Joshua clenched his fists tightly and reminded himself to breath in and out before he did something drastic, something he could not take back. He watched them for a few more seconds before rapping his knuckles on the open door.

They startled and Nina quickly slid away from Fire's laps and attempted to put on her usual mask of disdain she wore whenever he was in her presence. Joshua used to despise that look before he discovered that he wasn't a very pleasant person, and Nina knew how deep that unpleasantness ran so he supposed she had the right to scowl at him.

"That could have been someone else walking in on the both of you," Joshua said through gritted teeth. "Maybe they'd even take a few pictures before you realized."

Fire snorted, he was one of the only few people that showed his intense dislike for Joshua and got away with it. Joshua actually liked Firepemi, like with Amina, he had been practically raised with Fire, except that the latter was a few years older than Joshua was, Fire was blunt, he said the things Amina refused to say out of respect. Fire called him out on his bullshit, sometimes it was welcome, other times it wasn't.

Fire was also dating his girlfriend. It would probably appear twisted to many people that both boys shared the same girl but Joshua didn't care, he didn't love Nina like Firepemi did, in fact, he didn't want her — something that always irked Nina — and if he could break things off with her then he would, kings didn't always need queens. However things weren't so simple.

Nina was the love child of a British supermodel and the current president of the country, Joshua's father was his vice, it was natural that their parents decided to put both their youngest children together and in a few years, they'd become the disgustingly perfect married couple who were always destined to end up together but now, Joshua let Nina have her ways, even if she wanted to be with Fire, even if she knew it wouldn't last.

Sometimes he found them disgustingly cute, like one would look at little puppies. They could do whatever the hell they wanted with each other as long as they did it out of the sight of the public. Nina was his when it came to public appearances, it was most likely why she hated him.

"C'mon, no one but you has spare keys to my apartment, this is a perfectly safe place to make out." Fire said with a shrug that was anything but innocent.

Nina ignored Joshua — he would be lying if he said he cared that she seemed to hate him for no reason — as she slipped on her top and rolled over to the other side of the bed to slip on her jewelries on the nightstand. 

Joshua watched her, hating that she had returned to country without warning. Nina lived with her raucous mother abroad and schooled there too, it was easier that way, since he never got to see her for up to a year sometimes. He pocketed both fists and felt fury well up in him, sudden appearances irked him, especially with the way everything seemed to be falling apart.

"Popola and his dogs were at the gala, Amina just called me." He deadpanned.

Firepemi perked instantly, slipping on a shirt and motioning to Joshua that they move to the living room. Joshua had once looked up to Firepemi once, after all, before he was leader, Fire had been temporarily even though he had hated every second of it.

In the brightly lit living room, Fire was quick to head to the bar, pouring himself a bottle of tequila.

"Tell me everything,"

"He danced with her," Joshua said slowly, they both knew that by her he meant Grace. "I don't want her knowing anything before the time."

Firepemi clenched his jaw and Joshua knew well that Fire wanted nothing do with anything that had to do with Grace, not because he hated her but because his loyalties were shaky — after all, blood was thicker — and Joshua knew better than to tell him too much.

"I'm too old to deal with this," Fire sighed finally.

"You're twenty three and I'm not letting The MEDUSA Society fuck up things again," Joshua spat, he took a seat on one of the bar stools.

"I still think you should have given an explanation for recruiting her, you cannot seriously believe she won't be curious — if she goes seeking for answers then everything falls apart." Fire said.

Joshua barked a humourless laugh.

"She may be stupid, but there is no phony explanation she'll believe other than the cold truth." Joshua ignored the look Fire shot him. It was hard to understand his suddenly loyalty to the cousin he didn't know.

"You can't silence, Jamal, you know that," Fire reminded him.

"But I can slow him down, what we need is time and we cannot afford to give him any."

Fire appeared to be considering Joshua's words, tapping the untouched shot glass steadily.

"What can you take from him? Something to take away his mind from our business for now," Firepemi asked because they both knew that Jamal Popola and his silly gang were like weeds, they would always regrow and become more thorns.

"I know The MEDUSA Society are in the process of building a club," Fire said, something twinkling in his eyes, it almost made Joshua smile.

It was pitiful that Jamal always wanted to copy everything The ORION Project did, he always took one look at it and decided he wanted one for himself like a petulant child. Joshua partly wondered what Jamal would name his new club, The Hate club?

Joshua couldn't help the silent laughter he exhaled at that thought.

"I know a couple of area boys I could pay off to burn that new project to the ground and get caught while doing it," Fire shrugged, as if hadn't just suggested arson. Joshua didn't mind, in fact, he quite liked the idea.

He imagined a pathetic looking building on fire and this time, the smile tugged visibly at his lips.

Fire shook his head and brought the glass to his lip, throwing back his head as he swallowed the contents in one gulp.

Joshua took one glance at the clock right above Fire's head and hissed under his breath. He was supposed to meet a sponsor for Project Eden in an hour. Fucking Popola and his damn interruptions. If Joshua had his way, then December would be the big reveal and his father would be proud, because this was what he had born to do.

He rose, nodding his thanks at Fire who on watched him warily. Sometimes he thought that Firepemi was afraid of him.

"Before I forget, what did you find out about Kendrick Yong? What did he tell you?" Joshua asked, a frown settling on his lips, he suspected the Chinese boy's motives and if they were true, it would be harder to get rid of him. It was possible to though, but it would be messy. There were so many interesting ways to kill a man.

Joshua rarely ever resorted to murder but he would if necessary.

Firepemi hesitated, setting the glass in his hand down with an unnecessary clatter.

"Nothing, I found nothing."

They both knew he was lying. They both knew Yong wanted revenge and that he would only get burned.

***

Tope pushed herself off the wall she was leaning against when he strode into the corridor. Sanmi was gripping the file in his hand with a death grip, he wanted to rip it to shreds and forget it ever existed. Most of all, he didn't want to speak to her.

"Wait, Sanmi," She trailed after him when he kept walking.

"Oh, so now you want to talk." He snapped.

Tope fell in step with him.

"This isn't about you, or us," she said with that familiar bitterness and he felt frustration rise up in him. When would she realize that everything he had done to her, he had done for her own fucking good?

"There is nothing to talk about then,"

She tugged at his arm until he had no option but to stop in the dim corridor and listen to whatever she had to say.

"This isn't about us," she repeated slowly as if he were a dimwitted child. "I've known the truth about Grace for a while now, and I want you to know that I kept that a secret for her own good."

He let out a cold laugh, so sudden that it made her jump.

"As you said, this isn't about us. Save your explanations for when Grace finds out about this — trust me, she will." He sneered, taking a single step that he was standing so close to her, so close that he could see the dim chandelier lights twinkle in her eyes.

She sighed and he took a step back, holding the file to his chest as if it would shield her from the onslaught of emotions twisting in his chest.

"Now you've dragged me into your web of deceit."

"I thought you'd understand." Tope finally said, her voice was soft with a hint of accusation in it.

"Understand what?"

"My godfather had to give his daughter away and it was the hardest thing he has ever done, he is crushed and he hates every version of a life without her in it." Tope's voice was hushed as if she was afraid the man in his office would hear. "He blames himself already, he doesn't need more guilt from someone like you."

Disgust was thick in her voice and for the first time since he had met her, He didn't want to press his lips to hers when he glanced at them instead all he felt was roiling disgust, that she thought of him in all the worst ways possible.

"Someone like me, huh." He scoffed. "Tell me what the fuck is so wrong about someone like me."

Those words were the only urging she needed, she shattered, exploded into tiny pieces and it was when he saw that cracks that he knew that she had been broken a long while. That he had broken her and he didn't regret it one bit because it was better than to be broken than be miserable with him.

"Someone like you runs at the first sight of trouble, only caring about saving your skin, someone like you fucks up everything around him to save his own skin, someone like your runs when it gets too hard to stay."

The words were a bullet straight to his chest, even the bulky file could not stop the impact and those words weren't only hurting him, but they ricocheted back to her and when he closed his eyes for a brief moment all he could see was the haunted faces of the people he loved.

"Someone like you doesn't understand loyalty or the concept of it." She was breathing hard, chest rising and falling with each shuddering breath. He wondered if she was having an asthmatic attack and when Tope raised her head up again, there were no tears shining in her eyes, maybe she had realized that he wasn't worth them.

He could walk away and let her have the last word and prove her point too but he let the words spill from his lips.

"Someone like me runs because every fucking person in my life is better off without me because I have been a burden for so long that I don't know how to be a rock to someone else."

"I was an accident," He began, talking with a detached tone because he had come to terms with his sorry life. "My parents had been students and because of me, everything in their life fell to shit, my father got disowned for dropping out of med school because he wanted to take responsibility."

"Soon, they grew to despise me and regret their decisions and whenever they had a fight, they would each take turns to take out their anger on me." Sanmi snorted as a memory flashed in his mind, he had been seven when the beatings started and strangely they had never focused their anger on Ewa or Grace.

"When I found out you were pregnant, the first thing I thought about was if I would be shitty father to our kid," Tope flinched at the mention because it was the first time he had ever referred to the pregnancy. The first thing he had said to her when she shakily announced it was; "Get rid of it."

"I was also fucking struggling with my addiction, I was barely attending classes, I rarely ever went home either. I was lost and you were standing there, looking at me like I was the best thing in your life."

"I wasn't, you were naive and it would have never worked out, I was doing you a favour too — we both know you would have had to give up everything to raise a child and slowly you would have resented it," they both heard the unspoken words; like my mother did.

His voice grew harsher as the words grew sadder.

He scoffed a tired laugh, all he just wanted to do was lie down and sleep for an eternity, maybe when he woke up, everything would be well.

"Call me whatever you fucking will, say that I shattered your heart to a thousand and one pieces, say that I would have been the shittiest father in the world, but I have never been selfish, ever."

Tope just stared at him, long and unforgiving.

"Maybe your godfather and I aren't so different after all — even though it doesn't excuse anything. Because, Tope, a liar is a liar."

***

The music was a waltz again and perhaps this was the strangest night of Grace's life. She had danced with a sort of ex boyfriend who had basically threatened her and now a man almost twice the age of her father was spinning her in a waltz.

"Ms. Ilori, it is nice to meet you, I've been told so much about you." He repeated as the music slowed down to a new ballad.

She blinked up into his eyes, unable to tear her gaze from the thick scar on his face. To her, scars were stories and she was fascinated by the story behind this one.

It was only when he continued to stare at her did she realize that he had been expecting an answer.

"I don't think you have, I am a newer recruit," She told him, wondering how much information was too much but there was something about this man that was warm and inviting. He had nondescript eyes and laugh lines around them like an old man that had seen life in all it's glory and was still standing, happy even.

"Oh, I know that. I've met your father, a man of intelligence, that one." He mused with a fondness that surprised Grace. No one ever referred to her father as a man of intelligence, an idiot and thief maybe, but not a smart man.

She deduced that this man must have known Raymond Ilori while he was a young man — maybe back then he had been wise but it was hard to imagine him as anything but a big, alcoholic bully.

"He's never mentioned you," She said with a little shrug. The man looked at her with a strange glance before it melted back into his pleasant expression.

"I'm Senator Segun Durotimi," The man introduced, Grace already knew his name though, Amina had drilled it into her and Kendrick's head during the ride but she liked that he was down to earth enough not to assume that she already knew.

"Grace," she said with a curt nod as she searched around the hall — it was much brighter now and her stomach sank when she saw that half of the room were watching her dance with the Senator. She spotted Kendrick and Amina by the banquet tables, she would have waved if everyone weren't already looking at her.

Amina was watching her already with something flickering in her eyes before they went normal again, she held a phone to her ears and appeared to be on a call.

Kendrick wore a look of worry, his brows furrowed and his lips turned down.

What had happened?

"I think the person you should be speaking to is Amina, she's been looking for you throughout the evening." Grace told the senator in a hasty bid to get away from him.

"Yes, yes, about the Project Eden," he made a clucking sound with his tongue.

"A senator was killed two months ago because of this project," he continued saying, Grace's heart came to a screeching mention of murder.

She knew The ORION Project was more dangerous than they let on but murder was a whole new level of frightening.

"Senator Abayomi, his son is present here," Senator Segun chattered on, he nodded his jaw towards a young man that only appeared a few years older than Grace dancing with a stunning Albino. "Lovely couple."

Grace remembered the late senator who had been in the news months ago for a gruesome murder, the pictures from the crime scene had churned her stomach. He seemed to have been carved up like a pig. She wondered which ORION member had done it, she wondered if she knew who.

"You see, I fail to understand why a nice girl like you is playing with wolves." Wolves, Jamal had called The ORION Project too.

"It is hardly a matter of choice," she heard herself mutter. Grace felt like she was floating, her head filled with a light ringing.

For the first time, Senator Segun frowned.

"I have set a meeting with your people for tomorrow morning, I expect to see you there tomorrow."

They had stopped dancing and somehow she had zoned out, ignoring all the stares and forgetting them.

"Let me give you a word of advice concerning The ORION Project, the lesser you know, the better for you."

Basically she knew what he was telling her that she was better off keeping herself in the dark about the truth but she knew better, knew that somehow everything seemed to circle back to her — the Photoshop image, the sudden invitation to dine with the cool kids, and even Jamal's sudden reappearance. Grace had clues, all of them jagged ends of puzzles and piecing them back together was the real challenge.

The senator gave her a solid pat on her left shoulder.

"Sometimes, the truth is better off unknown."

When he was long gone and Amina was on his heels, hoping to get a final word. Grace stood besides Kendrick, leaning against the limo in the cold outside and hand in hand with him.

"Find out anything?" She asked Kendrick.

He shook his head, knowing and pleased that she had not forgotten his plan of revenge.

"No, not really. I do know that Amina was on the phone with Phillips while you danced with the devil."

She croaked a laugh at his comparison. He smiled so slightly that she would have missed it if she weren't staring so intently at his face.

"They seemed worried that you were dancing with Tamal or whatever his name is." She didn't laugh this time because she could still feel his tight, cold grip on her wrist.

"I'm glad they are concerned for my well being." Grace said snidely. Kendrick took it literarily, shaking his head as he spoke.

"No, no, it was almost like they were concerned that you would find out something."

She remembered Jamal's dodgy words and wondered if he had been trying to convey something other than a warning.

"What are you thinking?" Grace asked Kendrick when he said nothing for the longest time.

He sighed, the bags under his eyes exposing his exhaustion.

"I'm thinking that it's high time we pay a visit to The ORION Project's enemies."

Grace nodded unfeelingly, hating that it seemed to be the only thing they could do. She thought of the Senator's last words and pondered if they were true, if the truth was better hidden.

She wondered how far she would go, what hills she would climb for the cold, hard truth. Grace snuck a look at Kendrick's hard face and wondered how far he would go, the look in his eyes frightened her.

— because Kendrick could, no, would kill for it.