Sally sat behind his mahogany desk, staring at the dim city lights through the wide office window. His fingers drummed rhythmically on the table as the earlier phone call replayed in his mind. Beatrice was investigating Zaria—his Zaria. The woman who had once abandoned the girl now wanted to pull her back into the chaos she had left behind.
Sally's jaw tightened. "She can't know… not now," he muttered. "Not until Zaria has everything she deserves—her high school diploma, her university degree, her life back."
He picked up his secure phone and dialed a number known only to a handful of people. It rang once before a calm voice answered, "Sir?"
"I need something done immediately," Sally said, his voice steady but cold. "We're going to make Beatrice believe Zaria is still living at Hilltop with her stepmother. I want the illusion flawless—she must have no reason to keep digging."
"Yes, sir. What do you need?"
"Arrange for someone to be in Hilltop, someone the neighbors will talk about as 'the girl.' Make sure they see her go in and out. If Beatrice asks questions, they must all point to the same answer—Zaria never left."
The man on the other end paused. "Understood. We'll have it done by tomorrow morning."
Sally ended the call and leaned back in his chair, breathing out slowly. He didn't like lies, but this wasn't about deceit for power or wealth—it was about protection. Zaria had suffered enough at the hands of people who were supposed to love her. He would not let Beatrice hurt her again, not even with words.
---
The following day, Beatrice drove toward Hilltop, her hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual. Her heart pounded with every kilometer she passed, each moment bringing her closer to the truth she both dreaded and needed to know.
What if she's not here? What if Sally has been hiding her?
She pulled into the familiar neighborhood and slowed as she approached the old house she once knew well. The walls looked faded, the gate squeaked when it opened, and for a moment, her breath caught.
A girl stepped out of the house carrying a basket of laundry. She wore a headscarf, much like Zaria used to when she lived here. Beatrice squinted from behind her sunglasses. Could that be her?
From where she sat in the car, it was hard to tell. The girl kept her head down, hurrying to a clothesline before disappearing back into the house.
Beatrice's chest rose and fell rapidly. She got out of the car and approached one of the neighbors she remembered. "Hello, it's been a long time," she said with a forced smile.
The neighbor, an elderly woman with a warm smile, nodded. "Oh, Beatrice! Long time indeed. What brings you back?"
"I… I just came to check on something. The girl… Zaria. Is she still here with her stepmother?"
The neighbor nodded without hesitation. "Oh yes, she's here. I just saw her this morning. She's grown so fast, but she's still around. Why do you ask?"
Beatrice forced a small laugh. "Just curious. It's been years since I saw her."
The neighbor smiled again and shuffled off, leaving Beatrice standing frozen by her car. She glanced once more at the house. Through a window, she could see the shadow of someone moving about—slender, about Zaria's height.
She exhaled, her shoulders slumping. So… she's still here. Relief washed over her, though it was laced with confusion. If Zaria was still living at Hilltop, then who was the girl she saw in the Orbit International School photo?
Maybe it was all just a coincidence. Maybe she had overthought everything.
Beatrice turned and walked back to her car, telling herself she had been chasing ghosts.
---
From a parked SUV two streets away, one of Sally's shadow men lowered his binoculars and spoke into his headset. "She's leaving. The illusion worked."
Another voice on the other end replied, "Good. Maintain presence for two more weeks. We can't risk her doubling back."
The man nodded and started the car, following at a distance until Beatrice's vehicle disappeared toward the main highway.
---
That evening, Sally received the update while sipping coffee in his private study.
"She believed it?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. She saw the girl and confirmed with neighbors. She seemed convinced Zaria never left Hilltop."
Sally nodded slowly. "Good work. Keep the cover active. No mistakes."
When the call ended, he leaned back and allowed himself a moment of stillness. He picked up Zaria's photo from his desk—the same picture from her last science fair, where she had proudly held her award for innovation.
"You deserve peace, my girl," he whispered. "You deserve to finish high school, to go to university, to live your life without her shadow haunting you."
He placed the photo back on the desk, locking it away once again. His eyes hardened as he thought of Beatrice.
---
Beatrice, meanwhile, drove home in silence. For reasons she couldn't fully explain, her heart felt both relieved and unsettled. Why was Sally so connected to her? Why pay her school fees if she was still living with her stepmother?
But she brushed it aside. No… the girl is still there. The neighbors said so. I saw her with my own eyes.
Yet even as she tried to convince herself, doubt gnawed at her edges.
Zaria had no idea about the storm circling around her. And that was how he intended to keep it.
In his mind, Sally repeated the vow he had made years ago: "As long as I live, no one will harm you again. Not even your own mother."
The illusion in Hilltop had bought him time—time to protect Zaria until she was untouchable.
And Sally knew one thing with absolute certainty: Beatrice might have started this search, but she would not finish it. Not while he still had power in his hands.