Chapter 002

"Toyosi, listen to me!" As Victor's voice cut through the cold night air, I had a stiff body and a well-known spike in rage in my chest.

Even though I had only been walking for a few seconds, the darkness seemed to enclose me, as though the cosmos was working against me at this precise instant. The man who had once been Yemi's ally was standing in front of me, his shadow long and menacing against the low streetlight, and I didn't want to turn around and confront him.

"Why are you here, Victor?" Despite the coldness of my voice, I sensed a tempest building inside. "This has nothing to do with you."

The same twisted, confident smile that I had never trusted curled up his lips. "Oh, I believe I am the main cause of it. You're done with Yemi. You are aware of that, aren't you?

I was at my breaking point. "Victor, I saw you. I noticed you at the party, observing us. Didn't you know what was going on? You were aware from the beginning.

For a brief moment, his eyes flitted, and I nearly believed I saw something like shame in them. However, it vanished quickly, to be replaced by that arrogant apathy that made my blood boil.

His response was, "I knew what was happening, but I didn’t care," as he moved in closer. "I just didn’t expect you to be so... naive."

Uninformed. It was a painful word. He was correct; I had been gullible. I had had faith in Yemi, in us, in something that never truly existed. The thought made my heart tighten.

I stepped back. "Don’t come any closer."

"Calm down, Toyosi. I'm not here to cause you harm. I could hear the manipulation behind the quiet as his voice grew softer. "I’m here to offer you something."

My pulse accelerated as I squinted. "What are you talking about?"

He gave a nonchalant shrug. "An opportunity to put things right. to exact revenge on Yemi. Don't you desire retribution?

The notion hovered between us, laden with temptation. Retaliation. Even though I had considered the idea several times in the previous few hours, it felt different to hear it from him. It seemed risky.

I looked him in the eye, attempting to read him and determine whether his offer was genuine or whether I was being manipulated. "What are you offering me, Victor?"

His smile got bigger. "You will soon discover. To put it simply, I have my methods for getting things done. There are other people who can make decisions besides you.

My rage flared within of me. Yemi. I saw his face, his deceit, his betrayal. The lie I had long believed, the kiss with that woman. He had thrown it away after I had handed it to him. Victor was now here, giving me an opportunity to assume command. To strike back.

It was both right and wrong at the same time.

"Why should I trust you?" I spit.

Victor laughed. "Because at this moment, you have no one else to trust. I am fully aware of Yemi's activities. Toyosi, I can give you what you desire. what you actually require.

With a thousand ideas rushing through my head, I hesitated. I was standing amid the wreckage after Yemi destroyed me. My pride blazed hotter than my heart, which ached for him and all we had lost. He couldn't get away with this, in my opinion. Not after everything.

Victor was giving me a chance to regain control of my life. A method of making Yemi feel bad about what he had done. an opportunity to at last cease being a victim of the decisions made by others.

But putting your faith in Victor? That was a very different matter. I had no reason to believe him, but I had nowhere else to turn. I didn't want to go back to Yemi and beg him to make this right. I wanted him to feel the same pain that I experienced.

"How?" I asked in a low, nearly whispery voice.

Victor's smile widened and became almost menacing. "I’m sure you’ve heard of the Wolfe Group, right?"

I tensed up. "What does that have to do with anything?"

With a sudden stifling presence, Victor stepped forward. "Toyosi, Yemi has been deeply involved with them. He has entered into agreements that he shouldn't have. Offers that you could take advantage of."

I took a deep breath as the revelation hit me. One of the nation's most influential corporate empires was the Wolfe Group. They were involved in everything from technology to real estate. I had sensed there was something fishy going on, but Yemi had always kept his interactions with them secret.

Victor's smile widened as if he could sense my response. "Toyosi, I have the ability to reveal him. to destroy him. I can provide you with what you require to reverse the situation.

I shook my head in an attempt to focus. "And what do you want from me in return?"

His eyes shone brightly. "I don't have many demands. A little cooperation, please. And perhaps—just possibly—you'll discover that you require more than retribution.

The way he said that didn't sit well with me. This was going in a direction I didn't like.

However, the need to avenge Yemi and prove to him that I would not be his idiot was too strong. I was sick of continually forgetting and forgiving others and being the one left behind.

I responded, "Fine," before I could correct myself. "I'll carry it out. However, you must make me a pledge.

Victor's eyebrows went up. "And what’s that?"

"I want Yemi to feel bad about what he did. He should lose everything, in my opinion.

"Consider it done."

I was chilled by his remarks, which seemed like a chilly promise. I just agreed to what? I was unsure, but I was certain of one thing. I might not be able to turn back from the path I was on, which was dangerous.

Victor hesitated and looked back at me as he turned to go. "Toyosi, you'll get your retribution. However, watch what you wish for. You may receive more than you anticipated.

As I stood there in the dark, alone with my option, I wondered if I had just made a decision that would change everything, even though I had no idea what he meant by it.

And I wasn't sure whether I had made the proper choice for the first time that evening.

Behind me came the crisp, quick sound of footsteps. My heart skipped a beat as I whirled around, fearing it was Yemi. However, it wasn't.

Someone else did it.

"Toyosi," a voice I hadn't heard before said.

Yemi was the one.

His eyes were furious as he stood a few paces away. He had a pallid face. "You don’t know what you’re getting into."