The sleek midnight-black limousine waited at the palace gates like a sleeping beast. Its polished frame glimmered under the moonlight as the chauffeur opened the door for the Adekule family. Jahzara slid into the leather seats, her mind still somewhere in the garden with a boy named Lucas, whose eyes had seen her more clearly than her own family ever had.
The car hummed quietly as it cruised through the glowing capital city of Edevora, across the silver bridge that led to the private island where the Adekules owned a sprawling marble mansion surrounded by sea. Jahzara leaned her head against the window, watching the streetlights blur into golden streaks.
Her father, Elias Martin Adekule, sat opposite her, grinning like a fox in silk. His smile had been fixed on his face since they left the palace.
"Tonight was a good night," he said, lifting a glass of champagne from the car bar. "And Zara, you did well."
Silence followed.
Toby stopped scrolling his phone. Isreal looked up from where he'd been adjusting his cufflinks. Even their mother, Lilian, turned in her seat with a faint, unreadable smile.
Jahzara blinked. "I… did?"
Elias chuckled. "You spoke beautifully, you carried yourself with grace, and the king seemed quite taken with you. It was perfect."
Jahzara's stomach tightened. Her father's praise was rarer than snowfall in Lagos. He never smiled like this—especially not at her. Suspicion prickled beneath her skin like cold sweat.
She didn't want this praise. Not from him. Not if it meant something was coming.
She glanced at her mother. Lilian was dabbing at her lipstick, lips curved into a satisfied grin. That alone made Jahzara's spine stiffen. Her mother only smiled like that when Elias had gotten exactly what he wanted.
They deserved each other, Jahzara thought bitterly. Two snakes in human skin, slithering through luxury and secrets.
When they arrived at the island mansion, light poured from every window. The staff lined up at the grand entrance, as if welcoming royalty. Elias announced they should pop champagne to celebrate "a successful evening."
Jahzara declined politely. "I'm tired. I think I'll rest."
Elias caught her arm gently, too gently. "You've made me proud, Jahzara. Go and rest. Tomorrow will be important."
She stared at him. Important? Why?
Her brothers didn't bother hiding their annoyance. Isreal muttered something under his breath, and Toby shot her a look full of unspoken jealousy.
She climbed the marble stairs to her room, undressed slowly, and stood at the window, staring out into the ocean. The wind howled against the glass, but inside her mind, the loudest noise was silence—something was off.
---
She couldn't sleep.
It was past midnight when she crept downstairs barefoot, the house quiet as a tomb. She padded into the kitchen for water—but paused when she saw a soft glow coming from the lounge.
Lilian was there, already halfway through a bottle of red wine. Her white silk robe flowed like mist around her ankles, and her expression was unreadable.
Jahzara hesitated. Then: "Couldn't sleep?"
Lilian glanced over, raising her glass. "No one with a brain could."
Jahzara poured herself a drink and walked over. "Why was Dad so… thrilled tonight?"
Lilian smiled into her glass. "Must've been the wine at the palace. They serve only the best."
Jahzara raised a brow. "So we're lying tonight?"
Lilian sighed, setting her wine down. "You ask too many questions, Zara. You always have."
"Because I'm never told the truth," she replied softly.
Lilian stared at her daughter for a moment. "There's nothing going on. Just enjoy your evening. Tomorrow will explain everything."
Jahzara sat on the velvet couch beside her, crossing her legs. "I don't want to go to bed. I'd rather watch something."
"Then I'll watch with you," Lilian said, surprising her.
For the first time in forever, they sat side by side. A movie played on the screen, but Jahzara barely watched it. Her thoughts spun like a carousel—about Lucas, about the king's sudden interest, about her father's eerie satisfaction.
Something was coming.
And whatever it was, it wore a crown.
---
The next morning, the sun had barely risen when Elias summoned everyone to the drawing room.
His voice rang out like a royal decree: "Family meeting. Now."
Jahzara came down the stairs in her robe, hair still wrapped. Her mother was already seated, poised like a statue. Toby and Isreal slouched into their chairs, yawning.
Elias stood by the fireplace with both hands behind his back, smiling like a man who had struck gold.
"Today," he said, "your lives will change."