A convoy of four Lamborghinis—green, black, red, and orange—slid into the compound. Out stepped a group of foreign men in black suits and dark sunglasses, their presence sharp and unnerving. Sebastian strode forward and began conversing with them in fluent Polish. His accent was so precise, it left many wondering if he was truly Adira's son.
The others looked on, bewildered, as one of the men handed Sebastian a crisp white sheet. On it lay a detailed plan—strategies, routes, and missions mapped out with precision. Damian, though already holding the tracker ID of the location, knew it wasn't enough. From the look of things, this wouldn't be an easy job.
Nearby, Rukky pleaded earnestly with the policemen to spare Adila if she should be found guilty. When Sebastian finished with the men, he approached her.
"Grandma, if Auntie is behind this, I can't make promises. She'll go down for it. But if she isn't, then she's clear with me."
Tears welled in Rukky's eyes as she clutched his arm. "I'm certain Cecilia is involved, but you won't hurt her. She's your mother's twin sister—"
"Didn't think about that when she destroyed Mom's marriage, did she?" Sebastian smirked, shaking his head. "Grandma, relax. Whoever the culprit is—family or not—they won't see daylight again."
The words carried a daring finality.
Turning to Damian, Sebastian continued, "Tell the cops to retreat. Leave this to me. Cases like this need careful hands."
The head officer scowled. "Minister man, or whatever you call yourself, you can't expect us to just—"
"It's important if you want it done clean," Sebastian cut him off, his eyes narrowing. "My mother's life is at stake. The kidnappers will sense your men a mile away. If things go wrong, blood will spill—and I won't risk innocent lives."
Kunle stepped in. "Officer, please. Let the young man handle this."
The officer reluctantly agreed. "Fine, Mr. Ayomide. I hope this young man brings back your missing family." His sarcasm lingered, but he stepped aside.
One of the Polish men whispered something to Sebastian, who chuckled darkly. "Good. I don't talk—I act. Anyone who messes with this plan joins the dead in the mortuary. That's if he still has body parts left."
Dayo pulled him aside. "What are you doing? The police should be involved. More hands mean faster results."
"Dad, I know what I'm doing," Sebastian said firmly. For the first time, Dayo heard him call him 'Dad'—and it struck him deeply. "Bring in uniformed men and see how fast the culprit kills the women. For someone to kidnap four women in broad daylight, they're a professional. To outwit them, we must be smarter. Cunning."
Sharon, trembling at the thought of her mother's death, ran to her brother. "Sebastian, promise me nothing will happen to Mom. Promise me you'll bring her back."
He kissed her forehead. "I promise, Sharon. One hundred percent. I'll bring her and the others back without a scratch."
---
Inside a condemned building by the cliff, four women sat tied to chairs, bombs and wires strapped to their bodies. One wrong move could end them all.
A figure stepped forward. When Adira's hood was removed, her heart sank. "Adila? It was you?"
Adila smiled wickedly, arms spread wide. "Hello, dearest sister. Welcome to my den."
Tears filled Adira's eyes. "Why, Adila? This isn't you. You're not evil—"
A slap silenced her. "I hate you, Adira. I always have. You shine while I fade. You took everything meant for me. Even Felix. Even love. And what did I get? Shadows. Insults. Emptiness."
Adira shook her head. "That's not true. I've always loved you, respected you. Grace carried me. Not envy. Not greed. If you had been patient—"
"Enough!" Adila slammed the wall. "Do you know how it feels to be unloved? To be the forgotten twin? Even in marriage, men chase you. Why not me? Am I not also worthy?"
Adira's tears spilled freely. "I never sought wealth or fame. Dayo just… happened. He's my missing piece."
Another vicious slap cut her off. "Don't you dare mention luck to me! Felix was meant for me, not you. I deserve him." Her eyes gleamed with madness. "And by the way, it was me who ruined your marriage. Me who framed you. Me who orchestrated your rape in college. I watched while you screamed. And when your son Sebastian was born, I wished I had killed him. That retarded bastard."
Adira's grief turned to fury. "My son is not a bastard. You are! Cursed and hollow!"
Adila's men dragged the other women—Bummi, Thandeka, and Lola—to the cliff. Adila pressed her gun to Adira's temple. "Today, dearest sister, you die."
But before she could pull the trigger, gunfire erupted. Her men dropped one by one, bodies littering the ground. From the smoke emerged Sebastian, flanked by Damian, Dayo, Ryan, Rukky, Darin, and Omolara.
"Hello, Auntie Cecilia," Sebastian said coldly. "Long time no see."
Dayo moved forward, but Sebastian held him back. "She'll jump with Mom if you rush. Watch me."
He called out, voice steady. "Auntie, release my mother. She hasn't eaten all day. You wouldn't want her fainting on you."
"Never! She stole Felix from me!" Adila tightened her grip around Adira's neck. Gun still pressed on her temple.
Dayo's fury burned. "God forbid I meet a woman like you. No man would ever want you. Not then. Not now."
Rukky sobbed. "Cecilia, please. Stop this. I loved you both equally. And I don't want anything to happen to you two."
"Lies!" Adila shrieked. "You always chose her. Always!"
Sebastian raised a hand, whistling sharply. A helicopter rose from beneath the cliff, blades chopping the air. "Five seconds, Auntie. Release her, or you lose everything."
"I don't give a fuck!" She laughed.
"Five." His voice was steel.
"She dies with me!"
"Four."
"You can't stop me!"
"Three."
"I should've killed you in her womb—"
"Two."
"Do your worst!"
"One."
Gunfire split the air. Adila's body jerked as bullets riddled her. She collapsed, lifeless, her grip loosening at last. Dayo rushed forward, pulling Adira into his arms.
"I've got you, honey. You're safe now." He kissed her forehead, holding her close.
But behind them came a piercing scream.
"Adila!" Rukky's cry tore through the chaos as she broke into a run. Dropping to her knees beside her fallen daughter, she gathered the limp body into her arms, shaking her violently as if she could force life back into her. Blood soaked her dress, but she didn't care.
"Adila, wake up! It's me, your mother—get up!" Rukky wailed, cradling the lifeless head against her chest. "My child, my daughter, don't leave me like this!" Her sobs turned raw, rocking back and forth as she wept bitterly, calling the name of the daughter she both loved and lost to darkness.
Adira turned her face into Dayo's chest, trembling. Relief at her own survival clashed with a stab of guilt as she listened to her mother's grief. Hot tears slipped down her cheeks. *She tried to kill me… and yet she was still my sister.*
She shifted, trying to move toward them. "Mom…" her voice cracked, raw with pain. "Please, don't—let me hold her too—"
But Dayo tightened his arms around her, holding her back. "No, love. Not now. Don't go near her. You've been through enough."
Adira's body shook with sobs, torn between horror and sorrow, while Rukky's anguished cries echoed against the cliffside.
A few feet away, Sebastian stood rigid, his gun still lowered at his side. His face was hard as stone, eyes cold as he watched Adila's blood seep into the earth. For him, the choice had been clear—swift, merciless, necessary, ruthless like the mafia he was. The killer who doesn't regret. The man who did what had to be done but feels the weight of it. Yet a shadow flickered across his expression, a brief fracture in the mask, before it hardened again.
The others glanced his way—some with relief, others with unease. He didn't speak, didn't justify. His silence was answer enough.
The relief was short-lived.
Bummi collapsed, screaming in pain. Labor had begun. Damian carried her toward the car, but the baby was already crowning.
"There's no time," Thandeka said, rolling up her sleeves. "She'll deliver here in the car. Trust me—I'm a nurse."
Minutes later, amid chaos and tears, Bummi brought forth twins—a boy and a girl. Damian's joy spilled over as he named them:
Aiden Tifeoluwa Damian Ayomide and Brenda Abimbola Damian Ayomide.
Where death ended, life began.
~~~~~THE END~~~~~