I've been confined for almost an hour, but it feels like an eternity since I have no access to a phone, food, or drink. I'm bored to tears and have anxiety attacks about how Nicholas found out about my secret as I lay in the bed cell.

I sit up when I recognize a voice and look behind the cell gate to find Scott.

I was expecting Jeff, but when I see this man, my expectations are altered, feeling good and I get to my feet to approach him.

"What have you done, by the way?" He inquires as he extends his arms through the gap in the gate to shake hands with me.

"Why would I tell you, knowing you might not be on my side this time again," I reply, recalling the fact that he was happy I couldn't sell my whip.

He scoffs loudly at my response.

"Guy, I'm sorry about that. I just feel like Tracy doesn't deserve what you are trying to do for her," He states in a pleading way. "What if you sell the car, give her the cash but still go back to your father? You can't trust her," He adds and I sigh, reasoning with his point.

"Nicholas knows that I went to see Ren's father and I'm afraid he might know more about my dad's past," I express, muttering to him, and his brows are raised in shock.

"What!" He responds. "How did he find out,"

"Same way I've been thinking and questioning myself," I respond, feeling disturbed. "I don't know," 

"What are you going to do?" He asks.

I shrug and say, "I'll tell Ren myself once I'm out."

"You can't do that, dude," He chides me while frowning.

"So what do I do?" I jumped in.

"I think you need to let the chief aware that Nicholas probably knows his past so he would know what to do with him," He suggests and I sneer at him angrily in response.

I can't believe what this guy is saying.

I'm talking about Ren, and he's bringing up my father in the conversation.

Someone who was the root of the issue?

"What in the name of God are you saying? Why does the chief have to be involved in this?" I debate.

"Because if you told Karen, you would lose on both sides." While he clarifies, I remain silent. "Why not simply safeguard your father's reputation at all costs?" He is saying this while being distracted by a police officer who comes into our presence.

Scott and I shockingly look into each other's eyes as the man starts to open the cell door.

"What is going on?" I enquire as I leave the cell and walk to the front desk with the man.

"You have been granted bail," He responds.

"Is there a trial?" I question.

"No, things have been resolved with the victim, but you would have faced the Panel regardless if it happened within the school premises,"

"Wow! Scott exclaims, "This is good news,"

I can tell my father used his influence to make it happen.

I'm even more surprised that he was able to bribe Nicholas not to make a victim impact statement. If I heed Scott's advice, I'm sure he would also buy him off.

He is dangerous, and he might even harm Nicholas. I really don't know what to do.

When we get to the Reception, I see Jeff chatting with an officer and the moment they returned my belongings to me, I went to meet him.

"Hey," I say, and he turns around to face me while the officer walks away from us.

"Guy, would you stay away from trouble these days?" I roll my eyes as he responds in a chiding manner, knowing that he was only doing so because my father had complained about me.

"Sure, I can imagine how your boss would have reacted," I say and he scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It would have been even better if you could have imagined his reaction, dullard". He interjects and I scoff at the dullard part of his comment.

"What do you mean?" I ask, in confusion.

"He refused to grant your bails so I did this against his orders," He explains, leaving me speechless.

"All he's trying to do now is lay you low until he wins the election," He adds, and I nod in awareness.

I give him a pat on the shoulder and say, "Thank you, man, I owe you."

I'm so glad he told me what my father is up to.

"I have to take you home," He says, and I nod no.

I shrug, "I have other options."

"It's a must," He insists, and I sigh.

"Fine!" I agreed, and we made our way outside the station.

"So you convinced Nicholas not to make a statement?" I ask, staring at him.

"By paying a fine to him and with the help of Karen," He explains, and I gasp in surprise when I hear Ren's name from him.

"Ren?" I exclaim as we step outside, and Jeff points out. I cast my gaze in the direction he points and see Ren standing and leaning against Tobi's car.

My brows furrowed in confusion.

"Could you guys please wait in the car for me?" I ask.

"Don't be long," Jeff responds.

"Of course," I say as I begin to approach Ren. I didn't expect her to be here, and the fact that she helped me by convincing her ex makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Hey, babe," I say as I get closer to her, noticing Tobi sitting behind the wheel. She waves at me and I wave back at her, returning the greeting then I turn my attention back to Ren.

"I thought you would have gone to fetch your father," I express.

"We were just about to when I saw the video clip," She explains. "I have no choice but to come here," she says.

"Thank you, Ren."

"Why even bother fighting him?" She asks, looking worried, "That is the last thing I expected from you." I sigh deeply, unsure of what to say.

All I can say is, "I'm...sorry."

"All I want to know is why you hit him so hard," She insisted, and I'm finally convinced it is high time I told her.

I'm out of my depth now.

"I..." I open my mouth, but I'm cut off by Nicholas, who appears out of nowhere. He has bandages plastered over the cuts on his forehead alongside his nose.

"You still have the guts to talk to her despite our chit-chat and what you did to my face?"

Ren replies, frowning at him, "Nich, you shouldn't be here."

"Do you even know what happened, bae?" He asks Ren with a disturbed expression.

This makes me also realize how badly he wanted Ren back.

"That doesn't make you flawless either," Ren retorts, folding her arms around her chest.

"Of course! And you can defend him all you want, but you deserve to know the truth he's been hiding from you all this time, dear," He says angrily before storming out on us.

When I hear Nicholas say that, my heart begins to ache. Never have I been ready for this discussion.

"What's going on, Mickey?" Karen asks, her gaze searching mine for an answer.

"I visited your father in jail," I retort, and her brows furrow in surprise. "I hit Nicholas because he knew that," I continue.

"What?" Tobi jumps out of the car as Ren screams in shock at this point, and she also appears startled.

She reprimands me, "Why would you even go see him without telling me?

"I discovered that our fathers both worked in the same store 20 years ago. It happened that mine was responsible for the theft, while he framed yours," I explain, and she mutters what!

She shook her head in shock.

"Tell me this isn't true," She says, her eyes red and filled with tears.

"I'm sorry," I plead and she softly breaks down into tears, sniffing.

This brings tears to my eyes. I wish I had dared to tell her this, but I am terrified of witnessing something like this.

"Hey," Tobi says gently as she pulls her closer. "You should go see your father first," She adds.

Ren nods in agreement, wiping her tears away with her hand, and they get into the car.

Tobi gives me a death stare, starts the car, and drives off to the road leading to the college gate.

I sigh deeply as I cup my palm over my anguished face. Why do I have to screw up all the time these days?

My attention was drawn when Jeff began to honk his car. I have to keep this from him because I'm afraid that my father will go to any lengths to protect his reputation if he finds out that more people have heard about his past because of this election.

I've betrayed Ren's trust once more, and I know I'm the last person she'd want to be with, but I'll do anything to protect her.

I make a concerted effort to appear normal as I make my way back to meet Jeff and Scott.

I'm not okay, deep down.

"Is everything okay?" As I sit down next to Jeff in the front seat, Scott makes a question from the back. I don't know how he was able to read my expression, but I'm not saying anything to him.

"Sure," I respond quickly, and Jeff starts the car. He also turns on the stereo to listen to a sports program on the radio.

He and Scott begin bantering about some football games as the radio announcer reads the football news, and I maintain a fake grin on my face as I make an effort to join them in the conversation.

I do have a lot on my mind, so it's really hard for me.

We return home after dropping Scott off at his hostel, and to our surprise, as Jeff whisks into the mansion, we notice some officers emerging from the porch.

Jeff and I exchange uncertain glances as he makes every effort to park the car in the garage.

We exit the car and begin walking toward the three officers, who are standing motionless and staring intently at us while wearing NDLEA jackets.

The acronym NDLEA stands for National drug law enforcement agency. It is a federal law enforcement organization in Nigeria that falls under the federal ministry of Justice and is tasked with stopping the production, distribution, manufacturing, sale, export, and trafficking of hard drugs.

The only thing I can think of at this moment is that my dad has been busted for drug smuggling, otherwise, why would NDLEA officers be here?