Chapter 14 - The Child in the Hidden RoomThe child's voice came again.

“Mommy?”

Chioma's heart pounded.

“Who is that?”

Donald stood in darkness.

“You remember the woman who disappeared?”

“Which one?”

“My second wife.”

Chioma swallowed.

“What does she have to do with this?”

Donald laughed.

“Everything.”

A hidden door opened.

A small room appeared behind the wall.

Inside sat a teenage girl.

Thin.

Frightened.

Alive.

Chioma stared.

“Who are you?”

The girl looked at her.

“My name is Ada.”

Donald stepped backward.

“This is Kelvin's daughter.”

Chioma was stunned.

“Kelvin had a daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Why was she hidden?”

“Because she knows where the ledger is.”

Ada stared at Chioma.

“He killed my father.”

Donald smiled.

“You believe that because everyone told you so.”

Ada shook her head.

“No.”

Her eyes remained fixed on Chioma.

“My father recorded everything.”

“Where is the recording?”

Ada slowly pointed upward.

“In the clock.”

Chioma looked at the old grandfather clock standing against the wall.

She opened it.

A recorder was hidden inside.

She pressed play.

Kelvin’s voice filled the room.

“If anyone finds this, Donald has betrayed everyone.”

Then came a series of names.

Politicians.

Business partners.

Banks.

Shell companies.

And finally:

“Ebere.”

Chioma closed her eyes.

But Kelvin's voice continued.

“Ebere knew the truth about Chioma's father.”

Then another voice appeared.

Donald's father.

“We must keep the girl under control.”

Chioma's eyes widened.

“The girl?”

Kelvin continued:

“Chioma is the legal heir.”

The recording stopped.

Ada looked at her.

“He wanted you to inherit everything.”

“Who?”

“My father.”

Kelvin had discovered that Donald intended to steal Chioma's inheritance.

So he secretly protected the documents.

And that was why Donald had him hunted.

Then came the final recording.

Donald's own voice.

“I won't let Chioma inherit anything.”

A pause.

“Not unless she signs.”

Chioma understood.

The entire marriage.

The abuse.

The fake divorce.

The lies.

All of it had been designed around one signature.

The signature on the land transfer.

She turned toward Donald.

“You never wanted me.”

“No.”

“You wanted my inheritance.”

“Yes.”

“You destroyed my family for it.”

Donald shrugged.

“People destroy themselves when money is involved.”

He reached into his jacket.

Chioma stepped backward.

But before Donald could raise the gun, the basement door exploded open.

Inspector Adeyemi and Emeka stormed inside.

Donald fired.

The bullet hit the wall.

Emeka tackled him.

The gun slid away.

Donald screamed.

“You think this is over?”

Emeka pinned him down.

“It is.”

“No!”

Donald laughed wildly.

“You still don't understand.”

“What?”

Donald looked at Chioma.

“Your mother wasn't protecting Dubem.”

Chioma froze.

“What?”

“She was protecting herself.”

Donald smiled.

“She did something twenty years ago.”

Ebere's voice suddenly came from the doorway.

“Stop.”

Everyone turned.

She was pale from the hospital.

Weak.

But standing.

Chioma stared.

“Mama?”

Ebere walked forward.

“I have to tell you.”

“What?”

Ebere cried.

“The man who raised you was not your biological father.”

Silence.

“Your real father…”

She looked at Donald.

“…was Donald's father.”

Chioma's body went numb.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Donald smiled.

“The land isn't the only thing we share.”

Chioma stepped backward.

“No…”

Donald looked at her.

“You and I…”

He paused.

“…are related.”

The room fell silent.

But before anyone could react, Ebere shook her head violently.

“That's another lie.”

Donald’s smile disappeared.

Ebere pointed at him.

“Your father wasn't Chioma's father.”

She turned toward the inspector.

“I know who her real father is.”

And then she gave the name.

Every person in the room froze.

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Because it was a name none of them expected.

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