THE 20 MILLION CONTRACT

THE TRANSFER

CHAPTER 3

11:03 PM.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand and lit up the whole guest room.

I grabbed it, heart pounding for no reason.

*Bank Alert:*

*CREDIT 20,000,000.00 NGN*

*From: MULTISHIELD HOLDINGS / S. CHARLES*

*Ref: Medical - C. Cullens*

I read it three times.

20 million.

From him.

For Chidi.

My hands started shaking. I sat up too fast and the room spun.

Chidi. He could get the treatment. The real one. Not the trial that was failing. The one in Germany that cost more than our house.

I called the doctor before I could think. 11:04 PM.

“Dr. Adebayo? It’s me. The money… it’s here.” My voice cracked. “We can book the flight. Tonight. Tomorrow.”

There was a pause. Then: “Miss Cullens. That’s wonderful news. I’ll have the team start the visa process immediately.”

I hung up and pressed my hand to my mouth. I was crying and I didn’t even realize it.

He did it.

Stephen Charles. The Ice King who never looked down from his office.

He paid.

My phone buzzed again. Amanda.

I answered. “Amanda?”

She was smiling when she picked up. I could hear it in her voice. “See? I told you I’d handle it.”

My stomach dropped.

“It’s done,” she said. “Don’t worry about anything. The hospital called me. Everything’s covered.”

“Covered by who?” I whispered.

“Me,” Amanda said quickly. “My contacts. You know how it is. I pulled some strings.”

I looked at the bank alert again. MULTISHIELD HOLDINGS. S. CHARLES.

She didn’t say where it was really going.

She didn’t say his name.

“Amanda…”

“Don’t thank me,” she cut me off. “Just focus on Chidi. I’ll call you in the morning with flight details.”

Click.

I sat there in the dark with 20 million naira on my screen and a lie in my ear.

Upstairs, the light in his office was still on.

Through the glass I could see his silhouette. Phone to ear again. Working.

Did he know I got it?

Did he care if I knew it was him?

I thought about going up. Knocking. Saying thank you.

But Sandra’s words echoed: _“No one’s ever been allowed in the master suite. Not the last 4 girls. Don’t try.”_

And Amanda’s: _“I told you I’d handle it.”_

If I thanked him, I’d be exposing her lie.

If I didn’t, he’d think I believed Amanda.

I set the phone down. The contract was still under my pillow from last night.

20 million naira.

And I couldn’t even say his name out loud.

At 3 AM I woke up again.

This time the footsteps stopped outside my door.

Not the master suite.

My door.

A pause.

Then something slid under it.

I waited 10 minutes before I got up.

On the floor was a folded piece of paper.

No name. Just one line in sharp, messy handwriting:

`Flight is booked. 6 AM. Don’t be late. - S`

He knew.

And he did it anyway.

I folded the note and put it with the contract under my pillow.

The Ice King just paid 20 million.

And Amanda just took the credit.

_