The Trojan Bride

Chapter 5: The Gilded Cage

The silence inside the estate was the loudest thing Teniola had ever heard.

As the black SUV rolled through the towering automated gates, she found herself glancing back through the tinted rear window.

Mushin was gone.

The noisy roadside mechanics...

The women arguing over tomatoes...

The yellow danfo buses that seemed permanently angry...

Even the familiar smell of smoke, petrol, and roasted corn had disappeared.

Everything that had shaped her life was now several kilometers behind.

Ahead of her stretched smooth interlocked roads lined with trimmed hedges, expensive duplexes, and security patrols that moved with military precision.

It felt less like entering a neighborhood...

...and more like crossing an invisible border into another country.

Andrew stepped out first when the convoy came to a stop.

He walked around the SUV and opened the rear door.

"We're here, Miss Teniola."

She climbed out first before helping her mother.

Mama Teni stared at the massive cream-colored duplex standing before them.

It rose elegantly against the cloudy Lagos sky, surrounded by perfectly trimmed flowers and palm trees that swayed gently in the afternoon breeze.

She didn't move.

"Teni..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Na here?"

Teniola nodded.

"So this is where he wants us to stay."

Mama Teni slowly turned in a circle, taking everything in.

The compound alone looked larger than the entire street where they had lived in Mushin.

Three luxury vehicles were already parked neatly beneath a covered garage.

Uniformed security officers stood at different corners of the compound, each carrying themselves with disciplined alertness.

Nothing escaped their eyes.

Teni noticed immediately.

Cameras.

Every entrance.

Every corner.

Every blind spot carefully covered.

She counted eight before she even reached the front door.

Interesting...

Andrew pushed the polished wooden doors open.

"Welcome home."

Home.

The word almost made her laugh.

No.

This wasn't home.

It was a beautifully decorated prison.

The cool blast of centralized air-conditioning washed over them as they stepped inside.

The temperature alone reminded Teni that she was no longer in Mushin.

The spacious living room seemed endless.

White marble floors reflected the warm ceiling lights.

A crystal chandelier hung majestically overhead.

The cream-colored velvet sofas looked untouched, as though nobody had ever dared to sit on them.

A television almost as wide as an entire bedroom wall dominated the entertainment area.

Everything smelled new.

Fresh paint.

Leather.

Expensive polish.

Money.

Mama Teni instinctively removed her slippers before taking another step.

"Teniola..."

She looked down nervously.

"You sure say make we enter with leg?"

Teni couldn't help smiling.

"Mama."

"This house no be mosque."

"I know."

"But see this floor."

Mama bent slightly to touch the polished marble with the tips of her fingers.

She rubbed them together.

"Ah!"

"This thing dey shine like mirror."

She suddenly noticed her reflection beneath her feet and quickly stepped back.

"I fit dirty am."

Teni laughed quietly.

"No be only you go waka here."

"They expect people to use the floor."

Mama still looked unconvinced.

She finally walked farther inside, carefully placing one foot before the other like someone crossing a frozen river.

Andrew watched the entire scene without changing expression.

"If you'll excuse me," he said.

"The staff has already stocked the kitchen and prepared your rooms."

"If you require anything, simply ring the bell beside the staircase."

He placed a small electronic keycard on the center table.

"The Chief will visit soon."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left.

The heavy doors closed behind him.

Silence returned.

Mama Teni waited almost ten seconds before releasing the breath she'd been holding.

"I no trust that man."

"Neither do I."

She slowly walked toward the enormous refrigerator standing inside the open kitchen.

Its silver doors gleamed beneath the lights.

Curiosity won.

She reached out and pulled one door open.

Cold air rushed out immediately.

Her eyes widened.

"Teni!"

She gasped loudly.

"Come see!"

Teni walked over.

The refrigerator was overflowing.

Fresh fruits.

Imported juice.

Different kinds of meat.

Butter.

Cheese.

Yogurt.

Vegetables.

Things Mama had only seen through shop windows.

She reached for a bunch of grapes cautiously.

"These people really dey chop all this?"

Teni picked one grape and popped it into her mouth.

"They do."

Mama looked almost offended.

"Haba."

"So person fit rich reach this level?"

She shut the refrigerator gently before shaking her head.

"I still prefer my rusted kettle."

Teni burst into laughter.

"You just said what?"

"I say I know where my kettle dey."

"This one too expensive."

"If e spoil now, who wan pay?"

The two women laughed together.

For the first time since Chief Otunba entered their lives...

They sounded almost normal.

The laughter slowly faded.

Mama's eyes wandered toward the massive staircase.

Then toward the expensive furniture.

Then back to her daughter.

"Teni."

"Hmm?"

"You still fit change your mind."

The smile disappeared from Teni's face.

"No."

Mama sighed deeply.

"I know."

She lowered herself onto the sofa carefully, almost afraid it might reject her.

"It just pains me."

"I know."

"I carried you for nine months."

"I know."

"Now another person talks as if he owns you."

Teni walked over and sat beside her mother.

She rested her head gently on Mama's shoulder.

"Nobody owns me."

Mama looked sideways at her.

"You sure?"

A faint smile touched Teni's lips.

"I'm only letting him believe that."

Those words eased something inside Mama, but not enough.

She reached for Teni's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Promise me one thing."

"What?"

"If danger too much..."

"...run."

Teni looked into her mother's tired eyes.

"I promise I'll come back alive."

Mama wanted to ask for more.

She couldn't.

Instead, she simply nodded.

"Go and see your room."

"You've been pretending not to be curious."

Teni laughed.

"You caught me."

She stood and climbed the grand staircase.

Each step echoed softly beneath her feet.

Every corner of the house whispered wealth.

Every decoration reminded her why she was here.

Not to admire it.

Not to enjoy it.

To tear it apart from the inside.

She finally reached the master bedroom.

Her fingers wrapped around the polished brass handle.

She pushed the door open slowly.

Then she stopped.

The room was breathtaking.

A king-sized bed draped in ivory silk dominated the center.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the neatly landscaped garden.

Fresh lilies scented the air.

But it wasn't the bed that caught her attention.

It was the wardrobe.

She walked toward it cautiously.

When she opened the double doors...

Her heartbeat slowed.

Rows upon rows of dresses.

Designer handbags.

Luxury heels.

Jewelry.

Everything arranged with obsessive precision.

She reached for a navy-blue dress.

The size tag made her stomach tighten.

Exactly her size.

She checked another.

And another.

All identical.

She slowly ran her fingers across the expensive fabrics.

A chill crept down her spine.

"So..."

she whispered to herself.

"You've been preparing for me long before I agreed."

For the first time since accepting the marriage...

Teniola genuinely felt afraid.

Not of the man.

But of the patience behind his obsessions

Teniola remained standing before the wardrobe for several long seconds.

She slowly closed the doors, her fingers lingering on the polished wooden handles.

A man who bought clothes in her exact size before she had ever accepted his proposal...

That wasn't generosity.

It was planning.

Years of planning.

She exhaled quietly and turned away.

"No wonder Mama is scared," she murmured.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Not because of its size, but because of what it represented.

Every wall reminded her she was standing inside Chief Otunba's carefully constructed world.

One careless move...

...and the walls would close in.

She crossed to the bedroom door and locked it before drawing the heavy curtains halfway.

Old habits.

Never leave yourself exposed.

Only then did she unzip her worn backpack.

The expensive room looked almost offended by the battered laptop she placed on the sleek mahogany desk.

Her cracked Android phone wasn't any better.

They didn't belong here.

Just like she didn't.

She powered on the laptop while removing a tiny SIM card from a hidden slot inside her phone case.

Emeka had insisted she memorize every step.

"No house wey billionaire build fit surprise hacker," he had told her.

"But overconfidence fit kill one."

She smiled faintly at the memory.

"Bossy as always."

She inserted the burner SIM, enabled the secure connection, and waited.

Within moments, the familiar encrypted chat window appeared.

A small notification blinked.

EM_1: Safe?

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

TN_ARCH: Still breathing.

The typing indicator appeared almost immediately.

SG_STREET: Abeg answer one important question.

She rolled her eyes before reading the next message.

SG_STREET: The fridge big?

She couldn't help laughing.

TN_ARCH: Bigger than our entire kitchen.

Three laughing emojis appeared from Segun.

Then another message.

SG_STREET: Omo... suffering finally pay.

Teni shook her head.

TN_ARCH: i***t.

Another message popped up.

EM_1: Focus.

That was Emeka.

Always the responsible one.

EM_1: Give us a situation report.

Teni's fingers moved across the keyboard.

TN_ARCH: House secured like military installation. Multiple cameras. Armed guards. Entry and exit points heavily monitored. I haven't touched their internal network yet.

There was a brief pause.

Then—

EM_1: Good.

EM_1: Don't.

She frowned.

TN_ARCH: Don't?

EM_1: Not yet.

EM_1: Everybody expects an amateur hacker to attack the network immediately.

EM_1: Professionals observe first.

She leaned back thoughtfully.

He was right.

Her excitement almost made her forget the first rule of infiltration.

Understand your enemy before touching anything.

Another message appeared.

EM_1: Did you notice anything unusual?

She thought for a moment before typing.

TN_ARCH: The wardrobe.

SG_STREET: Wetin wardrobe do you?

TN_ARCH: Every dress.

TN_ARCH: Every shoe.

TN_ARCH: My exact size.

The chat fell silent.

Even Segun stopped joking.

Finally...

EM_1: That's not normal.

TN_ARCH: I know.

EM_1: It means he has been preparing for years.

A chill crawled up her spine.

Seeing someone else type the words somehow made them more frightening.

She quickly changed the subject.

TN_ARCH: What's the update on the boys?

This time, Emeka replied almost instantly.

EM_1: Better news.

EM_1: Two applications have already been accepted for preliminary screening.

Her eyebrows shot upward.

"So fast?"

EM_1: Chief likes recruiting boys from rough neighborhoods.

EM_1: He believes desperate people are easier to control.

Teni stared at the words.

"That's where he's wrong."

She typed.

TN_ARCH: Keep them sharp.

TN_ARCH: Nobody should contact me directly.

EM_1: Already handled.

EM_1: From now on...

EM_1: You are invisible.

She nodded to herself.

Invisible.

That was exactly what she needed to become.

Not a wife.

Not a victim.

A ghost.

She closed the chat window before either of the boys could start another argument.

The less time spent online, the better.

She removed the burner SIM and slipped it back into its hiding place.

Then she carefully returned everything to her backpack.

No evidence.

Nothing left behind.

Exactly as Emeka had trained her.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Teni?"

Mama's voice.

"You dey there?"

She unlocked the door.

Mama stepped inside carrying a tray.

On it sat a steaming bowl of pepper soup, slices of fresh bread, and a tall glass of chilled orange juice.

"I no cook am o," Mama said quickly.

"I meet am for kitchen."

Teni looked at the tray in surprise.

"They prepared food?"

Mama nodded slowly.

"Ehn."

"But somehow..."

"...I no trust am."

Teni laughed.

"Mama, nobody wants to poison us on the first day."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

Mama finally smiled.

The two women shared the meal together, sitting on the edge of the enormous bed.

Neither of them mentioned Chief Otunba.

For a few precious minutes...

They were simply mother and daughter again.

Outside, thunder rolled across the Lagos sky.

The long-awaited rain finally arrived.

Fat drops struck the glass windows before quickly becoming a steady downpour.

Teni walked toward the balcony doors.

The courtyard below shimmered beneath the rain.

Security guards continued their patrol as though nothing had changed.

Disciplined.

Alert.

Watching.

Always watching.

She rested one hand against the cool glass.

"This really is a fortress."

Behind her, Mama quietly folded the empty tray.

"I don't like this silence."

Neither did Teni.

Silence gave people too much room to think.

A sharp knock echoed from downstairs.

Three measured knocks.

Not hurried.

Not hesitant.

Professional.

Mama and Teni exchanged a look.

Another knock followed.

This time, a female voice called from below.

"Madam?"

"hope you're settled? ."

The words settled heavily inside the room.

yes.

Teni slowly closed the balcony curtains.

Her reflection stared back at her in the darkened glass.

She no longer looked like the girl from Mushin.

She looked like someone preparing for battle.

Fire disguised as ice.

She picked up one of the elegant dresses from the wardrobe and smiled faintly.

"Let the games begin, she stated watching herself from the mirror.