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"Ire someone hates you, and this is getting out of hands. They are not just trying to frame you but destroy you. Who could it be?" Prince Adedamola held those pictures in his hands looking at them as if it could reveal the person to them. He became worried than Prince Ire himself. He paced up and down the large room immediately Prince Ire told him what happened at the restaurant. This was getting his brother really worried and he wanted to help. Prince Adedamola stopped walking and turned to Prince Ire. "You need to try and remember anything you can from the past. Did you hurt or kill someone?"

"What!" Prince Ire yelled a little bit slowly, getting out of his bed. "I never did such thing. Yes, I was into drugs and I was never in my right state of mind to think everything I was doing was wrong but..." Prince Ire stopped. He sat down back and continued. "I remember paying everyone I slept with well enough that they wanted to be with me again. Except from a particular day.."

"What happened?" Prince Adedamola cut in. "Can you still remember?"

Prince Ire stared at his younger brother. "On this day, there was this particular lady who didn't want to be with me even after offering her a huge amount of money. I couldn't tell why I wanted to be with her because I didn't really like her like that. But I guess I got pissed cause everyone wanted to be with me except from her." Prince Ire closed his eyes and scratched his head unable to continue.

"Bro, you don't have to feel bad now. How does a person under the influence of alcohol and drugs behave? This could help us act quickly. It's your past but you are now a different man. You only want to make things right and find the culprits because if not, they are not planning to stop, and they haven't started yet."

Prince Ire thought about what his brother said and decided to continue. He wanted to know who and who was behind all of these. Ara wasn't safe either, and she knew it even though she tried to act as if nothing was happening in front of him. He sat back on his bed and continued. "I forced myself on her actually." Prince Ire said slowly, ashamed of what he had done. "I discovered she was a virgin and I hate myself for doing such a shameful thing. But I also discovered she was at that place because she was waiting for someone to come pick her."

"So what happened next?"

"We discovered the next day that she drown herself to death....except that, I saw.....Adewale at the scene. He didn't see me though. He seemed disturbed that day, and I wanted to quickly leave the scene to avoid anything that would implicate me."

"Wait! Our Adewale!" Prince Adedamola's eyes came out fully opened. His mind filled up with many thoughts. He didn't want to believe their older brother was somehow connected to this story. Prince Adedamola walked closer to Prince Ire, gently putting his hand on his shoulder. The two brothers didn't want to believe what was happening was because of the story that was just being told. It should be the First Queen or someone working for someone. But that someone, could be anybody. Prince Adedamola eventually said those words out. "Do you think brother can hurt you?"

The two brothers stared at each other, trying to reason what was not there to reason. They were beginning to suspect him, but they wish they wouldn't. They were quiet for some seconds until Prince Adedamola continued again. "Joy framed you and almost ruined your reputation. Someone wants to make you look bad and change how people see you."

Prince Ire was totally confused, but he still look composed. "Joy came through Derin actually. She told me it was to help me. I don't think anyone is behind that except Joy foolishly working for the first Queen."

Prince Adedamola shook his head at his brother as the two stared closely at each other. Prince Adedamola slowly removed the hand he placed on his brother's shoulder. "Ire, there was definitely someone before Derin. That someone told Joy where she could meet someone who could bring her into the palace. That someone told her how to act, what to say.... because Joy's revenge is just like him having his revenge on you."

Prince Ire's brows shot up. He seemed to have gotten something out of what his brother just explained. He couldn't believe his ears. "We need to find Joy!"

"Joy is dead."

"What the fuck! When?"

"Ire, someone's built a plan for you. But right now, Adewale is in the palace with Dad. Don't you think we should pay them a visit? And how about you provoke him brother?"

"D, are we suspecting him now?"

"Ire, he's now our number one suspect. Think about it. When you left for abroad, he stayed behind and became very close to Dad. When you told Dad you were willing to still study engineering since it has always been your dream to become an engineer, immediately Dad wanted you to come home and he was ready to hand over to you his two hundred billion naira worth of company. What Dad never thought of giving Dewale despite studying engineering. But you never came home still."

"Derin said we shouldn't, and I was afraid of starting over in Nigeria as well."

Prince Adedamola stared at his brother. "While you were away, he started attending meetings for Dad. He was in charge of almost everything, acting the filial child. While he tried to be at the centre of everything, Dad still wanted to show you off. He would always call for you to come to the palace to meet with these high class of people and let you earn their favour. Tell them you are a doctor, how you finished with first class, let you lecture them and also tell them you were an overall best student when you did your masters. But the more you get close to Dad, Dewale was doing everything he could to earn his favour more."

Prince Adedamola moved a bit away from his brother. "You never like his mom, and he knows, yet acting so cool with it. Why? He couldn't offend you because Dad favours you so much Ire. Everyone in this house knows you are just like Dad and he dotes on you cause you are so intelligent. So to replace you, he needed to be like you and earn his love. He needed to act like he has nothing against you. But secretly, don't you think he could actually vent his anger on you by sending Joy to harm you. Which eventually sent his mom packing instead. He would hate you for it Ire. His plan backfired!"

"When Dad pleaded for you to come home, he bought you a nice penthouse at banana island, he got you a job at Dove hospital and they were ready to pay you well because of what they heard about you. He got everything ready for you, but you still decided not to come home and everything became his."

"Derin told me I could have everything there, and I was actually okay and earning good pay."

Prince Adedamola shot his two brows up. "Derin knows something."

Immediately Prince Adedamola said that, Prince Ire got up from his bed and ran to his travelling box. He unzipped it and held the letter Derin left her before she married the Governor. He unwrapped the paper and read as fast as he could. His two eyes shot up at his brother and he wished he had read the letter earlier. He dropped back on the bed, completely lost. He was many days late reading the letter. Prince Adedamola picked up the letter from the floor and read.

"Adedamire. Are you shocked I wrote you a letter instead? I hope you would read it to the end. Someone told me your past which you never did. Someone told me you were once a drug addict. That you were a bad person and you don't deserve me. Lol. This someone didn't know I was the one who doesn't deserve you. Even though you never told me, I did know you never wanted to come back to Nigeria because of your past, but I didn't know how to tell you that someone kept threatening my life, telling me to leave you, but gave me one option. 'You can have him to yourself and never let him come back to Nigeria'. When I came back to Nigeria alone, I never knew how your Dad knew I was your girlfriend. He found me and told me I wasn't worthy of you. But then, I had met him two times even before I travelled out of the country. When I was still a call girl. Adedamire, you are a light to my path and your presence in my life has made me discover so much about myself. I love you so much, and I know what I will be missing if I decide to walk away. You are a wonderful man. Thanks for making me realise my dreams. That it isn't just about acquiring material things, but acquiring values. If getting married to the Governor will make me be with you, I will be that woman for you, cause I love you so much."

When Prince Adedamola was done reading, he looked at the bed where his brother was sitting, but he was no longer there. He turned around and saw Prince Ire holding a brown envelope. It was the same brown envelope Derin gave to him the last time they both saw each other. Prince Ire turned it upside down and shook the paper to have everything inside it pour to the ground. He bent down and picked up the small paper which fell on the rug last.

Slowly, he unwrapped the paper.

'I see you haven't read the letter. She's next in line. She's not safe.'

When Prince Ire read the words, what came to his mind was Aramade. Suddenly, a knock came on the door and the two brothers turned towards it. "Yes." They chorused.

"Sir, Prince Adewale is here to see you. He said he has a message from his majesty. And....."

"And what?" The two brothers chorused again.

"Aramade is also here sir."

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Author's Note

😄 Guys, I know you've missed Ara and Ire so much😄 I'm happy to let you know we are back to serve  you back to back updates😁
I finished my first semester exam yesterday and I couldn't wait to get back to writing😄 Huh😍 I miss you people a lot.
How will you be spoiling me votes and comments today😭😄😁