There was something in his voice that touched her more than the act itself. It was not loud or proud. It was simple, protective, steady.
Femi had always wanted to be seen.
Lawrence wanted her protected.
That difference entered her heart and stayed.
After they left the mall, Lillian sat in her car for a moment, still thinking of him. Then she made a call.
“The 3 women who just caused trouble in the luxury wing,” she said. “Throw them out of the mall. Ban them completely.”
10 minutes later, mall security approached Vanessa, Mrs. Margaret, and Clara.
“Madam, you and your party have been asked to leave.”
Vanessa laughed. “By who?”
“You are no longer allowed in this mall.”
“I am a VIP member here.”
“Not anymore.”
Security moved closer, and for the second time in days, Vanessa was pushed out of a place she thought would bend to her.
But while one storm faded, another rose quietly.
In the Oiora family, not everyone was happy about Lillian’s return.
Among those smiling publicly was Sonia Oiora, a younger cousin. Sonia was beautiful, clever, and always perfectly composed. She knew how to sound loyal when people watched.
But jealousy had grown in her for years.
She believed Lillian was too soft, too emotional, too willing to believe in love. In Sonia’s mind, a family head should be sharp, hard, and impossible to embarrass.
And she believed that if someone like Lillian could inherit such power, then someone like her deserved it more.
So after Bianca’s disgrace, Sonia saw opportunity.
She arranged a private meeting with Bianca.
“You want revenge?” Sonia asked.
Bianca laughed dryly. “Who said that?”
“You do not have to. It is written on your face.”
Bianca said nothing.
“I want the same thing you want,” Sonia said. “Lillian out of the way.”
Bianca’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because once she is gone, the succession path clears.”
That caught Bianca’s full attention.
“Help me remove her before the official ceremony,” Sonia said. “In return, I will make sure you are compensated.”
Bianca smiled slowly. “Fine. Tell me the plan.”
That evening, Lawrence received a call from an unknown number.
“If you care about Lillian, come alone. She is in danger.”
The call ended.
Lawrence drove straight to the location sent to his phone. It was an old unfinished building at the edge of a quiet area.
Dark. Empty. Too still.
The moment he stepped inside, he knew something was wrong.
Lillian was not there.
Men rushed from both sides. Lawrence fought hard, but there were too many. They shoved him against a pillar and held him there.
Then Bianca stepped out of the shadows.
“You came faster than I thought,” she said.
“Where is Lillian?” Lawrence demanded.
“So worried,” Bianca smiled.
A second voice came from the darkness.
“That is because he really cares.”
Sonia stepped forward.
Lawrence recognized her. “You.”
Sonia smiled. “Yes, me.”
Then another voice came from behind them.
“And me.”
Both women turned sharply.
Lillian walked in.
Alive. Calm. Unshaken.
Bianca’s eyes widened. Sonia’s face changed for the first time.
“I knew something was wrong the moment that call went out,” Lillian said. “So I made my own arrangements before coming.”
Long before stepping inside, she had placed security around the area, hidden recorders, and informed trusted men to move only at her signal.
She had suspected Sonia for days. Bianca had only made the trap easier to see.
Sonia tried to stay calm. “You think you were clever?”
“Clever enough not to die for your ambition.”
Bianca stepped back. “This was not how it was supposed to happen.”
Sonia’s face twisted. “Then finish it.”
That was when fear broke Bianca’s pride.
“No!” Bianca shouted. “This was your plan. Yours!”
Sonia turned on her. “Shut up.”
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