Ireti

I stared at the flickering images on the television screen, my heart pounding as I listened to the news anchor’s somber voice. “In a tragic turn of events, the body of fourteen-year-old Yemisi Adeola has been discovered, leading to widespread mourning in her community. Friends and family gathered to pay their respects, with many claiming the death was a result of suicide, citing unbearable shame. However, others are raising concerns about foul play…”

My throat tightened as the camera panned over the crowded burial site. Friends draped in black were wailing, clutching each other, their sorrow palpable. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could anyone think Yemisi would take her own life? She was too brave, too fierce to back down like that. The accusations made my blood boil.

Suddenly, the screen changed to a woman crying uncontrollably, clutching a framed photo of Yemisi. “She was so talented and full of life! She wouldn’t just end it like that!” I could feel the weight of her words pressing down on my chest. My best friend was gone, and it felt like the world was closing in around me.

But just as the despair threatened to consume me, a soft moan broke the silence of the hospital room. I turned, my heart racing, and there she was—Yemisi, lying in a hospital bed, pale but alive.

“Yemisi!” I rushed to her side, cradling her hand in my lap. “Oh my God, you’re alive! I thought—”

“Ireti…” She murmured, blinking slowly as she tried to focus. “What happened? Did I miss anything good on TV?”

A laugh burst from my lips, a mix of relief and joy. “Just your own funeral, but don’t worry, it was a total flop without you.”

“Typical. I always knew I was the star of the show,” she said, a weak smile breaking through her pain. “Did I really scare everyone that much? They should know I’m too fabulous to die!”

“You had us all worried sick,” I replied, my voice trembling with emotion. “But we had to trick Mr. Bello into thinking you were dead. It was the only way to catch him off guard!”

Her brow furrowed as she struggled to sit up, determination shining in her eyes. “Did we… did we find anything? Is Kayode okay?”

I nodded vigorously. “We have everything! Your brother’s letter, the threats from Mr. Bello and a recording of his confession when he kidnapped you—it’s all here!” I pointed to a folder on the bedside table, filled with printed messages and documents. “We put a tracker on you, and when we saw you were missing, we knew we had to act fast. I couldn’t let you die like that—not after everything!”

“Thanks for not letting me pull a Houdini stunt on you,” she said, mischief glinting in her eyes. “But seriously, let’s expose him. He has to pay for what he did to Alessia and for trying to hurt me.”

I could feel my heart racing with determination. “We will. We have all the evidence we need to prove he’s guilty. We just need to get it to the police before he realizes we’re onto him.”

As we discussed our next steps, the urgency of the situation washed over me. We were fighting against time, against a man who had shown us just how dangerous he could be.

“Are you strong enough to help?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice.

Yemisi took a deep breath, a playful grin breaking across her face. “I’ve come this far. Plus, I can’t let him win. Who else would provide such spectacular entertainment in this hospital?”

I shook my head, a smile breaking through my worry. “You’re incorrigible, you know that? But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

We gathered the evidence, the gravity of our situation weighing heavily on us. I couldn’t shake the thought of how close I had come to losing her. We wouldn’t let Mr. Bello continue his reign of terror—not when we had a chance to stop him.

With a plan forming in our minds, we knew we had to be smart. We had to stay one step ahead. As we prepared to face the world outside, a renewed sense of purpose filled me. Together, we would confront the darkness that threatened to swallow us whole.

But first, we had to make sure the truth would shine through, no matter how deep the shadows ran.

_____
3 more chapters to go
❤️❤️❤️
This book is gradually coming to an end