NEXT CEO

CHAPTER FOUR *THE FILE*

PRESENT DAY

*JAMES MANSION. STUDY - PHONE CALL*

Chief Raymond: "Madam, the hospital board is killing me. The books are a mess."

Madam Nazar, 80: "I will send you my son Dennis. He is good at auditing. Two weeks. No charge."

Raymond: "Why would you do that?"

Madam: "Because we’ve been rivals long enough, Raymond. Let’s try being human."

_Click_

Dennis, in Nazar HQ: "Audit a hospital? I do music, sister."

Madam: "Consider it community service, brother. And keep your eyes open."

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*JAMES HOSPITAL. HR OFFICE - 3 DAYS LATER*

Dennis Adey, 48, flipped files, bored. "Nazar does concerts, not clinics. What am I doing here."

Then he stopped.

`DR. BRIAN OKORO`

`AGE: 30`

`DEPT: EMERGENCY`

`NEXT OF KIN: GRACE OKORO`

Dennis frowned. Grace Okoro.

He opened the old Nazar archive on his tablet. 2003 headlines:

*`RISING STAR DIVA D VANISHES OVERNIGHT`*

*`INDUSTRY WHISPERS: THREATENED BY MARRIED BILLIONAIRE`*

*`REAL NAME: GRACE OKORO`*

He pulled Brian’s staff photo. Same eyes. Same jaw.

Under "Hobbies": `Guitar. Choir volunteer.`

Dennis’ blood went cold. Madam had cried over Diva D for months.

He remembered her words: _"Find out who threatened my girl."_

They never did.

“ Is he really ‘James’. The same from DIVA D? Nods He keeps it to himself.

Dr Okoro – off duty. Over to the Nazar Mansion. Coffee with Awesome.

The kitchen smelled like pepper soup and old money.

*AWESOME* poured coffee into 2 mugs. Didn’t look up when *BRIAN* walked in, dripping rain.

"You didn’t have to come back," she said.

"I said I would," Brian replied. Took the mug. Their fingers brushed.

Silence. Comfortable and not.

Awesome: "You work for James."

Brian: "I work for patients. Same thing?"

Awesome: Almost smiled. "No."

Door slammed.

*SAMMY* stumbled in. Sunglasses still on. Smelled like last night.

He stopped when he saw Brian.

"Oh. It’s the James boy."

Brian: "Dr. Okoro."

Sammy: "Right. Doctor." He grabbed coffee. "You fixing my grandma or buying my company?"

Awesome: "Sammy—"

Sammy: "What? It’s true. They’re here for the merger."

Brian didn’t answer. Just drank his coffee.

Sammy watched him. "You don’t look like the others. You look... tired."

Brian: "I am."

*MADAM NAZAR* walked in. No greeting.

"Fest is in 48 hours. Sponsors pulled out. Stage isn’t built. And James Hospital wants to own us."

She looked at Awesome. "Can you handle it?"

Awesome straightened. "Yes, Grandma."

Madam: "Good. Because if you can’t, Sammy will."

Sammy choked on coffee. "Me? I can barely handle myself."

Madam: "Exactly. Time to grow up."

*CUT TO: JAMES HOSPITAL. 8:10am*

*ADRIAN* in his glass office. Watching Brian on CCTV walking into Nazar House.

*ADRIAN* 32. Suit.

Dennis, His right hand since after the audit.

Raymond James just drove in.

He gets out of the car, walks to his office. Stare at a picture of Santos 2 years old Grace's son for seconds before sitting down in his office.

“There's something familiar about this boy. Is there a connection between him and Brian. Grace's son was Santos not Brian.”

Raymond James to PA: Fetch me Dr OKoro now.

PA: he is off duty sir.

“Ok don't bother”

Still at glass house with Adrian

Dennis: "He’s getting too close to her."

Adrian: "Good. That’s the plan. If he likes her, he’ll sign the papers for her."

Dennis: "And if he doesn’t?"

Adrian smiled. "Then we find something he loves. And we take it."

His phone buzzed. Text from unknown: _"Raymond was asking about Brian again."_

Adrian’s face went cold.

*CUT TO: SMALL APARTMENT. SURULERE. 8:15AM*

*GRACE OKORO*. 48. Nurse’s uniform. Making tea.

Photo on the wall: Young Grace holding a baby. Brian, age 2.

Her phone buzzed. unknown number: _"Dennis is watching you."_

Grace deleted it. Whispered: "Not this time."

*BACK TO NAZAR HOUSE. 9:00AM*

Meeting room. Long table.

*AWESOME* presenting Fest budget. Hands shaking.

*DENNIS* picking it apart. "This line item is wasteful. This sponsor is unreliable."

*SAMMY* on his phone, not listening.

Brian wasn’t there. He was in surgery.

Awesome finished. No one clapped.

Madam Nazar: "We’ll talk after."

As everyone stood, Sammy bumped into Awesome.

"Yo. You good?"

Awesome: "No. They’re trying to take everything."

Sammy, quiet for once: "Then don’t let them. You’re better than me at this."

It was the first nice thing he’d said to her in years.

Later. Parking lot.

Brian came back, still in scrubs. Found Awesome sitting on the Benz hood. Waiting.

"You missed the meeting," she said.

"I saved a life," he said.

She handed him coffee. Cold now.

"My grandma says ‘the JAMES’ want to marry into us or buy us. Which are you here for?"

Brian looked at her. Really looked.

"Neither. I’m here because you looked tired this morning. I am not a James, I just work for them"

Awesome laughed. One real laugh.

"Careful, Dr. Okoro. People will think you have a heart."

Brian: "Maybe I do."

From upstairs window, *DENNIS* watched.

From across the compound, *SAMMY* watched.

From 20 minutes away, *GRACE* felt it. Like a shift.

*GRACE'S APARTMENT*

Brian came home from a 16hr shift, dropped his stethoscope, and went to the small room.

Dusty guitar. Sheet music. Old Nazar audition tapes labeled `DIVA D`.

He played 3 chords. Stopped.

Grace watched from the doorway.

"You still play?"

Brian: "When I’m tired of saving lives."

Grace pulled out the box.

Nazar ID: `DIVA D`

Posters. Awards. And the letter.

_"Take the money and disappear. Claim my name and I’ll end you. - RJ"_

Brian: "Mum..."

Grace: "You were 4 when I buried the guitar. You cried for a week."

*FLASHBACK*

Little Brian, 4, with a toy mic: "Mama, I wanna be like you!"

Grace, terrified: "No music, baby. No stage. It’s not safe."

Next week: science tutors.

*PRESENT*

Grace: "Raymond threatened me in 2003. 48 hours later I was blacklisted. So I chose you."

Brian touched the guitar pick.

"So I chose medicine. To make you feel safe."

It has been a very long journey, without regrets though. However, I'm skeptical. Why the sudden interest and calls. Nobody knows my whereabouts, son. I just want you to live life to the fullest. If I was stopped then, we can't be stopped now.”

Grace: "Dennis called yesterday. Asking about you.

Brian frowned.He was the one who audited the hospital 5 days ago."

"The Nazar VP? He saw my file then?"

"He saw your name, Brian. You have

Grace Okoro, as next of kin on file your I guess. He connected it. I guess he also got my phone number from there too.”

Brian looked at his doctor’s coat. Then at the guitar.

"I gave up music for you, Mama. Now what do they want?”

Raising his eyebrows.

“Mum, why should a ‘Nazar’ know you and get interested in the connection I have with you?”

“That's story for another day son, there are a lot you are yet to know”

“ I want to know everything mum.

”Ring ring…….,.......

Brian checks the screen. “It's a call from the Hospital. But I am supposed to be off duty” he contemplated

The phone rings again.

He picked it, “Hello!”

“Sir, your attention is needed here, it's an emergency please.”

“Alright, I will be right on my way.” He stood ready to leave.

“Mum, I will be back to hear more …….”

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