ada.”

She went into the guest room and closed the door.

She didn’t sleep.

Neither did Kene.

At 2:47 AM, her phone buzzed again.

Same number.

_“Sleep tight, Mrs. Okonkwo. We’ll talk soon.”_

Ada’s breath caught.

She didn’t wake Kene.

She took a screenshot and sent it to his number instead.

His reply came back instantly: _“Don’t leave the room. I’m coming.”_

Thirty seconds later, his door opened.