Rafael walked up the long spiral stairs lazily. All he needed was a long rest from all that thinking and heart breaking.  He could feel the aching pain around his shoulders with every step he took, and the exhausting pain in his temple region. He was so tired, trying so hard to keep his eyes open at least, till he was in his room.

Rafael held on tight to his suit's jacket as he got to the last stair.

"Rafael."

Rafael halted for a second the moment he heard Amy call his name from behind him. He turned abruptly so he could see her as she rushed to him. Rafael could see the tension in her eyes, anxiety as she stared at him, twirling her fingers around each other, walking nervously to him till she got closer.

"Thank God you're home." She let out a soft exhale. "I've been trying to reach you all afternoon."

Rafael narrowed his brows wondering why; wondering if anything was wrong.

"It's your fiancée. She found the location of the tapes her mother left for her." Amy glared into his eyes. She could feel how his frown worsen as he pushed his head closer to her like he didn't understand. Of course he didn't. Olivia hadn't entirely been keeping him up to date on their secret mission and now she was spilling everything to him. She shook her head.

"It's a long story." She knew she didn't have enough time to explain. She wouldn't even know where to start. "Aunty Adaora hid some tapes in Olivia's old doll. Tapes that contain evidence of the perpetrators of the ALCS case. The real bad guys and also, probably her parents real murderers."

Rafael held his breath.

"Olivia has locked herself in her room all afternoon listening to those tapes. It's been hours." Amy's voice broke like as if she was about to cry. "She won't let me come in, she won't come out, she won't even eat. You're the only one that can stop her. I'm scared if she keeps going on like this, she might actually loose her mind-"

The door opened quickly. Both Rafael and Amy turned to the room as Olivia stepped out and stood in front of it, her eyes glued to Rafael.

"Olivia," Amy exhaled and then took a step to her.

"Can we talk?"
She definitely wasn't talking to Amy. Amy traced her gaze to where Rafael stood behind her, his eyes glued to Olivia's face. He could see the look of surprise written all over her face.

What was it? Did she know everything already? Was she upset?

Talk about wrong timing .
Rafael swallowed hard.

"Sure."

Amy frowned as Olivia walked back into the room and Rafael walked towards it.

What about me?

She wanted to ask with all her heart but she found herself stuttering until the door closed with a loud thud behind Rafael. Olivia closed the door.

She probably didn't want Amy to hear anything yet.

Rafael let out a soft exhale as he watched Olivia hurry to the scattered bed as fast as she could, tucking her hair behind her ears. Rafael could feel his palms become wet all of a sudden as he took a quick scan around the television area. The huge tape player was the first thing he saw. It wasn't there before. He watched Olivia get closer to it and then open it so she could take out the tape from inside.

She stood still for a second, saying some words in her head to give herself the strength and courage she needed before she slowly turned around with the tape and then hurried to Rafael who just stood there, watching her every move. She got in front of him and then rose the tapes so he could see it. Rafael could see how she was barely even smiling. She had her scared look on, the look she always made when she was surprised and confused.

"My mum died protecting the information on these tapes." She started, not even blinking for a second. "She found out who it was, responsible for the ALCS case." She looked at him like she was trying to read his face. His expression. "And I think that was the reason my parents were on the run that night- because their lives were threatened. She also made a short video where she explained everything before the accident. She said someone was after her life." She paused, looking into his eyes.

"It was your father."

Rafael tried as hard as he could to remain calm. He wasn't a bit surprised. He let out a soft exhale.

"You're not surprised." Olivia kept her eyes on him. "Did you already know about this?"

Rafael breathed in for a second. He wasn't sure what to say or how to react. He didn't want to lie to her either. Olivia scoffed. She didn't need him to explain. She already knew the answer.

"That explains why your attitude has been off lately."

"Olivia," Rafael started. "I only found out about my father's mistakes a few days ago."

"Mistakes?" Olivia took a step towards him. "Did you just call them mistakes?" Rafael exhaled weakly. "Rafael, those weren't mistakes, those were intentional murders. Rafael he murdered people. He killed people, there were children, old people, he tore families apart. A man suffered twenty three years in jail for a crime he probably knew nothing of. He killed my parents. How can you call any of that a mistake?"

"Olivia, I know you're upset and I'm going to explain everything to you if you let me-"

"How do you expect me to trust you when you kept this from me?" Tears were clouding her eyes now. Her hands were shaking. "You knew. You knew who was responsible for what happened to my parents but somehow you felt I didn't need to know about it."

"I was going to tell you. I was trying to protect you."

"From what!" Olivia yelled at the top of her voice so hard that it almost startled Rafael if he hadn't been mentally prepared for that moment.

Olivia shut her eyes for a while. She needed to breathe. She needed to calm herself especially since the room was back to being too quiet. She needed to keep her head afloat.

"I have the tapes." She opened her eyes slowly, "I have evidence against him. You should use it. We should use it to help that man get out of prison. To help him get his life back, save his life. To get justice for what happened to those people years ago."

"We can't."

"W-What?" Olivia whispered, taking slow steps to him. "Rafael, we can't just let that man die in there for nothing . We have a means to save him, to get justice for every soul that has died, every soul your father killed, for my parents, for Ahmed and Musa, for the thirty three people that died from the outbreak, for Ann. " Olivia's voice was shaking. "How can you refuse to help them?"

"I am not refusing Olivia." Rafael cut her off, trying so hard to keep his temper and his voice in check, trying so hard to not give out the fact that he was really frustrated by everything. "I can't do anything about it."

"Why? Because he's your father?"

"Exactly!" Rafael yelled at her. "Because he's my father. Because I've lived with that man, I've lived all my life calling that man my father and I know just what he's capable of doing. That man isn't someone you'd want to get on his bad side." He glared at her, still yelling. "He's ruthless and would do anything to protect Rand oil because that's the only thing he cares about. He'd destroy anyone and anything that gets in his way. No one's life means anything to him, not mine, not my mother's, what makes you think he'd give a cent about yours or that man in prison's? He killed that woman just for trying to tell you the truth and he'd kill you too with ease the moment he finds out you have those tapes. He's a dirty man who doesn't care about the rules and he'd do anything to get those tapes from you and even I, won't be able to save you because that's just how it is. That's how this rotten nation is, the whole damn world! Trust me, you're better off acting like this never happened. You're better off forgetting about your past and those damn tapes!"

Rafael took deep breaths after he realized his voice was echoing around the entire room and even the house. What on earth had come over him? He was so upset to even think about his actions or his words, he just needed her to listen.

And there it was, disappointment. All in the way she looked at him. He could see a look in her eyes he had never seen before. Fear, disgust, disappointment. She couldn't believe a word he had just said. He saw a drop of tear fall from her eye and then another. He could feel his fist clenching and his heart breaking. He exhaled.

Olivia scoffed and then turned to her fingers, staring at the diamond engagement ring on it. Rafael watched her pull it gently off her finger. He glared at her.

"You know what?" She started and then pulled the ring completely, raising it so he could see. She turned to the tiny bedside table and then dropped the ring on it. "I think we need some time apart, apart from each other." She looked at him.

"Yeah." Rafael said almost in a whisper. He cleared his throat so his voice didn't sound so cracked.
"We do." He didn't take his eyes off her. He was angry, so angry and he probably wasn't thinking straight. Olivia let out a sniff and then nodded.

Fine.

She shook her head and then walked past him, heading to the door. She just couldn't anymore. She needed to breathe. She needed to think. Olivia walked to the door and then paused. She slowly turned back to Rafael.

"You know, " she started even though Rafael didn't look like he was going to turn to her. "There was a time I was in the same shoes with that man. A time I was framed and looked down on because I had no money or connections on my own. Because I wasn't important enough to the world. I was locked up and treated like an animal. My daughter was taken from me. I was beaten and almost raped and I'd probably have still been in there if someone hadn't come for me, if he didn't believe in me, if he didn't believe that lives like mine mattered just as much as those that put me in that place and I thought he was good. I saw him as one of the really few good men the world had but I was wrong. There is no good in you Rafael Okonkwo. You're just like all of them. You're a monster, just like the Silvers, just like your father and I hope you burn in hell with him because I am going to do everything in my power to fight for what I believe in. To ruin your father. Tell him that."

Olivia sniffed and then turned to the door, she opened it quickly and then rushed out.

"Olivia," Amy walked closer to her as she noticed the tears on her face. Benita and Lucy were there too, right in front of the door. It was like they had heard all that yelling and had come to see what was wrong.

Olivia didn't want to face them. She just couldn't explain anything to any of them. She cleaned her eyes quickly and then rushed away from the door, hurrying as fast as she could down the stairs while Amy hurried behind her.

Benita slowly turned to the room so she could see Rafael from the open door. He had his back on them, he stood still, not even making a move.

"Nanny." Lucy whispered to the woman, tugging her arm gently. Benita slowly turned to her and then let out a soft exhale.

What happened?

The looks on both their eyes asked.