Nobody answered.
Because Mr. Bello had just stepped out of the Rolls-Royce too.
The great Chief Bello himself.
One of the most feared businessmen in West Africa.
And the second he saw Malik…
his face drained of color.
Then, slowly—
terrifyingly—
the billionaire removed his cap in respect.
“My apologies,” Chief Bello said quietly. “We did not know you would come personally.”
A cold silence exploded across the compound.
Kemi laughed nervously.
“What kind of joke is this?”
Still nobody answered.
Because every servant near the gate had suddenly lowered their heads.
Even Mr. Obiora looked stunned.
Chika stared at Malik in disbelief.
The dusty farmer finally spoke.
Calm.
Quiet.
“You promised your son a wife,” he said to Chief Bello. “So why are you here apologizing to me?”
Chief Bello swallowed hard.
“Because if we had known Chika Obiora was the woman chosen for you…”
His voice weakened.
“…my family would never have interfered.”
Kemi’s smile disappeared completely.
“What are you talking about?”
Malik finally turned toward her.
And for the first time, she felt something terrifying behind his silence.
Then he reached into his pocket and handed a document to Mr. Obiora.
The old man opened it with trembling hands.
His eyes widened instantly.
“What…?”
Chika stepped closer.
And the moment she saw the paper…
her knees nearly gave out.
Because it wasn’t a farming contract.
It was ownership documentation.
International ownership documentation.
Oil fields.
Shipping companies.
Banks.
Real estate corporations across three countries.
At the bottom of every page was one name:
Malik Adeyemi.
Estimated net worth:
$48.7 billion.
Kemi stopped breathing.
