"Welcome home sir."

Rafael gave the man that stood beside the door a quick tap on his arm the moment he walked into his house with Tony behind him. The way they both fondled with the buttons on their suits as they tried to undo it, you would think they had the longest day at work, they did.

As a matter of fact, the press conferences and meetings Rafael had to attend the whole week was insane and endless, and it was even worse now that there were rumors of how his father had killed his witness speeding like wild fire. Rafael knew that the only way to win over the situation was to get the press to his side before his father did, and Tony was the right man to stand at the forefront.

"Don't you think it's too much security for one house brother?" Tony asked as he watched Rafael lead the way down the hallway, towards the living room area. "The kids must be frightened to have all these strangers in the house, Olivia too."

"I'm doing it for them Tony." Rafael answered. "One can't really be too careful around a man like Randal. You of all people know what he's capable of. I have to protect my family before someone else gets hurt, at least right before I send them all away to safety."

Rafael walked into the living room and Tony followed, narrowing his gaze on Rafael as frown lines covered his forehead. If he had heard Rafael right, he had just admitted to sending everyone away. That had to be a new development because Tony wasn't informed about any of that.

"You're sending them away?"

Rafael walked to the mini bar at the side of the living room and reached for a bottle of scotch and shot glasses. He pulled out a stool and sat in it while Tony stood in front of him, leaning on the bar and hoping for a response. He watched how Rafael filled both glasses and covered the bottle.

"Mnn." Rafael nodded right before he reached for one of the glasses and emptied it in his mouth. His loud exhale of relief followed the loud click sound the glass made as it reached the flat surface of the bar.

"Since when?" Tony asked.

"Since I chose to protect them," Rafael reached for the scotch bottle again. "Since I found that that even my house isn't safe for anyone anymore. I already got tickets, they'd all be leaving soon."

"All of them?" Tony leaned closer to him. "Including Olivia?"

"Mnn."

Tony didn't understand what Rafael meant. Did Olivia really consent to it? The Olivia he knew would never have agreed to what Rafael proposed, he knew that. Tony turned to the bar and let out a weak exhale right before he reached for the other glass on the table and emptied it in his mouth. He too dropped the glass on the table in a thud and let out a relief exhale. The feeling the strong taste made as it went down his throat needed him to take a minute to take it all in.

He turned his head to watch Rafael after he did.

"Did Olivia agree to this?"

Rafael eyed him. It was a question he didn't want to answer especially since it was one that Tony already knew the answer to. He filled his glass again and then filled Tony's.

"She doesn't have to, but she would. One day, she'd remember what I had to do to protect her and she would understand."

"Rafael, we are not talking about Grace here, we are talking about Olivia, a grown woman. You can't just make decisions like that on your own. You're asking her to go live a life without you in a place that she has no one, no friends or family,"

"She could make as many friends as she wants to, and as for the family bit," he shrugged his shoulders. "She can move with Amy if she likes."

Tony scoffed. He couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe how Amy was suddenly getting into the conversation and getting dragged into his plans.

"Amy has a life of her own you know." He turned to Rafael. "It's bad enough that she practically lives for Olivia, you can't ask her to move with her too."

Rafael raised his brows and turned to his scotch glass. Tony exhaled and leaned closer to him.

"Look, all I'm trying to say is think about these things more carefully. There's always going to be a better way to protect everyone than sending them away especially when they don't want to. Don't be the kind of man Randal was, don't take their choices away from them."

Rafael turned to Tony. He knew exactly where he was driving at. He was making reference to what had happened between him and Ivory in the past, he had suddenly remembered how Ivory also left too. Rafael could sympathize with his thoughts and concerns but he wasn't sure that Tony's ideas were right. This was his way of protecting his family and this way was the only way that was going to work in all their favor. He didn't care, he couldn't care if they all hated him, he would rather they hate him than for him to live all his life hating himself if something ever happened to any of them. He rather just stayed alone and fought Randal alone.

"Good evening sir."

Both men turned towards the direction of the entrance to the living room to meet Lucy who had come in to welcome them. She turned to Tony,

"Sirs." She corrected.

Tony accepted her greeting with a warm smile.

"I just wanted to let Sir Rafael know that dinner is ready, I also wanted to know if I could set the table for five, since sir Tony is here."

"Oh you don't have to." Tony cut her off, "there's actually somewhere I have to be in a minute, maybe some other time?"

Lucy smiled and nodded, she turned to Rafael while Rafael turned back to Tony.

"Don't be ridiculous Tony, you just got here. Join us for Dinner."

He turned back to Lucy the moment he saw how Tony left his mouth open like he was about to say something. He had to cut him off before he could refuse.

"Six," Rafael said, dropping his scotch bottle on the table again.

"Sir?"

"You said you were setting the table for five, it should be six, mother excluded since she still refuses to eat on the same table with Olivia and Grace. You should send some food up to her room first, and then set the table to accommodate everyone else."

Lucy swallowed hard,
He didn't know. She had just remembered that Rafael had no idea that the house was down by a member. Olivia had suddenly left the house with ivory three hours ago and from the way he had talked about fixing a plate for her too, he had to not have an idea about what was happening.

"Sir," she started just as Tony also turned to the table to take a drink from his glass. "Madamme Olivia is not home."

Rafael emptied the glass of scotch in his mouth and raised his wrist to find the time on his wrist watch. He nodded his head suddenly remembering what day it was and what time it was.

"I almost forgot." He shot up from the stool in a hurry just as Tony turned to him, wondering what it was he had missed. "It's Kamsi's birthday today," he turned to Tony to explain, taking in the look of shock and realization on Tony's face as he also emptied his glass hurriedly and dropped it on the table to give Rafael all his attention. He watched how Rafael reached for the blazer of his suit set that he had taken off and dropped on the bar earlier.

"Olivia and I, we were supposed to stop by the orphanages and deliver some gifts." Rafael went on, wearing his blazer hurriedly. "I can't believe I forgot."

Lucy was very nervous, she kept wringing her hands around each other, breathing slowly while her heart raced as she watched them panic.

"S-sir." She stammered just as Rafael stopped and turned to her, Tony too.

"What is it?" He asked her, noticing how scared and uncomfortable she had become. He could see it, he could see her holding back, he could see her act like she was hiding something from him and she was very transparent too. Tony watched Lucy closely and he could see the exact same things Rafael did. Rafael frowned, guessing immediately that whatever it was she was keeping from him had something to do with Olivia.

"What is it Lucy?" Now his tone had changed from clueless to demanding. It sent chills down her spine just watching him look at her like that.

"I-it's madamme Olivia," she drawled. "She's not home."

"Yes Lucy," Tony said. "You said that before."

Taking her gaze from Tony back to Rafael had to be the hardest thing she had done all evening, she trembled even more each time she recognized the frown lines on Rafael forehead. Rafael bit on his lower lip to keep his frustration in check for a minute, why didn't she just speak? He let it go.

"Lucy?" He called her one last time. "Where is Olivia?" His question was very clear. He drew every word so she understood every single letter, and his words, no matter how gentle it was, demanded an answer.

"She-she, she went to Lagos."

Silence.

What Lucy had said was somehow hard to believe. Tony couldn't believe it and Rafael had a visibly hard time understanding it especially with the way he just stood there, numb from head to toe, just staring at Lucy. Tony took a step forward.

"Lagos?" He asked her. "Why Lagos all of a sudden?" He was curious to know too.

"I don't know sir, but someone called the house earlier demanding to speak to Sir Rafael. He was the brother of the witness that had died before trial. He said he had something important to tell you," she turned to Rafael, "but you weren't home so he spoke to Ma'am Olivia instead. She and Ma Ivory left to Lagos shortly after."

Rafael raked his hand through his hair even before Lucy had completed her statement. He turned around and placed both hands on the edge to the bar to support the rest of his body while he took deep breaths.

"She went with Ivory?" Tony asked her.

Lucy nodded.

"How could they just leave like that without telling anyone?" Tony asked her like as if she had an answer to his concern. "And to Lagos? To meet a total stranger? What if it was a lie? Or- or a trap? Why wasn't any of us notified?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders, she had no idea either.

"Good lord." Tony exhaled and placed both arms on his hips, exhaling again, louder this time to show his frustration. Rafael stood straight immediately and reached for his phone from his pocket. He pushed a few buttons and turned around as fast as he could, Tony slowly turned to watch him. He could see how Rafael lowered the phone from his ear, pushed a button and returned it again.

He waited.

Rafael's silent groan told him all he needed to know. He watched Rafael turn back to him and he could only see one thing in his eyes from that point onwards, fear.

"I can't reach her." He said just as he grabbed his keys from the counter.

"You can't?" Tony asked him like he had to confirm what he heard. He watched how Rafael started to hurry to him as fast as he could, stood in front of him and shook his head. He was about to say something when his phone beeped. He paused and let out a frustrated exhale before he reached for it. It was a text from Ivory. Tony could see how his expression had changed the moment he looked into his phone.

"What is it?"

"Ivory just texted." Rafael said. Tony furrowed his brows.

"Really?" Tony asked him. "Let me see." He slowly took the phone from him just as Rafael took a deep breath, turning away. Tony looked at the text from Ivory informing them of what happened.

"Hey baby brother, I just wanted to let you know that I and Olivia are meeting up with a witness in Ikoyi, Lagos today. You don't need to worry about anything, we'd be home before you know it and I'd make sure that we are careful and safe too."

"I don't know Tony," Rafael turned back to him. "I just can't believe that they would do something like this, something so careless without informing me first."

Tony lowered the phone from his gaze and held his breath. He couldn't believe it either.

"I've got to go," Rafael said, feeling his pockets like he was looking for something. Tony turned to him.

"To Lagos?"

"Yes, to Lagos. I need to get to them first."

"Rafael, you can't just go to Lagos, and even if you did, you don't know where to look, you don't know where to find them."

"I'd call them, Ivory. I'd ask her for a location once I get there. I can't just sit here and do nothing, it's Lagos, it's Randal's play ground." He let out an exasperated sigh.
"And it's a trap."

Tony frowned, he didn't understand.

"A-a trap?"

Rafael let out a weak exhale.

"Olisa Okwegwu didn't have any siblings, at least none that I know of. He didn't mention any relatives in his statement either. His only brother died three years ago." Rafael walked away from him, raising his phone to his face in panic just as Tony hit reality. He turned to Rafael immediately.

"I'd go with you." He said causing Rafael to turn to him, raising his phone to his ear. "I should go with you. If what you said is true, you're going to need all the help you can get. I'd let the Lagos police, Ikoyi command,  know about this too," Rafael nodded.

Tony got out his phone and raised it so he could could look at the screen just as Rafael turned

"Kingsley." He said over the phone the moment his secretary answered from the other side. "I need you to get reservations for Tony and I on the earliest available flight to Lagos, now."

He walked out of the room and Lucy followed him in panic.