The media couldn't get enough of her.
Clips from Zaria's speech went viral within hours. Social media was buzzing—hashtags like #ZariaRising and #PregnantAndPowerful were trending across Nigeria. Journalists started calling her a "modern feminist icon," while women's groups from Kenya to Ghana requested interviews. The foundation's inbox was overflowing.
But while the world celebrated her, danger was already brewing behind the scenes.
Back in Lagos, Darius was on the phone, pacing his office with a sharp look in his eyes.
"Yes, I understand," he said tightly. "But you said the photos were destroyed. How are they resurfacing now?"
There was a pause, then he sighed. "Keep me posted. And find out who leaked it."
He hung up, jaw clenched, and turned slowly to face his assistant, Obinna, who stood by the door, uneasy.
"She's rising too fast," Darius said quietly. "And someone clearly doesn't like it."
---
Later that day, Zaria returned to the estate, exhausted but elated. Her body ached from travel, but her heart was light. She found Darius in the lounge, sipping whiskey with that unreadable look on his face.
"You look like someone who's about to deliver bad news," she joked, dropping her travel bag.
He didn't smile.
Her stomach turned. "Darius… what is it?"
He stood and walked to her slowly, then handed her his phone. On the screen was a news site—one of the messier gossip blogs. The headline screamed:
"Billionaire's Girlfriend or Mistress? Darius Okonkwo's Secret Ex Reveals All!"
Beneath it were grainy pictures—Darius with a glamorous woman in South Africa. Some photos showed them entering a hotel. Others looked more intimate—like paparazzi shots taken through curtains. The woman had been identified as Naledi Mokoena, an heiress from Johannesburg, known for her drama and her loud mouth on Twitter.
Zaria read the article, her heart pounding.
"She's claiming you were still together just a few months ago," Zaria said, her voice low.
"She's lying," Darius said at once. "It ended long before you and I… became anything."
Zaria gave a bitter laugh. "But the photos—"
"Were from last year," he interrupted. "I've had her blocked since March. I didn't know she kept those images. She's bitter because I didn't buy her silence like the others."
Zaria slowly sat on the edge of the couch, heart heavy.
"She says you promised her marriage."
He didn't answer immediately.
"Darius?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "At one point, I did consider it. But only because it was expected. Our families have ties. She's not someone I ever loved. And she knew that."
Zaria looked away, silent.
"I never lied to you," he said, kneeling in front of her. "Everything between us has been real from the beginning."
Zaria blinked back tears. "But people will believe her. They'll say I stole you. That I'm just the latest in a string of pretty faces you use and discard."
"And does your truth depend on what they say?"
She hesitated.
"No," she finally whispered.
He took her hand. "Then trust me. I'll handle Naledi. Legally. Quietly. You focus on your voice. Your work."
Zaria looked into his eyes. "I can't have any more secrets, Darius. Not with this baby coming. Not with the whole world watching."
His grip on her hand tightened. "No more secrets."
But even as he said it, a flicker of something passed across his face. Something he buried quickly.
Zaria didn't miss it.
And deep inside her, a small seed of doubt began to grow.