I would never have believed that Tony was not my brother in any way. It felt so unreal—like I was dreaming.
All these years of growing up together… he was Danladi's son? Even when my stepmother made it seem like I was the most illeg1t1mate thing in the world, it turns out she and her son were the real intruders.
Tony sat in the corner, moody and shocked—I bet he didn't even know who he truly was. No wonder my father left the company and all his money to me. He must have found out the truth before he d1ed.
"What's your reason for ki11ing Mr. Evans?" Detective Samuel asked my stepmother. We watched her through the screen, all of us outside the interrogation room, barely breathing.
My stepmother looked him dead in the eye and said coldly, "What would you do if your wife found out your deepest secret?"
"Well, of course, I'd apologize. Try to make amends," he replied, calmly.
She scoffed and burst out, "He threatened to divorce me that day! I couldn't take it! Not when I was this close to taking over everything!" Her voice trembled with rage, like she was the one who had been wronged.
"What was Mr. Danladi's role in all this?" the detective asked.
"Nothing. He just made the plan, and I followed. I had two sons for him. The first one was Tony, and the second was Abel…"
That reply hit me like a blow to the chest. Even Tony was Abel's older brother?! I was stunned. What kind of woman is my stepmother? All this—just for money and property?
And that was all we got before she started acting irrational and demanded a lawyer. I staggered into a seat nearby, slumped into it, and burst into tears. Turns out, I've been the biggest f00l ever born. Abel and Tony are brothers?
It was later confirmed that this had been a family plan all along. When my father discovered that Tony wasn't his son—as my stepmother had claimed years ago, saying she got pregnant for him while they were dating—he confronted her. And she ki11ed him.
Here's what really happened: when my father took over the company from his own father, he was warned to stay away from my stepmother. But before he could confirm any pregnancy or take responsibility, she vanished—only to return three years later with little Tony. By then, she had already given birth to Abel for Mr. Danladi.
When my father saw Tony, he was convinced the boy was his son. Like the gentleman he was, he married the woman who returned claiming to carry his child—the Delilah who eventually brought him down. But his heart? It had always belonged to someone else… his maid. The same maid who was carrying his child—me.
The same maid who d1ed during my birth.
Oh, how I wish she were alive to see this day.
It was all too much for me to take in.
While we were there, Abel was led in.
"You were in this with them?!" I shouted, my voice cracking as I turned to Abel, feeling a deep hollow tear open in my chest.
"She's my mother, Amanda. She's family," he said, eyes empty. "When we came of age, we were told of the plan. I was the backup. If your father willed everything to you, I was supposed to marry you. That way, we could still take control of it all."
"Wow," was all I could whisper as Detective Samuel stepped forward and cuffed Abel too.
Tony's look of shock when my stepmother confessed wasn't even real—it wasn't shock. It was fear. Fear of going to jail. That was why he had bluntly confessed who wore the ring that day—to deflect suspicion from himself.
Even that scuffle between Tony and Abel—the one where Tony exposed Kemi as Mr. Danladi's sugar baby—it was all staged. Every bit of it. All planned!
Oh my God. This was all about business! Business!
I ran home and cried like I never had before. I cried until the tears felt like they were washing away every lie, every betrayal. I cried until I imagined my father beside me, holding my hand, whispering:
"In business, Nora, you must outsmart them before they even take a step."
I laughed through my tears and told him I was the only one left.
And he replied, "That's because you're my one and only child. I've always known you'd survive this."
Then I imagined him telling me, "Now get in there. Wash your face. Put on your makeup. Step out boldly. Take over the business. And move it ahead of all the competitors."
With his words echoing in my heart, I rose from my pain.
The next morning, I was officially named the CEO of Evans Group of Companies.
Mr. Danladi disappeared after the truth came out. But my stepmother and her two sons—Tony and Abel—were arrested, tried, and sent to prison.
In the end, it was not just the gateman who ki11ed my father.
It was all of them.
My stepmother. Mr. Danladi. Abel. Tony. And what gave them out was a ring!
And I'm glad they've paid for it.
But is it truly over?
Not until Mr. Danladi is found…
Then—and only then—will it be officially over.
The End.
Complicated
Final episode
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