Lagos woke up loud that morning.
Car horns blared, street vendors shouted prices over one another, radios crackled with morning news, and the city stretched itself awake like it always did—unbothered by the quiet wars being fought beneath its surface.
Until Julian decided to make one very public move.
Ife first heard about it from a radio playing somewhere down the street. She was halfway through a cup of tea when the announcer's tone shifted.
"…breaking news this morning as multiple financial institutions linked to foreign investment mogul Julian Crowe have been raided overnight. Sources suggest internal betrayal and leaked documents—"
The cup slipped from her fingers, shattering against the floor.
Arden was beside her instantly. "What is it?"
She pointed at the radio, heart hammering. "He's being exposed. Publicly."
Victor entered moments later, phone pressed to his ear, face tight. "It's everywhere. Online. Television. Even international outlets picked it up."
Arden exhaled slowly. "Julian doesn't do desperation."
"No," Victor agreed. "He does spectacle."
As if summoned by the word, Arden's phone buzzed.
A video.
Julian stood in front of a camera, calm, polished, dressed in white like a man with nothing to hide. The background was unmistakable—Victoria Island, skyline gleaming behind him.
"My name is Julian Crowe," he said smoothly. "And today, I'm stepping forward to address the lies being spread about me."
Ife felt cold all over.
"This is a trap," Arden muttered.
On the screen, Julian continued. "These accusations come from one source. A foreigner hiding behind money and influence. Someone who fled accountability and now poisons nations that welcomed him."
The camera zoomed slightly.
"Arden Blackwood."
Ife's breath caught.
"He has been using Nigeria as a battleground for personal revenge," Julian said. "And he is not alone."
The screen cut.
To her.
A still image of Ife walking beside Julian weeks ago. Another of her entering the estate. Another—leaving a meeting.
Julian's voice returned. "This woman is his accomplice. A local face for foreign corruption."
The radio fell silent.
So did the room.
Arden turned to her, horror in his eyes. "Ife—"
She laughed weakly. "So this is his move."
Victor swore under his breath. "Public opinion. He's turning the city against you both."
Phones started buzzing. Messages. Notifications. Missed calls.
Ife's name was trending.
So was Mixed Love, a cruel nickname social media latched onto instantly.
Foreign man. Local woman. Power games.
"She didn't know," some said.
"She knew exactly what she was doing," others replied.
Ife sank onto the couch, chest tight. "My mother—people will recognize her."
Victor was already typing. "I'll relocate her again."
Arden knelt in front of Ife, taking her hands. "I'm sorry. I never wanted you exposed like this."
She met his gaze, steady despite the fear roaring inside her. "Julian underestimated one thing."
"What?" he asked softly.
She straightened. "Me."
By afternoon, the city buzzed.
Protests flared outside financial offices. News vans crowded streets. Commentators argued on live television.
And then Ife made her choice.
"We respond," she said.
Victor blinked. "Publicly?"
"Yes."
Arden's heart skipped. "Ife, that's dangerous."
"So is silence," she replied. "Julian wants to control the narrative. I won't let him."
Within hours, arrangements were made.
A small press room. Neutral ground. Cameras. Microphones.
When Ife stepped up to the podium, the noise faded.
She didn't wear power.
She wore truth.
"My name is Ife Adeyemi," she began. "And I'm not an accomplice. I'm a witness."
The room stilled.
"I was brought into Julian Crowe's world under false pretenses. I saw how power was built on fear. How loyalty was demanded, not earned."
She paused, eyes steady. "I chose to speak because silence protects monsters."
Questions erupted.
"Are you romantically involved with Arden Blackwood?"
"Yes," she answered simply.
Gasps rippled.
"And does that invalidate my voice?" she continued calmly. "Or does it scare people that a woman can love and still think for herself?"
Arden watched from the back, chest tight with pride and fear.
She finished with one sentence that would echo everywhere.
"I am not ashamed of who I love. I am ashamed of what power does when no one stands up to it."
Across the city, Julian watched the broadcast in silence.
For the first time, his smile didn't come.
"She's stronger than you were," one of his men said carefully.
Julian's jaw tightened.
"Yes," he said quietly. "And that's why she has to lose."
He turned off the screen.
"Prepare the last move."
That night, Arden and Ife stood on the balcony together, city lights flickering below.
"They're watching us now," Arden said.
Ife leaned into him. "Let them."
He kissed her forehead. "This ends soon."
She closed her eyes. "Just promise me something."
"Anything."
"When it does," she said softly, "we don't disappear. We live."
He smiled, rare and real. "Deal."
But somewhere in the dark, Julian was already moving.
And the city hadn't seen the worst yet.