Cost

cost part 5

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THE COST

by [Author’s Name]

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Chapter 5 – Beneath the Surface

A week passed, and the noise refused to fade. The story had grown too large to be ignored. Newspapers kept digging, talk shows debated Daniel’s motives, and online commentators turned him into a symbol — half martyr, half mistake.

Then came the letter that changed everything.

It was stamped with the seal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

> “You are hereby requested to appear for questioning in relation to the ongoing investigation into data fraud and financial misrepresentation involving Adewale Holdings and NeuraLink Systems.”

Daniel read it twice, his hands cold. He had expected fallout — but being summoned by the EFCC was more serious than anything he’d imagined.

When he arrived at the commission’s office the next morning, the air inside was heavy with the smell of paper, coffee, and quiet suspicion. An officer led him to a small room with gray walls and a single fan that buzzed like a trapped insect.

Across the table sat Detective Musa, a broad-shouldered man with calm, watchful eyes.

“Mr. Okechukwu,” Musa began, flipping through a file, “you understand that you’re not under arrest, but we need your cooperation.”

Daniel nodded. “I’ll tell you everything I know.”

For the next two hours, he did — from Adewale’s first proposal to the falsified reports and the confrontation in the boardroom. He gave them the server logs, the messages, even Tunde’s witness statement.

When he finished, Musa leaned back, studying him. “You realize, Mr. Adewale is claiming you initiated the manipulation to frame him.”

Daniel’s heart sank. “That’s a lie. He’s the one who—”

“I believe you,” Musa interrupted, his voice low. “But belief isn’t proof. We need to follow the money.”

He handed Daniel a printed bank statement. “These transactions — offshore accounts, ghost companies — they trace back not just to Adewale, but to someone in your own firm.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “In NeuraLink?”

Musa nodded. “Someone close to you. Someone with access.”

Daniel’s mind raced. There were only a few people who fit that description — and one name stood out like a wound.

“Kemi,” he whispered.

Musa didn’t confirm, but the silence said enough.

When Daniel left the EFCC building, the afternoon sun burned hot against his skin. He walked aimlessly for a while, his thoughts colliding in chaos. Could it be true? Kemi, his partner, his oldest friend?

That evening, he called her.

She answered quickly, voice sharp. “Where are you? Do you know what they’re saying about us?”

“I know what I told them,” Daniel said quietly. “The truth.”

“And what about you, Daniel? What if they twist it against us? Against me?”

Her tone was defensive — too defensive.

Daniel’s voice hardened. “Tell me something, Kemi. Did you know about the offshore accounts?”

There was a pause. A long, telling pause. Then the line went dead.

Daniel stared at his phone, a hollow ache settling in his chest. The cost of truth was already high — but now, it seemed, betrayal would raise the price even higher.

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