Chapter 42 - panic in the penthouse

the PenthouseThe early morning sun rose over the Lekki penthouse apartment, but the mood inside was pitch-black. The massive glass walls showed a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean, but nobody was looking at the view.On the giant 85-inch television screen, the morning news was playing on a continuous loop: "COUP FOILED: General's Personal Hit Squad Arrested at Apapa Port Live on Air."Damini sat on his Italian leather sofa, his legs shaking violently. His expensive diamond rings felt heavy on his fingers, and his glowing smartwatch was vibrating non-stop with panic alerts from his international tech investors."I told you! I told all of you that this boy is a demon!" Damini screamed, throwing his glass of iced coffee against the wall. The dark liquid splashed across an expensive painting, but he didn't care. "He didn't just stop a military squad—he paraded them on national television! He destroyed a General's entire twenty-year network in less than one hour!"Sitting across from him were three senior executives of the Island cyber-cartel—older men in flawless agbada outfits who usually controlled billions in illegal crypto transactions. Right now, their faces looked like they were attending a mass burial."Damini, calm your temper," one of the older men muttered, his voice trembling slightly as he wiped sweat from his bald head. "Chief Solomon's accounts have been frozen by the anti-graft agency. The political backers in Abuja are running into their holes. If Adekunle decides to bring those mainland street boys across the bridge to Lekki... our high-tech servers cannot stop a physical mob.""We need to strike first," another executive growled, tapping a tablet display. "We can hire international hackers to shut down the electricity grid on the mainland. We can freeze the local bank accounts of his top boys like Sledge. We have the digital advantage!""Shut up your mouth!" Damini roared, standing up and pacing around the penthouse. "Did you not see what his boy Kazeem did to my cyber-vans two nights ago? They didn't use computers to hack us; they used a rusty pair of mechanic wire cutters! You cannot fight old-school barracks discipline with an internet connection!"Before the argument could escalate, the elevator doors at the corner of the penthouse chimed softly.DING.The two suited penthouse bodyguards instantly reached for their concealed weapons, their eyes fixed on the opening steel doors.The elevator opened, and a single figure stepped out. It wasn't Adekunle, and it wasn't Sledge. It was a tall, incredibly elegant young woman wearing a sharp red blazer, her high heels clicking rhythmically against the marble floor. She held a sleek, titanium briefcase. Her eyes were sharp, cold, and calculated—the eyes of a predator who lived in the highest corporate boardrooms."Who are you? How did you bypass our biometric security downstairs?!" Damini barked, stepping back.The woman didn't flinch. She walked straight to the glass conference table, dropped the titanium briefcase, and opened it smoothly, revealing a stack of legal documents and a single, uncorrupted satellite drive."My name is Valerie," she said, her voice smooth like silk but hard like iron. "I am the chief legal counsel for the international offshore syndicate that was funding Chief Solomon's underground operations. Now that the General is permanently out of the script, my bosses need a new manager for the Nigerian sector."Damini blinked, his cyber-mind trying to process the information. "A new manager? You mean me?"Valerie let out a low, mocking laugh that made Damini's skin crawl. "You? No. You are a tech boy who cries over spilt coffee, Damini. My bosses need someone with iron discipline and physical ground control."She turned her head toward the glass window, looking out toward the distant mainland bridge. "I am going to pay a visit to the Ebute-Metta sawmill this afternoon. It's time to see if the Chief's son wants to become a global billionaire, or if he prefers to remain a local street king. Prepare your books, Damini. You work for Adekunle now."