The message went live at exactly noon.
No buildup. No warning.
Just Ife's face on every screen.
Arden was mid-sentence, arguing with Victor about logistics, when one of the men quietly turned the tablet toward him.
"Boss… you should see this."
Arden frowned, then froze.
Ife sat against a plain background, wearing a simple dress. No makeup. No jewelry. Her hair pulled back like she used to do when she was nervous and trying not to show it.
She looked tired.
But calm.
"My name is Ife Adeyemi," she began, voice steady. "I'm speaking of my own free will."
Arden's chest tightened.
"I've seen a lot of speculation about my relationship with Arden Blackwood," she continued. "I want to make something clear. There is no relationship."
The words hit him like a punch to the throat.
Victor swore under his breath.
"I made a mistake allowing myself to be pulled into a world that was never meant for me," Ife said. "I am choosing peace. I am choosing distance."
Arden shook his head slowly. "No…"
"I ask that Arden respects this decision and stops looking for me," she finished. "This is goodbye."
The video ended.
Silence swallowed the room.
Arden didn't breathe.
Didn't blink.
Didn't move.
Victor stepped closer. "Arden—"
"She didn't mean that," Arden said hoarsely.
Victor didn't answer.
Arden's hands began to shake. "She promised me. She promised."
He staggered back like the floor had shifted beneath him. Every word replayed in his head, sharp and deliberate.
There is no relationship.
I'm choosing peace.
This is goodbye.
Something inside him cracked.
He laughed once—broken, disbelieving—then grabbed the table and swept everything off it in one violent motion.
"Turn it off," he shouted. "Turn everything off!"
Victor grabbed his shoulders. "Arden. Look at me."
Arden's eyes were wild. "He broke her."
"No," Victor said firmly. "He cornered her."
Arden shoved him away. "That's the same thing!"
He stormed out of the room, pacing like a trapped animal, hands buried in his hair.
"I risked everything," Arden muttered. "I chose her over power. Over my father. Over my name."
Victor followed slowly. "And she chose to save you."
Arden whirled around. "By destroying me?"
Victor met his gaze evenly. "By keeping you alive."
Julian watched the reaction unfold on multiple screens.
Arden's anger. The chaos. The fracture.
He smiled.
"Well done," he said calmly.
Ife stood beside him, staring at the floor.
Her chest felt hollow. Like something vital had been removed.
"You hurt him," she whispered.
Julian glanced at her. "You freed him."
She laughed softly, bitter. "That's what you call this?"
Julian turned to her fully. "This is what survival looks like when you love someone reckless."
She lifted her head, eyes shining. "You're not saving him. You're breaking him so he fits into your world."
Julian didn't deny it. "Strong men need limits."
She swallowed. "And what about me?"
Julian studied her. "You've proven yourself useful."
The word stung.
"You said this would end the war," she said.
Julian nodded. "It has."
She frowned. "Then why does it feel like it's just beginning?"
Julian's smile thinned. "Because now we move to phase two."
Her heart skipped. "What phase two?"
"Legacy," Julian said simply.
That night, Arden sat alone in the dark.
The room smelled like sweat and gun oil and regret.
His phone lay on the bed beside him.
No messages.
No explanations.
No apologies.
He stared at the ceiling, memories crashing into him uninvited—her laugh, her stubbornness, the way she used to roll her eyes when he overthought everything.
I love you more than fear.
The words burned.
Victor knocked softly and stepped inside.
"You haven't eaten."
Arden didn't respond.
Victor sat on the edge of the bed. "Julian wants you to disappear."
Arden laughed weakly. "Looks like he succeeded."
Victor's jaw tightened. "That video wasn't her truth."
Arden turned his head slowly. "Then why does it feel real?"
Victor sighed. "Because love always hurts most when it's used as a weapon."
Arden closed his eyes. "I'm done fighting."
Victor stiffened. "What?"
"I'm done chasing," Arden said quietly. "If she wants peace, I'll give it to her."
Victor studied him carefully. "And Julian?"
Arden opened his eyes, something cold and dangerous settling in them. "Julian thinks I've surrendered."
Victor nodded slowly. "And that's bad because…?"
Arden sat up, voice calm, lethal. "Because I haven't."
Meanwhile, Ife lay awake, staring at the ceiling of a room that still wasn't hers.
Her phone buzzed once.
Unknown number.
She hesitated, then picked it up.
Unknown:
I heard your message.
Her heart stuttered.
Ife:
I didn't have a choice.
Several seconds passed.
Then:
Unknown:
I know.
Tears slid silently down her temples.
Ife:
Please don't come for me.
A pause.
Then:
Unknown:
I'm not coming for you.
Her chest tightened.
Unknown:
I'm coming for him.
She dropped the phone, breath shaking.
Outside, thunder rolled again.
And somewhere between broken words and unspoken promises, the war changed shape.
No longer loud.
No longer obvious.
But far more dangerous.