The executive lobby was unusually tense that morning. Conversations were hushed, movements brisk but cautious. A thick cloud of unease hovered in the air as though everyone could feel something was about to snap.
Eyes flicked toward the glass elevator the moment it dinged open.
Daniel Lewis stepped out, dressed sharply, his earlier blood-stained shirt now replaced with a fresh suit. Nothing on him bore the chaos of the morning, but the cold in his eyes told a different story.
Behind him, Thomas followed quietly, clutching a brown folder to his chest like it might shield him from the storm.
No one dared speak.
Daniel didn't acknowledge the glances or greetings. He walked straight through the executive floor, opened the door to his office, and entered without a word. Thomas followed, closing the door behind them.
Daniel walked to his desk and sat, his posture composed but stiff, eyes fixed on the wall ahead. His hands rested on the surface, still, like a predator biding time.
John's full confession played in his mind.
Sarah. Alhaji. The stolen prototype. The plan to ruin Esther.
It wasn't just betrayal. It was war disguised as family.
The weight of it settled on his chest like iron. Cold. Heavy. Unforgiving.
And Daniel Lewis… was no longer in the mood to forgive.
"Has she checked in?" he asked looking up at Thomas who had stepped in his office .
Thomas shook his head. "No sir. Sarah hasn't reported in today. Security says her badge hasn't been scanned either."
Daniel's jaw locked. He leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the city skyline through the glass wall. Calm. Controlled. But underneath, boiling.
"She knows," he muttered.
Thomas straightened. "What's the next step?"
Daniel turned his eyes toward him, voice sharp and flat.
"Get Inspector Sewa. I want Sarah Cole arrested in the next hour."
Thomas didn't hesitate. "Yes, sir."
He turned and walked briskly out of the office, already dialing.
Meanehile, Sarah burst through the door of her family home, heels clicking erratically on the tiled floor. Her breath was uneven, heart thudding against her chest like a war drum. Alhaji's threats echoed in her head, but it was Harriet's call that shattered her nerves completely.
She had intended to show up at work and play it cool but on her way, Harriet called informing her that Mr. Lewis had sent people looking for her.
She didn't need a prophet to tell her what that meant, John had talked.
She was finished.
"Sarah?" Musu's voice called from the kitchen, followed by her steps. She emerged, apron tied around her waist, a tray of cut vegetables still in her hand. "What are you doing here so early? Why aren't you at work?"
Sarah didn't answer. She rushed to her mother, grabbed her hands in desperation.
"Ma, please… I need your help. I'm in trouble. Big trouble." Her voice cracked, panic already unspooling in her eyes. "Please, you have to help me."
Musu set the tray aside, eyes narrowing with concern. "What's going on, Sarah? What have you done?"
Sarah collapsed to her knees.
"I did something stupid… I was angry, jealous… but I regret it now. I really do," she sobbed. "Please promise you'll help me. I need you, Ma. Please!"
"I'm not promising anything until you tell me what this is about," Musu said sternly. "Talk to me, Sarah. What did you do?"
Sarah covered her face with her hands and began to cry harder. Her voice was muffled and broken.
"I hired the attack on Esther… I asked John to kidnap Esther," she finally confessed, lifting her tear-streaked face. "I didn't think it would go that far, I swear. I just wanted to scare her but I never meant to…"
Musu took a step back, her breath caught in her throat."You hired someone to assault your sister?" she asked, her voice low but shaking. "Sarah, what were you thinking?"
"I don't know!" Sarah cried. "It was a moment… a stupid, bitter moment, and I regret it now." Her voice cracked with desperation. "Ma, please. I need you to talk to Esther. Beg her to talk to Mr. Lewis. He's going to send me to jail. You have to help me."
She crawled closer, her hands clutching at her mother's skirt like a child seeking shelter.
But Musu only looked down at her, tired, weary, her heart breaking in silence.
"Are you even hearing yourself, Sarah?" she said at last, her tone worn with pain. "You had your sister kidnapped. She could've been assaulted, killed, and you want me to convince her to let you go free?"
Musu shook her head slowly, eyes filled with disappointment.
"I know, Ma, I know it's unforgivable, but I wasn't thinking. I was so consumed with hate, but I regret it now. Please… talk to Esther for me. I can't go to jail, Ma. I won't survive it."
But Musu just stared at her daughter, horror carved into her face.
"You hired someone to kidnap and assault your own sister?" her voice came out strained, soft, but thunderous in judgment. "Sarah, how could you do such a thing? Where did I go wrong with you?"
"I've changed, Ma, I swear. I want to change. Just this once… please save me," Sarah begged, crawling closer, her hands clutching at her mother's skirt like a drowning woman clinging to a lifeline.
But Musu pulled away.
"No," she said, firm and broken all at once. "I can't help you this time. You've gone too far. You didn't just want to embarrass Esther, you wanted to destroy her. Maybe even kill her. And for that, Sarah… I can't stand by you."
Sarah let out a bitter laugh as she pushed herself to her feet. Her fingers wiped away the tears on her cheeks with sharp, angry swipes. She looked her mother dead in the eye.
"So that's it?" she said, voice trembling with bitterness. "You won't help me? You want me to rot in jail, is that it?"
"No, Sarah," Musu replied firmly. "I want you to face the consequences of your actions. I want you to pay for what you did."
Sarah's lips curled into a spiteful smile, her voice dropping to a chilling calm.
"You'd rather protect a stranger than your own daughter?"
"Esther is not a stranger," Musu shot back. "She's my daughter."
"She isn't, Ma!" Sarah snapped, her voice rising with fury. "She's not your daughter, she's just some nobody you picked up from the streets! She's not your blood. I am!"
She took a step forward, eyes burning with resentment.
"I'm your flesh and blood. And yet you'd rather see me behind bars than ask your little charity case to forgive me?"
Musu stood silent, pain etched into every line on her face. But Sarah was far from finished.
"You chose her over me," she hissed. "And now you're just going to let your real daughter be thrown away for someone who was never meant to be part of this family."
Musu's eyes flashed with a sudden, fierce anger. Without a word, she raised her hand and slapped Sarah sharply across the face. The sound echoed in the room.
Sarah staggered back, clutching her cheek, shock and fury warring across her face.
Before either could say another word, the distant wail of sirens pierced the silence, growing louder by the second. A police car pulled up outside, its lights flashing red and blue.
Two officers stepped briskly into the house, their eyes scanning the room.
"Is Sarah Cole here?" one of them asked, voice steady but firm.
Musu swallowed hard, her throat tight. "She's here," she said quietly, nodding toward her daughter.
The officers moved quickly. Sarah, still stunned from the slap, struggled but was swiftly handcuffed.
"Please, Ma.." Sarah begged, her voice cracking as she was led away.
Musu stood frozen, pain cutting deep through her chest as she watched her daughter dragged out the door and into the waiting police vehicle.
As the car's doors slammed shut and it pulled away, Musu's trembling hands fell to her sides, the weight of what had just happened settling heavy in the quiet room.
At the police station, Zianab's arrival was met with immediate recognition, and a call from her mother. She rushed forward, heart pounding with worry.
"Ma, are you alright? What happened? Why are you here?" she asked, eyes scanning Musu before narrowing in on the inspector. "Inspector, why is my mother being held..?"
"Zianab," Musu interrupted gently, placing a hand on her daughter's arm, "I'm not the one being held… it's your sister."
"Sister?" Zianab echoed, confused, glancing around the room until her gaze locked on Sarah, seated behind the temporary holding bars. "Sarah? Why was she arrested?"
Musu swallowed hard, fingers tightening into themselves as she braced to speak. "She… she's the one who sent the men. She arranged the attack on Esther."
Zianab blinked in disbelief, brows shooting up. "Sarah was behind the attack?" she asked, though her tone made it clear she already knew the answer.
"Yes," Musu murmured.
Zianab exhaled sharply, frustration and fury clashing behind her eyes. "Then why am I here?" she snapped. Her mother had called earlier, saying she was at the police station, but made no mention of Sarah or her crime. Had she known, she would never have canceled her date with Sankoh. And she knew, she knew, her mother had done it on purpose, just to make sure she showed up.
"Ma, I'm out of here," Zianab said quickly, spinning on her heel. But before she could take a step, her mother's hand clutched her arm.
"Zianab, please," Musu pleaded, her voice trembling. "I know Sarah did wrong, but she's your sister. You're a lawyer… you can help her fight this. Please."
Zianab turned, her eyes hard. "Ma, I'm sorry, but I'm not helping Sarah," she said flatly. "She knew exactly what she was doing. She set up an assault on her own sister. That alone could land her in prison for years, and I'm not going to pretend it didn't happen. She deserves whatever comes next."
"I hear you," Musu said, her voice rising slightly, "but she's still my daughter. Your sister!"
"And what about Esther, Ma?" Zianab snapped back. "Isn't she your daughter too?"
Musu's lips quivered as tears welled up. Her hands rose to her face as the weight of it all pressed down on her, regret, shame, and heartbreak in equal measure. Esther was the daughter she found, raised, and loved like her own. But Sarah… Sarah was her blood. Her child. No matter how deep the wrongdoing, she couldn't just stand by and watch her second born rot behind bars. Not without trying.
She didn't expect forgiveness. She didn't expect understanding. But she was still a mother, and she would fight for her daughter.
"Do what you have to," Zianab said, stepping away. "But I'm done here."
Without another glance, she walked out, leaving Musu standing there, alone, heartbroken, and torn between two daughters.
Somewhere in the heart of the Jalloh mansion, Alhaji had just returned from the office, the weight of the day hanging heavy on his shoulders. He stepped into his study, barely settling behind his desk when the door opened and his younger brother walked in.
"Kotor," Amadou greeted respectfully, eyes meeting Alhaji's briefly before shifting down to the floor, his posture cautious.
"What news do you have on John?" Alhaji asked, voice tight with tension. Ever since the news of John's capture by Daniel, he hadn't known rest. While John's confession might not be enough to completely sink him, it was more than sufficient to bring Daniel to his doorstep. And if it ever reached court, with John as a witness, it could be the end of him and everything he'd built. The legacy of the Jalloh name would crumble.
"Has he been located?" Alhaji pressed.
"Yes," Amadou replied, his tone grim. "Our men have eyes on him. And… he's already said our names."
Alhaji's hand clenched against the edge of the desk, his jaw tightening as fury sparked in his eyes. "Get rid of him," he growled. "I don't care how, just make sure his body doesn't come out alive from wherever Lewis is keeping him."
"Right on it," Amadou said without hesitation, turning and leaving the room.
Moments later, the door opened again, this time slower, more deliberate. Jariatu stepped in, her eyes locked on her husband with quiet suspicion.
"Don't tell me you're in trouble again," she said, stepping fully into the room.
"I'm handling it," Alhaji replied curtly, refusing to meet her gaze as he pretended to focus on the keyboard in front of him.
"Right," Jariatu scoffed, folding her arms. "You know, I'm puzzled. Since when did you start acting so recklessly? Bringing John back into the country without waiting for the dust to settle… and instructing him to assault Esther?" Her tone was sharp, the accusation in her voice deliberate. Her gaze narrowed on the subtle tremble in his fingers.
"I was careless," Alhaji admitted, though his voice was flat. "That's on me. But I won't repeat that mistake."
He waved her off, trying to mask the storm brewing inside him. The last thing he needed was for her to think a woman, or worse, a scandal affair was influencing his judgment.
"I see," Jariatu said coldly. "Well, I hope you haven't forgotten your promise to me, Alhaji. I want Lewis and his entire family destroyed. That man ripped our son from us, and until justice is served, there will be no peace. So, until then…" she paused at the doorway, eyes narrowing, "don't get yourself in trouble, or behind bars. I won't lose another man to Lewis."
With that, she stormed out, leaving the door wide open and the air behind her charged with fury.
As night settled in, Musu returned home, her spirit worn and heavy after hours at the police station, pleading with the inspector, watching her daughter in a cell. The weight was unbearable. Sarah wasn't just being held for attempted assault… the charges now included facilitation of sexual assault and corporate espionage, leaking company secrets.
"Zianab," she called, stepping into the living room.
Zianab sat cross-legged on the couch, eyes on the TV screen, chuckling softly at a scene. Her head turned briefly.
"You're back?" she said casually, barely glancing at her mother.
Musu's face tightened. "You're here, watching TV?" she snapped, voice laced with disbelief.
"Yes, where else would I be if not home?" Zianab replied dryly, eyes still on the screen. "Anyway, welcome back. I finished cooking," she added with a small laugh at the scene playing out in front of her.
Musu's voice cut through the room, sharp and full of frustration.
"How can you be so heartless, Zianab? Your sister is behind bars, and you're here, laughing, watching TV like nothing happened?"
"Heartless?" Zianab scoffed, rising to her feet. "How am I heartless, Ma? Sarah is the one who hired men to destroy Esther, but I'm the heartless one?" Her voice sharpened. "She sold out the company's secrets, betrayed everyone who trusted her, but somehow, she gets sympathy?"
She stepped forward, fire in her tone. "Ma, I didn't put Sarah behind bars. She did that all by herself."
"You know what I mean," Musu said, trying to hold back tears. "Can't you just… look past that and help her out? She looked so broken behind those bars, Zianab. She regrets it. She's asking for a second chance."
Zianab scoffed, rising to her feet. "Second chance? Sarah used up her second chance a long time ago. She's never changed. And she never will."
Musu turned away, slumping into a chair, her face buried in her hands. A sob slipped through. "You won't understand… not until you become a mother yourself."
Zianab's voice stayed firm. "Please, ma. Don't play the guilt card. If I ever had a child like Sarah, I'd disown her."
"That's easier said than done," Musu whispered. "No mother wants to see her child behind bars. Maybe I seem selfish, but I'm her mother."
"And you're also Esther's mother," Zianab shot back.
"But Sarah is my biological child!" Musu snapped, the words spilling out before she could stop them.
Zianab froze. A cold silence settled. Then she let out a dry, disbelieving laugh. "There it is. You finally said it. You've never truly cared about Esther… because she's not your blood."
"That's not true!" Musu cried, her voice cracking. "I love Esther, like my own."
"Then why don't you act like it?" Zianab demanded, her eyes burning. "You're willing to let Sarah walk free, again, after what she did. And you call that love? That's not love, ma. That's hypocrisy."
"You think this is easy for me?" Musu cried. "You think I haven't struggled with this every single day?"
"No, ma," Zianab said sharply. "You don't get to cry and play victim here. You're not the one who was kidnapped. You're not the one nearly assaulted. You're not the one betrayed. Esther is."Her voice trembled with controlled anger. "Do you even realize the things Esther has done for you? Things not even your real daughters have done?"
She took a step closer, eyes locked on her mother's. "She's sacrificed so much, so much, just to make you happy. And now, when she needs you to stand up for her, to do the bare minimum and give her the justice she deserves… you can't."
Zianab shook her head, disappointment thick in her voice. "You've let her down, Ma. Over and over. And you're still doing it."
Musu lips split but before she could say a word, Zianab cut in.
"You want to save Sarah? Then go ahead. But don't expect me to stand beside you while you throw Esther under the bus… again." Zianab said walking away.