The silence in the small Surulere church was suffocating. The air itself seemed to grow heavy, as though the walls had soaked up every whispered secret, every cry for mercy.
Pastor Obasi leaned forward, his voice dropping lower.
"Years ago, your parents uncovered something they were never meant to know. Michael was a man of honor, but he fell in love with Chika a woman the wrong people considered a threat, that woman, Mrs. Odu, played the role of a trusted family friend. But behind that mask, she was part of a network that thrived on blood money, illegal trade, and silence when Chika refused to bend to them, she became a target."
I felt my chest tighten, every breath burning like fire.
"She betrayed my mother?" I asked, barely hearing my own voice.
Pastor Obasi's eyes, heavy with sorrow locked on mine.
"Yes. Mrs. Odu pretended to protect her but in truth she was the one who delivered her into danger. Michael discovered the betrayal too late that is why he sent you away to live with a guardian who could shield you from the storm that followed but even that was not enough to erase the trail."
My stomach knotted. Every memory of the woman I had called "mother" felt like ashes in my throat. She had not been mine. My real mother had been hunted, forced to vanish, because of one woman's greed.
But then Pastor Obasi said a name that
shattered the ground beneath me.
"She wasn't alone. Mrs. Odu had powerful backers, men who needed her silence and loyalty. One of them was her longtime business partner Chief Obiayor."
The name rang like thunder in the hollow church.
Chinedu flinched beside me, his hand slipping from mine.
"What?" His voice was sharp, almost strangled. "What did you just say?"
Pastor Obasi frowned, as if only then realizing the weight of what he had spoken.
"Chief Obiayor," he repeated carefully. "The Obiayor family has long had its hands in ventures that never saw the light of law. They profited with Mrs. Odu and when Chika discovered too much, they all wanted her erased."
My eyes darted to Chinedu, confusion and fear clashing inside me. His face was pale, disbelief warring with something darker.
"No he whispered, shaking his head. "That can't be. My father he built everything from the ground. He's respected, honored" His words broke off, his voice cracking like glass.
Pastor Obasi's gaze hardened.
"Respected in daylight does not always mean clean in the dark. Your father's wealth, his empire much of it was built in shadows. Whether you knew or not, his hands are not free of this blood."
Chinedu stumbled back, his breathing uneven. He looked at me then, as if searching for denial in my eyes but I had none to give. The puzzle pieces were falling into place too painfully to ignore.
"Obiayor" I whispered, tasting bitterness in my mouth. "Your family, your father was part of the reason my mother disappeared."
Chinedu's eyes glistened, his jaw trembling.
"I didn't know, Tomiwa. I swear on everything I didn't know."
I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to but the fury in my chest was too loud, too raw. The man I had trusted, the man who had held my hand through every storm his blood was tied to the very chains that bound my life in secrets.
Pastor Obasi's voice cut through the silence like a knife.
"This is why you both must be careful. Love is fragile when weighed against the sins of generations. Mrs. Odu is ruthless. Chief Obiayor is powerful. Together, they silenced Chika. If they learn you've found the truth, they will try to silence you too."
A cold sweat broke across my skin. The shadows around us seemed to grow longer, more menacing.
"What happened to Chika?" I forced out, my voice shaking. "Is she alive?"
The pastor looked away, grief shadowing his eyes.
"I cannot say she disappeared beyond even my reach but I believe she left clues for you. She wanted you to be strong enough to find her, strong enough to face the truth they all tried to bury."
I pressed the letter from Chika tighter to my chest, its creases cutting against my fingers.
Chinedu sank onto the wooden pew, burying his face in his hands. He looked broken like a man torn in two. I wanted to reach for him, but my own anger held me still.
Pastor Obasi leaned closer.
"There is one last truth you must understand, Tomiwa. Michael didn't just die he was taken. His loyalty to Chika cost him everything and if you are not careful, their enemies will ensure history repeats itself."
The words lodged in my heart like daggers. My father murdered, my mother vanished, my guardian a stranger and now, the boy I loved the son of the very man tied to the suffering of my family.
The church felt smaller, darker, as if its walls were closing in.
I rose to my feet, legs trembling but spirit burning.
"Then let them come," I said, voice firmer than I felt. "I will not run anymore I will uncover every secret they buried, even if it destroys me."
Chinedu lifted his head, eyes wet but fierce.
"Then you won't do it alone," he said hoarsely. "Whatever my father has done, I am not him I am yours and I will fight by your side."
For a moment, silence fell again different this time. Heavy with grief, but also with a fragile, defiant hope.
Pastor Obasi gave a slow nod.
"Then may God strengthen you both. Because from here, the storm only grows darker."