Chapter 24: Beneath the Surface
The following days were a haze for Ezinne. The feeling of being watched lingered like an unwelcome shadow, never quite leaving her alone. Despite her best efforts to stay focused on her work and the newfound peace she had started to rebuild with her family, the unease gnawed at her. Every time she stepped outside, she scanned her surroundings, and every creak of the floorboards in the house made her jump. But it wasn't just her own paranoia. Something was wrong, and it was only a matter of time before the truth would surface.
The night was thick with tension as Ezinne sat by the window, looking out at the quiet street. She hadn't heard from Chinedu in hours, and a knot of worry twisted in her stomach. The last time they spoke, he had reassured her that everything was under control, but the words rang hollow in her ears. He hadn't seemed like himself lately. His calm demeanor had fractured, replaced with an intensity she couldn't quite place.
Ezinne shook her head. She couldn't keep doing this, couldn't keep feeling like she was drowning in her own doubts. She needed to talk to him. Needed to know what was really going on.
She grabbed her phone and dialed his number, her finger hovering over the screen for a moment before pressing it to her ear. The line rang, once... twice... three times.
"Hello?" His voice on the other end was distant, distracted.
"Chinedu," she said, trying to keep the edge of frustration out of her voice. "What's going on? You've been avoiding me. You haven't answered my calls or texts. I need to know what's happening."
There was a brief pause before he spoke. "I'm sorry. It's just... a lot of things happening right now. You don't need to worry about it."
"Chinedu, don't lie to me," Ezinne's voice cracked. "You're hiding something, and I can feel it. Just tell me the truth."
Another long silence stretched between them, and Ezinne's heart raced. She had never heard him sound so cold before. Not in all their years together.
"I'm protecting you," he finally said, his tone hardening. "I'm doing this for us. For you, for Chibuikem. I can't let anything happen to you, not when you're so close to everything I've worked for."
The words sent a chill down her spine, and a sudden realization hit her like a freight train. There was something much darker lurking beneath the surface, and Chinedu, for all his strength and bravado, was caught in it.
But before she could respond, he hung up.
Ezinne stared at the phone, her mind whirling. "What does he mean?" she whispered to herself. Her gaze flicked to the door, as if expecting to see someone standing there, watching her. The air in the room felt too thick, too heavy.
The phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Ogechi: "We've spotted them again. They're getting closer."
Ezinne's stomach dropped. She had hoped—no, she had prayed—that it was all in her head, but the evidence was mounting. Someone was out there, watching them, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Meanwhile, Chinedu sat in his office, his mind racing. The walls of his carefully constructed life were beginning to crack, and every passing hour brought him closer to a breaking point he wasn't sure he could withstand. His men had uncovered some information about the people following them. Whoever they were, they weren't just local. They were organized, well-funded, and merciless.
Chinedu's phone buzzed on his desk. A message from Ifeanyi flashed across the screen: "We've found them. They're connected to someone powerful, but we're still digging. We'll keep you updated."
Chinedu swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair. His life was spiraling out of his control, and for the first time in a long time, he felt powerless. This wasn't about protecting his family anymore. This was about survival.
He slammed his fist on the desk, his pulse pounding in his ears. "No one threatens my family," he muttered, his voice full of rage.
As the night drew on, the darkness outside seemed to press closer, closing in on him. Chinedu couldn't help but wonder how much longer he could keep his family safe, how much longer he could keep the truth from them.
Back at home, Ezinne lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She had no answers, only questions. The weight of uncertainty pressed down on her chest, suffocating her. Was Chinedu really the man she thought he was? Or had the shadows of his past finally caught up to him?
She closed her eyes, willing sleep to take her, but it eluded her. The unknown hung in the air like a thick fog, wrapping itself around her, making it impossible to see what lay ahead. All she could do was wait.
And hope.
The next day, Ogechi came to the house once more, her face pale with worry. Ezinne didn't need to ask what was wrong. She could feel it—the tension, the fear that had been growing in the air for days.
"They're closer," Ogechi said quietly. "I saw them earlier today. They're not trying to hide anymore."
Ezinne's heart pounded in her chest. "What do we do?"
Ogechi's voice was filled with an edge of desperation. "We wait for Chinedu. He's the only one who can make this stop."
But deep down, Ezinne knew it wasn't that simple. Whatever was coming, it was bigger than anything Chinedu had ever faced. And no matter how hard he tried to protect them, the truth was that their lives were about to change in ways they couldn't yet understand.
And she couldn't shake the feeling that the worst was still to come.