CHAPTER 19: Fault lines
964 Words
The calm after the storm didn’t last.
Zara had barely unpacked in the new house before trouble started swirling again. The luxury of their new life—a fully furnished two-story home nestled in one of Lagos’s finest estates—hadn’t come with peace. If anything, it painted a bigger target on her back.
But the worst part? Victor Cole was just getting warmed up.
---
Zara’s first warning came via an anonymous email.
Subject line: You should watch your back.
No body. No name.
She froze in her office chair, rereading the message until the letters blurred. Tasha, who was video-calling from home, spotted the shift in her face immediately.
"Zara? Girl, what happened? You look like you saw a ghost."
Zara tilted the screen to show the message.
Tasha leaned in and squinted. "Haters. Probably someone that can’t spell ‘promotion’ but is mad you got one. Delete it."
Zara didn’t delete it.
She saved it.
Something in her gut said this wasn’t just hate. It was a sign.
---
At Cole Industries, tension brewed like a thundercloud.
The PR team had their hands full with the remnants of the Gabriella scandal. Though she was gone, the rumors she stirred clung like perfume in a tight room. Employees whispered about Zara’s role in the company. People who used to greet her with smiles now kept their distance.
Then came the contract audit.
Three men in suits showed up mid-morning, led by a sharp-eyed consultant named Mr. Okoro. They said they were from "external compliance" but gave no details.
Zara wasn’t surprised when they asked to review her file first.
---
Meanwhile, Xavier stood on the roof of a hotel downtown, watching the skyline through sunglasses that couldn’t hide his frustration. Victor had locked him out of the morning board meeting. Again.
“Sir, the team wants you back in the office,” Damian said, his longtime assistant.
“Victor’s already poisoned the water. No point swimming in it today.”
Damian sighed. “The media got a copy of Zara’s hiring contract.”
Xavier turned sharply. “How?”
“No idea yet, but—”
“Find out. And double security on all HR files. Anyone who touches Zara’s records without clearance? Fired.”
---
The next day, social media exploded.
#ColeScandal
#ZaraUnqualified
#SleepingToTheTop?
Zara’s inbox was full of venom.
"Your time is almost up." "Hope you enjoy that fancy house while it lasts." "You won’t last the year."
She slammed her laptop shut and stormed into the bathroom.
She looked at herself in the mirror—eyes puffy, shoulders tight. "You got this far. You’re not backing down. Not now."
Her phone vibrated. Xavier.
> Come to my office. Now.
---
Zara walked into his office thirty minutes later.
He stood by the window, hands in his pockets, jaw tense.
"Why didn’t you tell me you were getting threats?" he asked without turning.
"Because you’d blow it up. And I can handle it."
He turned now. "Zara, this isn’t some playground insult war. My father is building something against you. And I won’t let him succeed."
She crossed her arms. "Then stop making it worse. You buying that house for me? Publicity gold for your enemies."
He stepped forward. "That house was for your safety. You think I care what the media says?"
"No. But I do. I’m the one whose credibility is hanging by a thread!"
Their eyes locked. It was heat and tension and everything in between.
Then Xavier stepped back. “We’re fighting the same war. Just on different fronts.”
He handed her a file.
"This is everything I have on Victor’s latest move. I’m taking this to the board."
Zara looked at the file. "Do it. But I want to be in that room."
Xavier blinked. "You sure?"
She nodded. "I’m not just some girl you rescued, Xavier. I’m your ally. Don’t bench me."
---
That Friday, the Cole boardroom was packed.
Zara walked in beside Xavier, wearing a navy blue suit that screamed power. The murmurs started immediately.
Victor was at the head of the table, casually flipping through documents.
"Interesting choice to bring your assistant to a board meeting," he said.
Zara didn’t flinch. "I’m more than that. You’ll see."
Xavier laid out everything—emails, contracts, financial tampering. Evidence that someone had tried to frame Zara for document falsification.
The room went still.
Victor just smirked. "So what? You think this saves her?"
Xavier leaned forward. "It saves you from getting sued."
A long silence. Then the chairwoman stood. “Effective immediately, we will pause all internal reviews on Zara Martins. Further harassment will result in disciplinary action."
Zara exhaled slowly.
Victor didn’t even blink.
---
But he wasn’t done.
That evening, a journalist posted a blog entry claiming Zara had slept with Xavier to gain access to confidential company data.
No proof. Just speculation.
It trended for 48 hours straight.
---
Tasha marched into the living room with her hands on her hips. “No more Mrs. Nice Roommate. We’re doing a press video. We’re setting the record straight.”
Zara shook her head. “That’ll make it worse. More fuel for the fire.”
Tasha softened. “Then talk to Xavier. Fix this. Together.”
---
They did.
Xavier posted a statement. Short. Clear. Savage.
> Zara Martins is not just qualified. She’s overqualified. She’s not just someone I love—she’s someone this company needs. Anyone who disrespects her, disrespects me.
Boom.
Even Victor felt that one.
But deep in his study, he simply smiled.
"Let them play house. The empire hasn’t seen true destruction yet."
He opened a file marked: Zara – Past Record.
And beneath it, the first hint of a secret even Zara didn’t know existed.
- Writer
