Chapter Three :Hearts Under Fire (Part Two)
872 Words
For the first time in many weeks, Kane smiled without forcing it.
Walking beside Liana had become the brightest part of his day.
They studied together in the library.
They shared lunch between lectures.
Sometimes they argued over engineering formulas, and other times they laughed over the smallest things.
Little by little, the emptiness left by betrayal was being replaced with something warm.
Something peaceful.
Something that frightened Kane because he had never felt it before.
---
One Friday afternoon, they sat beneath the old mango tree near the Engineering Building.
The same tree where first-year students often gathered after lectures.
Liana was reading a novel while Kane worked on a difficult engineering equation.
She suddenly closed her book.
"Kane."
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you a strange question?"
He looked up with a smile.
"When have you ever asked a normal one?"
She laughed.
"Fair enough."
"If someone hurt you badly..."
"...could you ever love again?"
The smile on Kane's face faded.
He thought about Brandon.
Victor.
Kelvin.
Desmond.
Then he looked at Liana.
"I think so."
"But it would take someone very special to make me trust again."
Liana lowered her eyes.
"I hope you find that person."
Kane smiled softly.
"I think..."
"...I'm already getting close."
She looked up, surprised.
Before either of them could say another word, Ethan came running across the lawn.
"Kane!"
"Liana!"
He was breathing heavily.
"I've found something."
---
They followed Ethan to an empty classroom.
He closed the door before speaking.
"I managed to get a copy of Mr. Samuel Dike's bank records."
Liana frowned.
"How?"
"My uncle works with the university's legal committee."
He placed several printed documents on the desk.
"Three days before the project was stolen..."
"...someone transferred ten million naira into Samuel Dike's account."
Kane stared at the papers.
"Ten million?"
Ethan nodded.
"And the transfer came through a company called Delta Energy Solutions Ltd."
Liana had never heard the name.
"What kind of company is that?"
Ethan sighed.
"That's the strange part."
"It doesn't actually exist."
"What?"
"It's a shell company."
"A fake business created to hide whoever paid the money."
The room became silent.
This was no longer just a case of jealous classmates.
Someone with money...
Someone with influence...
Had been involved from the very beginning.
---
Meanwhile...
Brandon sat alone in his apartment.
His phone had not stopped ringing all morning.
Calls from Victor.
Calls from Kelvin.
Calls from Desmond.
He ignored every one of them.
His eyes remained fixed on the newspaper lying on his table.
One headline stood out.
"University Launches Formal Investigation Into Engineering Project Fraud."
He threw the paper across the room.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
He buried his face in his hands.
Then there was a knock on the door.
Three slow knocks.
Brandon frowned.
"I didn't invite anyone."
He walked over and opened the door.
A tall man in a black suit stood outside.
His face was unfamiliar.
"Mr. Brandon Cole?"
"Yes."
The man handed him a sealed envelope.
"Someone asked me to deliver this."
Before Brandon could ask another question, the man turned and walked away.
Inside the envelope was a single sheet of paper.
It read:
«You have failed.
Do not mention our names.
If you value your family's safety... remain silent.»
Brandon's hands began to shake.
For the first time, he realized he was no longer dealing with ordinary people.
He was dealing with people who believed lives were disposable.
---
That evening...
Kane walked Liana back to her apartment.
The streets were quiet.
The cool evening breeze made the trees sway gently.
As they reached her gate, neither of them seemed eager to say goodbye.
"So..."
Kane smiled.
"So..."
Liana laughed.
"You first."
"I was wondering..."
He hesitated.
She noticed his nervousness.
"What is it?"
"Would you..."
He took a deep breath.
"...like to go to the Cultural Night with me next Saturday?"
Liana blinked.
"The university's annual cultural festival?"
He nodded.
"As friends."
She folded her arms playfully.
"Only as friends?"
Kane scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed.
"For now."
She laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.
"You really are different."
"Is that a yes?"
She smiled warmly.
"It's a yes."
Kane's heart raced.
He had faced difficult examinations.
He had delivered presentations before hundreds of people.
None of those moments had made him as nervous as asking Liana to attend a festival with him.
As she entered her apartment, she looked back one last time.
"Goodnight, Kane."
"Goodnight, Liana."
Neither of them noticed the silhouette standing across the street beneath a broken streetlight.
The mysterious man watched Kane walk away.
He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a mobile phone.
"The two of them are getting closer," he said quietly.
A cold voice replied,
"Then the girl becomes our biggest obstacle."
The man looked toward Liana's apartment.
"What are your orders?"
There was a brief silence.
Then came the chilling response.
"Make sure she never reaches the university with that evidence."
The call ended.
The man slipped the phone back into his pocket.
A dangerous smile spread across his face.
For Liana Hart...
Tomorrow would become the most dangerous day of her life.
To be continued...
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