Adam stepped closer when they still didn’t speak.
Shakira’s hands were locked together so tight her knuckles went white. Aminu’s lips moved without sound. Prayer. Bargaining. Anything but truth.
Adam sighed.
"Wrong choice."
He reached for Shakira’s hand again.
The crack echoed sharp.
Shakira scread and dropped to her knees, clutching her fingers as tears burst out of her eyes.
"Please—please—" she cried. "I swear—"
Adam bent and snapped another finger.
She scread louder.
Aminu rushed forward without thinking. "Stop! Please stop! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"
Adam didn’t even look at him. He snapped a third finger.
Shakira collapsed fully now, sobbing, gasping.
Adam crouched in front of her, eye level.
"You’re still lying," he said calmly. "I can tell."
Aminu fell beside her. "It was an accident," he blurted out. "It was an accident—"
Adam straightened.
"Too late."
Footsteps ca from the side.
Sade walked in with a group behind her. n and won. Guards holding people who were crying, shaking, confused.
Children.
Adults.
Grandchildren.
Aminu’s blood drained from his face.
"No," he whispered. "No no no—"
Adam turned and smiled for the first ti since returning inside.
"Good timing."
Sade’s jaw was tight. "They’re all here."
Adam nodded. "Perfect."
He walked past Shakira, past Aminu, straight to one of the n in the group.
Aliyu.
Mid-forties. Greying hair. The confident look of soone who thought politics made him untouchable.
Aliyu struggled. "Father! Dad!"
Adam grabbed him by the collar and dragged him forward like dead weight.
Aminu scread. "Please! He’s my son!"
Adam shoved Aliyu to his knees right in front of Aminu.
"Then look at him."
Aliyu cried. "Dad! Say sothing!"
Adam raised the gun.
One shot.
Aliyu dropped.
The scream that followed wasn’t human.
Shakira shrieked and clawed at the floor. Aminu’s voice broke into nothing.
People around them gasped. So collapsed. So turned away.
Adam lowered the gun and looked bored.
"That was one."
He turned and walked back toward Sade.
She was holding a little girl. About ten. Trembling. Tears streaking her face.
Adam reached out.
Sade stiffened. "Adam—"
He lifted the child gently from her arms.
The room froze.
Sade’s breath caught. "Adam... you don’t—"
Adam looked at the girl. "What’s your na?"
She sobbed. "Zainab."
He nodded. "Okay."
Sade’s hands were shaking.
Adam turned back toward Aminu and Shakira.
"Talk," he said. "Now."
Shakira scread. "I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Please don’t hurt her!"
Adam raised an eyebrow.
Before he could answer, a voice spoke behind Sade.
"Don’t worry."
Sade froze.
"That girl won’t stay dead long even if he does it."
Sade turned slowly.
Her eyes widened.
"No way..."
Rebecca stood there.
Alive.
Whole.
Exactly as she rembered.
Sade broke.
She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Rebecca, sobbing hard.
"I thought—I thought you were gone—"
Rebecca hugged her back just as tight. "I know."
Tears ran down Sade’s face. "I’m sorry. I should’ve protected you."
"You did," Rebecca said softly. "You just couldn’t win then."
Adam cleared his throat.
"You two can cry outside," he said flatly. "I’m working."
Rebecca looked at him.
Then at the child in his arms.
Then at Shakira shaking on the floor.
"Adam," she said.
He t her eyes.
"Five minutes," he said. "Then I finish this."
Rebecca nodded.
Sade wiped her face and stepped back, pulling Rebecca with her.
Adam placed the child back into Sade’s arms without a word.
Zainab clung to Sade.
Adam turned to Shakira.
"Start," he said.
Shakira was shaking so badly she could barely speak.
"I didn’t an to," she sobbed. "She talked back. She shouted. She said she was leaving . I... I lost control."
A flash hit her mind.
Haddy standing there.
Bruised.
Eyes tired.
"Please," Haddy said. "Just stop hitting ."
Shakira raised her hand again.
"I didn’t know my strength," Shakira cried. "I was angry. I pushed her."
Another flash.
Haddy hit the floor.
Didn’t move.
Blood.
Silence.
Shakira scread in the mory.
"I tried to wake her," Shakira sobbed. "She wouldn’t wake up."
Aminu joined in, voice breaking. "She panicked. She called . I ca ho."
Another flash.
Aminu staring at Haddy’s body.
Calculating.
Fear.
"This will ruin us," he said.
"We’ll go to prison," Shakira cried.
"We can fix this," Aminu said.
Another flash.
A rope.
A chair.
A staged note.
Police.
dia.
"Depression," Aminu told them. "She was troubled."
"I loved her," Shakira cried now. "I swear I loved her."
Adam listened without blinking.
Rebecca stood still.
Her hands were clenched.
Shakira crawled forward. "Please. Please don’t kill her. Take . Take instead."
Adam stared at her.
Then he laughed softly.
"You’re funny."
He turned to Rebecca. "You hear that?"
Rebecca’s voice was steady. "I hear everything."
Adam nodded.
He walked back to Aminu.
"You helped her," Adam said. "You cleaned it up. You buried her twice. First was when she lost a father and the only one who should have been there for her, made her life a living hell."
Aminu nodded weakly. "I was protecting my family."
Adam leaned close. "You destroyed mine, you took my best friend for ."
Aminu broke. "I’m sorry."
Adam straightened.
"Too late."
Rebecca stepped forward. "Adam."
He looked at her.
She didn’t plead.
She just said, "Let handle what cos next."
Adam studied her face.
Then nodded once.
"Fine," he said. "I’ve had my fun."
He stepped back.
Rebecca turned to Shakira.
"You don’t get forgiveness," she said quietly. "You get truth."
Shakira nodded frantically. "I’ll tell everything. Everything."
Rebecca looked at Aminu. "And you?"
Aminu collapsed. "I’ll confess. On air. To everyone."
Rebecca nodded.
"Good."
Adam cracked his neck.
"See?" he said. "Talking wasn’t that hard."
He glanced at the body on the floor.
"Sha it took one death to rember how."
The room stayed silent.
Nobody argued.
Nobody moved.
And everyone understood one thing clearly.
This was no longer about power.
It was about sins that finally caught up.
"If I were you I will start repeating and praying to whatever God you serve to accept you to his or her afterlife and that’s if I don’t destroy it even."
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