Chapter 5: The Confession That Never Happened
The rooftop was set.
Golden lights strung between poles danced in the breeze. A single table for two stood in the middle — simple, elegant. No champagne. No tuxedos. Just amala, egusi soup, and soft music from a Bluetooth speaker.
Jason wanted it to be perfect.
It wasn't a proposal. Not yet. But it was something just as big. He was going to tell her everything — who he really was, what he owned, what he had left behind to be here.
He had rehearsed it over and over in his mind:
"My name isn't Jay Roland. I'm Jason Royce. I own one of the biggest international investment firms in Europe. I came here because I needed to be free. I came here… and I found you."
He had never felt this nervous before. Not in boardrooms. Not in billion-dollar deals. But with Hailey, things were different. She wasn't impressed by money. She didn't care for status.
Which is why telling her the truth mattered.
---
Downstairs, Hailey was getting dressed. She had chosen a long, flowy sundress — cream with yellow flowers — and gold hoops. Her curls were pinned into a messy crown, and a soft layer of gloss hugged her lips.
She checked her reflection one last time.
"Just a dinner," she told herself in the mirror. But her heart wouldn't stop racing.
She had grown to love Jay — or whatever name he truly bore. She wasn't sure yet, but deep down, she knew he carried a weight he hadn't shared. And tonight, she hoped he would trust her enough to let her carry it with him.
---
At exactly 7:06 PM, Jason received a call.
His phone buzzed three times before he picked up. It wasn't a contact in his phone. Just a number. Unknown. But the voice that came through? All too familiar.
"Hello, billionaire."
Jason froze.
The voice was smooth, calm, venom-laced.
"James."
"You're not as hidden as you think, Royce," James chuckled. "Switzerland couldn't save you. Lagos won't either."
Jason's voice dropped to a whisper. "Stay away from her."
James laughed. "Already too late."
Jason's stomach turned. "What have you done?"
"Let's just say… your little dinner date's been rescheduled."
Click.
Jason bolted from the rooftop, phone clutched in his fist, heart racing.
---
Hailey never made it to dinner.
She had stepped outside her building, just a few feet from her hostel gates, when a black SUV pulled up.
Two men in plain clothes stepped out. She thought they were ride-hailing drivers at first — until she felt the cloth pressed to her nose. The scent was strong. Sweet, then bitter.
The last thing she heard was someone calling her name… from far, far away.
---
Hours Later
Jason's car exploded.
Not in front of witnesses. No sirens. No screams. Just a pre-timed ignition bomb rigged to detonate after GPS signaled it had left his usual route.
His body wasn't found — because he hadn't been in the car.
Instead, Jason was watching the flames from a hidden alley with Briggs beside him.
"We had to let them believe it," Briggs said grimly. "The only way you stay alive long enough to protect her… is if the world thinks you're dead."
Jason's hands shook.
Not from fear.
From fury.
Hailey was gone. Taken. And James thought he had won.
Jason Royce — the real one — had just been reborn in the fire.
And this time, he wouldn't stop until he got her back.
Even if he had to burn the entire city to the ground.