Chapter 9 — The Photograph
1183 Words
“She’s the girl from the photograph.”
The words crashed through the room like another gunshot.
Adaeze froze.
Serena stood beside Damien trembling, tears still on her face, but her eyes remained locked on Adaeze with unmistakable fear.
Damien’s expression darkened instantly.
“What photograph?”
Serena swallowed hard.
“The one they showed me.”
Silence.
Every guard in the penthouse went still.
Adaeze’s heartbeat became painfully loud inside her chest.
Damien gently moved Serena behind him before stepping forward slowly.
“What photograph, Serena?”
His voice was calm again.
Too calm.
The dangerous kind.
Serena’s hands shook. “They kept asking me about her.”
She pointed weakly toward Adaeze.
“They showed me her picture and asked where she was.”
Adaeze felt sick.
“No…”
“They said she ruined everything.”
Damien’s jaw tightened sharply.
“When did they show you this?”
“In the car.” Serena’s voice cracked. “They thought I knew her.”
Damien’s eyes flicked toward Adaeze again.
Intense.
Unreadable.
And somehow that hurt more than anger.
Because she could feel him thinking.
Analyzing.
Connecting pieces.
“Adaeze,” he said quietly. “Did you ever actually see what was on the drive?”
She shook her head immediately.
“No. I swear.”
“But you kept it.”
“I panicked!”
Her voice echoed louder than intended.
Tears burned behind her eyes now.
“Richard was screaming at me that night. He kept asking where it was, and I didn’t even understand what I had taken.”
Damien stared at her silently.
“He hit me and I ran,” she whispered shakily. “I grabbed my bag and left.”
A painful silence followed.
Then Serena spoke softly.
“They said people died because of her.”
Adaeze felt the floor disappear beneath her.
“What?”
Serena looked terrified. “One of them said powerful men lost billions because a girl stole something she wasn’t supposed to touch.”
Damien’s expression became lethal.
“Enough.”
Serena flinched slightly at the sharpness in his voice.
Immediately, Damien softened his tone.
“Go upstairs.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Serena nodded quickly.
Two guards escorted her away.
The second she disappeared, the penthouse became silent again.
Dead silent.
Adaeze wrapped her arms around herself tightly.
“I didn’t know.”
Damien walked toward the shattered balcony slowly.
Blood from the attacker stained the marble floor near the glass.
Dark red.
Ugly.
Real.
“You should’ve told me everything from the beginning.”
Adaeze laughed bitterly through the panic rising inside her.
“You terrified me from the beginning.”
That made him pause.
Only for a second.
Then he turned toward her fully.
“And now?”
The question felt heavier than it should.
Because somehow—
She understood what he was really asking.
Are you afraid of me now too?
Adaeze looked at the gun still in his hand.
The blood on the floor.
The darkness in his eyes.
And yet…
When those men stormed the penthouse, the only place she felt safe was behind him.
That realization terrified her more than anything.
“I don’t know,” she admitted quietly.
Something flickered across his face.
Not anger.
Something sadder.
Gone almost instantly.
Then one of the guards approached carefully.
“Sir.”
Damien didn’t look away from Adaeze.
“What?”
“We traced the attacker’s vehicle.”
“And?”
The guard hesitated.
“It belongs to Lawson Holdings.”
Adaeze’s stomach dropped instantly.
Tunde.
Damien’s expression hardened immediately.
“Interesting.”
Fear crawled up Adaeze’s spine slowly.
“Tunde is involved?”
“Looks like it.”
“No…” She shook her head quickly. “Tunde is manipulative but this? Kidnapping?”
Damien’s eyes darkened.
“You still underestimate dangerous men.”
The words hit harder than he intended.
She could see it immediately after he said them.
Regret flashed briefly across his face again.
Tiny.
Rare.
Then suddenly—
Her phone started ringing.
Everybody froze.
Unknown Number.
Adaeze stared at the screen like it might explode.
Damien held out his hand instantly.
“Give it to me.”
But something stopped her.
“No.”
His gaze sharpened.
“Adaeze.”
“I need to know.”
Before he could stop her—
She answered.
Silence.
Then breathing.
Slow breathing.
A familiar voice finally spoke.
“Baby.”
Adaeze’s blood turned cold instantly.
Richard.
Her entire body stiffened.
“I miss you.”
Damien noticed the fear on her face immediately.
His expression turned murderous.
“What do you want?” Adaeze whispered.
Richard laughed softly.
“That’s not how you greet someone you loved.”
“I said what do you want?”
“Oh, angry now?” His voice became darker. “Interesting. Damien Black making you brave?”
Damien held out his hand for the phone again.
Adaeze ignored him.
“Leave me alone.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
Her breathing became uneven.
“You ruined my life.”
“No, baby.” Richard chuckled softly. “I built your life.”
Damien suddenly took the phone from her forcefully.
“Enough.”
Silence.
Then Richard laughed again.
“So the billionaire finally speaks.”
Damien’s voice became terrifyingly calm.
“You have ten seconds to tell me where my sister’s attackers are.”
“Or what?”
“You die.”
The room went completely still.
Even the guards looked tense.
Richard laughed harder this time.
“That’s the thing about powerful men like us, Damien. We both know threats only matter when you’re willing to become monsters.”
Damien’s expression didn’t change.
“I already am one.”
A chill moved through the room.
Because everybody believed him.
Even Richard went quiet for a second.
Then softly—
“She still has the drive.”
Adaeze shook her head instantly. “I don’t!”
Richard ignored her.
“She hid it somewhere before leaving London. She just doesn’t remember.”
Damien’s eyes slowly moved toward her.
“What?”
Adaeze’s chest tightened painfully.
“I don’t remember hiding anything.”
“Trauma affects memory,” Richard said casually. “Especially after violence.”
Her stomach twisted violently.
Because suddenly—
Pieces of that night flashed through her head.
Rain.
Blood on her sleeve.
A train station.
A locker key.
Oh God.
Her knees weakened.
Damien caught her immediately before she fell.
Strong arms.
Warm hands.
Dangerous comfort.
And Richard noticed.
“You’re touching what belongs to me,” he said coldly.
Damien’s expression turned deadly.
“She was never yours.”
Then he ended the call.
Silence crashed over the room.
Adaeze’s breathing became shaky now.
Because memories were returning too fast.
The locker.
The station.
The hidden key.
And worst of all—
She suddenly remembered exactly where the drive was.
Slowly, she looked up at Damien.
Fear filled her eyes.
And the moment he saw her expression—
He knew.
“You remembered something.”
- Writer
