Ashes of Us

Chapter 41: Shattered Illusions

The private jet has barely landed in Lagos when everything changes.

Tobi, who had been all over me in Dubai—**kissing me, spoiling me, making me feel like a queen—**is suddenly cold, distant. His phone rings before the plane even comes to a stop, and when he answers, his entire body tenses.

I watch, heart sinking, as his jaw clenches, his grip tightening around the device. His responses are clipped, sharp.

"I'm on my way."

"Make sure everything is handled before I get there."

"No mistakes this time."

I have never heard his voice like that before. Dark. Authoritative. Dangerous.

Then, just like that, the trip is over.

Tobi turns to me, his expression unreadable. "Plans changed. I have to handle something."

I frown. "But… what about the Maldives?"

"You’ll go another time," he says, already texting someone. "I need to take care of something first."

I wait, expecting more. A reason. An explanation. Something.

But nothing comes.

Instead, when we step off the jet, a black SUV is already waiting at the private hangar.

And a man stands beside it.

My stomach twists.

He’s tall, broad, dressed in all black, and the scowl on his face is pure intimidation. There’s something about him—something off. He looks like he belongs in a crime movie, not standing here, waiting for me.

Tobi barely glances at him before looking at me. "He’ll take you home."

I freeze. "What?"

"I have to go," he says, already moving toward another car. "I’ll be back."

Just like that.

No kiss. No soft words. Just an order.

I blink, heart pounding. "Tobi, what’s going on?"

He pauses, his back still turned. Then, after a long moment, he finally looks at me. His eyes hold something unspoken. A warning. A secret.

"Go home, Sophie."

Then he gets into the car and drives off.

My breath hitches.

I turn to the scowling man waiting by the SUV. He doesn’t say a word—just opens the back door like I have no choice.

A chill runs through me.

Who is he?

Where is Tobi going?

What the hell is happening?

For the first time, I feel it.

Chapter 42 – Blood and Secrets

I sat curled up on the couch, staring at my phone. My mind wouldn’t stop racing.

As soon as I got home, I called my mom. I didn’t tell her about Tobi leaving so suddenly. I didn’t even know what to say.

I just listened—listened to her voice, to the way she asked about Tobi, about when she could finally talk to him, about how grateful she was for everything.

I barely responded.

My heart pounded. My thoughts were tangled.

Who was the man that drove me home?

Why did Tobi leave like that?

What was he really into?

I kept hearing his voice in my head—the coldness, the sharpness in his tone.

I knew he was powerful. Rich beyond belief. But tonight, for the first time, I realized…

I didn’t know what he did to have all that power.

I had been living in his world, drowning in his luxury, basking in his love. But now, a small part of me was scared.

I ended the call with my mom, forcing a small laugh when she asked if I was okay. I wasn’t.

And then—

The door clicked open.

I turned.

Tobi walked in.

And my breath caught in my throat.

Blood.

It was smeared across his hands, splattered on his shirt, staining his sleeves.

He smelled like danger.

I froze.

The phone slipped from my hands. My mom’s voice was still on the other end.

But I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Because Tobi was standing in front of me.

Covered in blood.

---

Chapter 43 – Dripping in Fear

Tobi’s eyes locked onto mine. He could see the fear.

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even move.

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.

“Calm down,” he said. “I need a shower.”

And just like that, he walked past me, completely unfazed by the blood clinging to his skin.

I didn’t move. Couldn’t move.

My entire body was on edge. My heart hammered in my chest.

Tobi disappeared into the bathroom, and I heard the water running.

Still, I couldn’t shake the image of him standing there—stained with blood.

Whose blood was it?

What had he done?

My breathing was shallow. Panic clawed at my throat.

Minutes passed.

The bathroom door opened, and Tobi stepped out—dripping wet, a towel hanging loosely around his waist.

Clean. Fresh. But still dangerous.

His sharp gaze met mine.

I didn’t know whether to run or stay.

Because for the first time, I realized…

I might be in love with a monster.

Tobi knew I was terrified. He could see it in my eyes, the way my fingers trembled slightly as I clutched the edge of the couch.

He ran a hand through his damp hair, sighing. “Relax, Sophie. It’s not what you think.”

I swallowed hard. “Then what is it?” My voice barely made a sound.

He held my gaze for a moment, then exhaled. “I had an accident,” he said smoothly, walking toward me. “It wasn’t serious, but the guy I hit… there was a struggle. That’s why you saw blood.”

I blinked, trying to process his words. An accident? A struggle?

“But why do you look so—” I stopped myself.

He didn’t look like someone who just had a random street accident. He looked like someone who had been in a war.

Tobi reached for me, his hands warm as they cupped my waist. “You’re overthinking, baby.” His voice was low, soothing, seductive. “Do you really think I’d bring danger to you?”

I hesitated. The logical part of me screamed yes—that everything felt off. But then there was the way he touched me, the way he always knew how to disarm me.

“I was scared,” I admitted, my voice small.

“I know.” He pulled me closer, pressing his lips to my forehead. “But you don’t have to be.”

Liar.

But as his scent wrapped around me, as his hands traced soft circles on my back, I found myself wanting to believe him.

Wanting to forget the blood.

Wanting to trust him.

Even though something deep inside me knew…

I shouldn’t.

I took a step back, shaking my head. “No, Tobi. I don’t believe you.”

His expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes shifted—something colder.

“I’m not asking you to believe me,” he said calmly. “I’m asking you to leave the house for now.”

My heart dropped. “Leave? Why?”

“I’ll call you later.”

“That’s not an answer, Tobi!” I snapped, my voice rising. “You come home covered in blood, tell me some half-truth, and now you’re sending me away?”

Tobi sighed and reached into his pocket. A second later, my phone pinged.

I glanced at it, my breath catching when I saw the alert—25 million naira deposited into my account.

My stomach twisted.

Why so much?

It felt like hush money. Like… a goodbye.

I looked up at him, my chest tightening. “Tobi, what’s really going on?”

He stepped forward, brushing a strand of hair from my face. His touch was gentle, but his voice was firm.

“Go, Sophie.”

My throat burned. “Are you coming back?”

A flicker of something crossed his face—hesitation, guilt, maybe even regret. But it was gone in an instant.

“I’ll call you,” he said again.

That was the last thing I heard before I walked out the door, my heart pounding, my mind spinning.

And deep down, I knew—

Something was very, very wrong.

Chapter 44 – No Place to Hide

My hands trembled as I fumbled for the door handle.

I couldn’t stay here.

Not after what I’d just seen.

I had barely made it to the entrance when a voice—his voice—froze me in place.

"Going somewhere, baby?"

My breath hitched.

Slowly, I turned.

And there he was.

Tobi.

Standing by the door. Blocking my escape.

His face was calm. His expression unreadable.

But his eyes?

His eyes told me he knew.

He had seen me.

The realization hit me like a crashing wave.

He had seen me.

How?

I had been careful. Hadn’t I?

Tobi’s lips curved into a smirk as he took a slow, calculated step toward me.

"You’re acting strange, Sophie."

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I forced a small, shaky laugh. "I was just… I needed some air," I lied.

His brows lifted. "At midnight? Without telling me?"

I swallowed.

Tobi studied me for a moment.

Then, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and tapped the screen.

I froze.

Because I knew.

I knew what he was about to show me.

And the next second, the screen lit up.

A CCTV feed.

My stomach dropped.

I watched in horror as the footage played—

Me.

Walking into the small duplex behind his house.

Me.

Finding the drugs.

The weapons.

The underground horror.

The moment I had nearly collapsed.

My blood ran cold.

Tobi clicked his tongue.

"You really should have told me you wanted a tour," he said, voice soft.

Dangerously soft.

I took a step back.

Tobi didn’t move.

He just stared at me, waiting.

Waiting for me to crack.

Waiting for me to run.

Because he knew.

I had seen too much.

---

Another House, Another Trap

We drove in silence.

I didn’t ask where we were going.

I was too scared to.

When the car stopped, I glanced out the window—

A new house.

Not the mansion.

Not my apartment.

Somewhere else.

Tobi stepped out, walked over to my side, and opened the door.

"Come inside, Sophie."

I hesitated.

He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Don’t make me carry you in, baby. We both know I will."

I swallowed and stepped out.

As soon as we entered, he locked the door.

Then, he turned to me.

"Now talk."

My chest tightened.

"About what?" I whispered.

Tobi exhaled.

Then, for the first time tonight—

He looked tired.

Not angry.

Not calculating.

Just… exhausted.

"Sophie, I know you’re scared." His voice was gentler now.

"But I need you to trust me."

Trust?

I nearly laughed.

"Tobi, I saw—"

"I know what you saw." He cut me off.

Then, he took a step closer.

"But you don’t know what it means."

I stared at him.

Because this was different.

For the first time, he wasn’t pretending.

For the first time, I saw something real in his eyes.

And that terrified me even more.