Alexander sat in his office, but his mind wasn't on the reports spread before him. For the first time in years, his empire ran on autopilot.
His focus was Maria.
His investigator stood quietly before him. A no-nonsense woman named Kemi. Discreet. Efficient.
"She left Lagos early," Kemi said. "Paid cash for a roadside bus. Took the boy. Covered her tracks well. But someone matching her description was spotted in Abeokuta."
Alexander nodded. "Find her. But be gentle. No pressure. No flashing money. If she doesn't want to be found, let her be."
Kemi raised an eyebrow. "That's rare. Most men like you send lawyers."
"I'm not most men."
She gave a small smile. "I noticed."
---
Meanwhile, in Abeokuta...
Maria tried to blend in.
She helped her aunt sell akara in the mornings. Read storybooks to Junior in the afternoons. Kept her phone off.
But one evening, as she walked home from the market with a bag of garri, she saw a familiar figure watching her from across the road.
Not Alexander.
Kemi.
Their eyes met. No words.
Maria froze. Her heart pounded.
Kemi gave a small nod of respect, then turned and walked away.
No chase. No threats.
Just a message:
He knows where you are. And he's waiting. On your terms.
That night, Maria sat by the window, staring at the moon. Junior was asleep, cuddled up with his drawing pad.
She picked up her phone.
No SIM.
But for the first time in days, she thought about turning it back on.
Not for him.
But for herself.