Chapter 209

"You shouldn’t have come," Yemi's voice was tight as he stepped forward, blocking me from seeing Victor. His hand instinctively went to my waist, pulling me behind him, but I could feel the tension in his grip. I knew this wasn’t just about me. This was about everything we’d worked for, everything that had built us.

Victor stood in the doorway, his dark eyes glinting with a sharpness that made my skin prickle. The smirk on his face was as cruel as I remembered, but his words were what chilled me to the bone. "You’ve underestimated me, Yemi. And now, you’re going to regret it."

I felt a rush of panic flood my chest. The same fear that had gripped me when I first learned of his return crept back into my veins, but I couldn’t let it control me—not now, not when everything was at stake.

"Get out of here, Victor," Yemi growled, his voice low but with a warning that carried through the cold air. "You’ve caused enough damage."

Victor stepped inside, his shoes echoing against the marble floor as he moved into the foyer. "I don’t think I’m the one who’s caused damage, Yemi," he said smoothly, his voice like poison. "Not yet, anyway."

I felt the knot in my stomach tighten. Yemi’s protective stance, the way he stood in front of me—guarding me—was instinctual. But I knew that the real battle wasn’t just about protecting me. It was about our family, our legacy. And Victor wanted to tear it all apart.

"What do you want, Victor?" I finally spoke up, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could feel the tremor beneath my words. I refused to let him control the situation. Not when I had Yemi by my side.

Victor turned toward me, his gaze softening just slightly. "What I want, Dee, is everything."

I swallowed hard, glancing at Yemi. His jaw clenched, the muscle ticking beneath his skin, but he said nothing. There was a dangerous calm in him now, something that made me respect him even more. But the silence between us was heavy, as if we both knew that whatever happened next could change everything.

"You’ll have to fight me for it," Yemi’s voice was thick with fury, but there was a quiet determination there too.

Victor’s smile widened, a sickening glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh, Yemi. You think this is about fighting? No, it’s about survival. It’s about who’s going to stand at the top when all the dust settles."

The words hit me like a slap to the face. "What do you mean?" I asked, but I already knew the answer. I could feel it—the suffocating weight of betrayal, the lurking shadows of a past I hadn’t fully understood until now.

Victor turned back to Yemi, his gaze narrowing. "Your father was a fool, Yemi. He didn’t know when to bow out. And now, you’re following in his footsteps. You think you can keep his legacy alive, but your family is nothing without me. You’ve been running this business on borrowed time."

Yemi stiffened. "You’re lying," he spat, though I could tell by his eyes that he was considering every word Victor said. It was too much to ignore. Too much history between the two of them.

"Am I?" Victor leaned in, voice dripping with satisfaction. "You don’t know half of it. But maybe you will soon enough. Your family’s been keeping secrets, Yemi. Big ones. And once you find out the truth, you’ll understand why I’m the one who should’ve been in charge all along."

I couldn’t take it anymore. I moved past Yemi, my hand lightly touching his arm as I confronted Victor. "What is it you want, Victor? Tell me."

He studied me for a moment, his eyes flickering with a momentary uncertainty before it was replaced with that same cold detachment. "What I want is simple: power, control, everything that your family’s worked for. The business. The influence. Your future."

I froze. "You’re going after everything we’ve built," I murmured. It wasn’t a question. It was a fact.

Victor’s eyes gleamed. "Exactly."

Yemi reached for my hand, his grip firm. "We won’t let you take it."

Victor chuckled darkly. "You think it’s that simple, huh? It’s never been simple, Yemi. Your family’s been holding onto a lie for too long, and I’m here to make sure it all comes crashing down."

The tension in the room was unbearable. I could feel it radiating off of both men—Victor with his calm arrogance, Yemi with his burning need to protect everything that mattered to him. To us.

"We don’t have to do this," I said, my voice quiet, but resolute. "There’s still time to make things right. You don’t have to destroy us."

Victor gave me a dismissive glance. "It’s already too late for that."

The room seemed to close in around me as I realized just how deep the betrayal ran. It wasn’t just about the business, or the power. It was about family. It was about everything we had—our legacy—and Victor was prepared to burn it all down for his own gain. But Yemi wasn’t backing down. And neither was I.

The next few hours were a blur of tense conversations, hurried meetings, and long silences. The battle was only beginning, and we knew the stakes were high. Victor wasn’t just a rival. He was a force of nature—unpredictable, dangerous, and relentless.

We needed a plan. But as we sat in the living room of the estate, going over our options, it was clear that the road ahead would not be easy. Every move we made would have consequences, and each decision felt like a choice between survival and defeat.

"What are we going to do, Yemi?" I asked, the question hanging between us.

He didn’t look at me at first, his gaze focused on the floor as he thought. The weight of everything was on him now—the pressure of his family’s legacy, the responsibility of keeping everything intact. I could see the stress in his eyes, the burden of knowing that Victor was always one step ahead.

And yet, as I reached out and placed my hand on his, I could feel him draw strength from me, from us. "We fight," he said, his voice steady but filled with an unyielding determination. "We fight for our family. For everything we’ve built."

I nodded, feeling the fire in his words. We were in this together, and nothing, not even Victor, would tear us apart.

Just then, the phone rang, its shrill tone cutting through the heavy silence. I picked it up before Yemi could, the weight of what was coming next settling in my chest. The voice on the other end was a familiar one.

"Dee, it’s me," Yemi’s mother said, breathless. "You need to come quick. There’s something you need to know."

The air seemed to freeze. "What is it?" I asked, my heart racing.

"It’s Victor. He’s made his move. And it’s worse than we thought."