The video of Mokoena's confrontation at the gallery had already gone viral. News anchors whispered about corruption, leaked documents, and the possibility of a high-level investigation. Mokoena's legal team was scrambling — but Lynn knew it wasn't over.
He still had power. And power doesn't bleed easily.
That's when she received the encrypted email:
Subject: We've both suffered under Mokoena. Let's talk.
Signed: N.
There was no trace of the IP. No hint of identity.
Lynn stared at the screen, debating.
Michael peered over her shoulder.
> "Could be a trap."
> "Or an opportunity," she murmured.
> "Or both."
---
The meeting point was neutral ground — a busy hotel lobby downtown. Public. Safe. Controlled.
Lynn sat with a coffee she didn't touch. Her eyes scanned every corner.
Then he appeared.
A tall man in a navy coat, silver hair, sharp eyes that didn't belong to a stranger.
> "You're… Naledi's brother," she whispered.
> "Lazarus Noko," he confirmed, sliding into the seat across from her. "And I've waited years for someone like you to finally scratch Mokoena's mask."
Lynn blinked. "Why now?"
> "Because you're loud. You have the public's eye. And because my sister died in his house."
She froze.
> "Naledi—she overdosed—"
> "She was silenced, Lynn. After she found out about his trafficking routes. He buried her truth along with her body. And I intend to dig both up."
Lynn leaned forward. "Why me?"
> "Because unlike me, you're still clean. They can't pin anything on you. And you've already rattled his cage. Together, we can pull it down."
> "And in return?"
Lazarus didn't blink.
> "I want him in prison. Or in hell. Whichever comes first."
A pause. The city buzzed outside the glass walls, oblivious.
Lynn extended her hand slowly.
> "Then let's finish this."
---
Later that night…
Michael frowned as Lynn relayed the details.
> "You're trusting a man you barely know?"
> "No," she said. "I'm trusting a man who wants revenge more than I do."
---