Yemisi
I stood outside the cold, gray walls of the prison, my stomach twisting with nerves. This wasn’t where I ever imagined I’d be, but if I was going to get answers about Alessia’s murder, I had to face her mother, Aderonke.

The guard led me through a series of gates and long hallways until we reached the visitors’ area. I took a deep breath as I saw her, seated across the glass barrier, her once proud, elegant face now etched with lines of grief and weariness.

“Yemisi.” She tried to smile, but it fell flat. “You’ve come all this way. What do you want?”

“I came for the truth,” I said, gripping the phone in my hand tightly. “I need to know why Alessia died. And I need to know about you… and Mr. Bello.”

She tensed, her expression hardening. “What could you possibly need to know about me and Bello?”

“I saw a photo,” I said, meeting her gaze. “A picture of you and Mr. Bello together. And I know you two were close… once.”

Aderonke’s face softened, a look of pain flickering across her eyes. “We were more than close,” she admitted. “Bello and I… we were in love. We thought about marriage.” She looked down, tracing invisible patterns on the table as if trying to find a way to tell a story she hadn’t spoken in years.

“Then why did it end?” I pressed, needing her to face it.

“Because I was a fool,” she said bitterly. “I wanted more than he could give. Bello was good to me, but he didn’t have the kind of wealth I thought I deserved. When I met an American businessman who promised me a life of luxury, I made a choice. I got pregnant, and the man was willing to accept me and the baby—Alessia.” She paused, then sighed. “Bello knew. He knew about the pregnancy and still wanted me. But I told him he’d never be able to give me the life I wanted. I didn’t need his love; I needed security.”

I swallowed, a knot forming in my throat as the pieces began to fall into place. “But don’t you see? This… everything you did… might have led to Alessia’s death. Mr. Bello had every reason to want revenge.”

Aderonke’s expression crumbled, and she leaned forward, pleading. “No, Yemisi. You have to understand. Bello wouldn’t… he was a good man, hurt, yes, but not a killer. And I…” Her voice cracked. “I never thought my choices would haunt my daughter.”

“But they have,” I said coldly. “Your choices have done exactly that.”

Silence fell between us. The pain in her eyes was real, but so was the cost of her decisions. I stood, clutching my bag as I prepared to leave.

“Yemisi…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Be careful who you trust.”

I nodded, feeling a hollow ache in my chest as I turned to leave. Her warning lingered in my mind, though I couldn’t tell if it was a threat or a plea.

---

I stepped out of the prison, my thoughts swirling. The image of Aderonke’s face, the pain etched there, stayed with me. But as much as I wanted to make sense of everything, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was still missing something big.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed the black van that had pulled up nearby until I heard footsteps behind me. A hand clamped over my mouth before I could scream, and everything went dark as I was pulled into the van.

Panic flooded through me as I struggled against the strong grip, but the world was already slipping away. My last thought was of Aderonke’s warning, echoing in my mind. Be careful who you trust.

And then, silence.