Chapter 36 Abeni Mensah
Eboni Keep in Nzuri Hall
To say I was proud of the man my son had become would be an understatement.
Watching him and Pluto welcome their second child into the world had been one of the most beautiful moments of my life.
There was something divine about it. Seeing her labor with such strength and grace made me realize that the woman my son chose was exactly who he was meant to be with.
She had a light in her that never dimmed, even through pain, and when I saw the way Pressure held her, the way he looked at her with his heart on display for the whole world to see, I felt peace.
For years I had wondered if he would ever settle his spirit enough to be the man I knew he was capable of being, and today he proved that he already was.
When I finally returned home, the halls of the mansion felt quiet in comparison to the energy of that birth.
The guards nodded as I walked past, and my heels clicked against the marble floors in a rhythm that followed me all the way to the elevator.
The moment the doors opened, I pressed the top floor.
I was tired, but there was a warmth in me that had nothing to do with exhaustion.
When the elevator doors parted, I stepped into the bedroom and saw Kojo sitting up in bed, shirtless, his broad shoulders radiating under the soft light of the lamp.
His phone was in his hand, and there was a faint smile resting on his face.
“The birth was beautiful,” I said softly, walking toward him.
He looked up at me with that calm confidence that always grounded me. “I know,” he said. “Pressure just sent me pictures of the baby. He’s healthy. Big, too. Look just like him.”
I smiled and began removing my jewelry piece by piece, setting each one on the dresser.
“It’s hard to believe our son has come this far,” I said.
“There was a time when I wasn’t sure if he’d ever find peace.
Now he has everything he needs. A wife who truly loves him.
Two beautiful children. A legacy that will only grow stronger. ”
Kojo chuckled lowly, putting his phone down on the nightstand. “We might have doubted him a few times, but I always knew that boy had it in him. He just needed to be tested. Now look at him. A king, just like he was born to be.”
I walked toward the bed and climbed in beside him, resting my head against his shoulder. “You’re right,” I whispered. “He’s everything we prayed he would become.”
We laid there in comfortable silence for a few moments, soaking in our happiness.
I unlocked my phone one last time before setting it down, glancing at my emails as I always did before bed.
Most were business-related—updates on company mergers, international contracts, investment notices.
Then a new message appeared at the top of the list.
The sender’s name caught my attention immediately. Fiscal Guardian. The email address was fiscalguardian@. The name itself sounded professional, something that wouldn’t normally trigger alarm, but there was something in me that hesitated before opening it.
Finally, I tapped the message.
The first line alone made my stomach shift.
You may think you’ve gotten away with what you did.
My eyes narrowed as I read further. The message continued, each line written with precision, but full of malice.
You killed my son. For months I have done my research, learning everything there is to know about you.
I know every company you own, every investor tied to your name, every shell corporation you use to move your money.
You are not the only one with wealth and power.
You’ve built your empire on arrogance, and now it will fall.
I am coming for you, for your husband, for your son, for every child connected to your bloodline.
I will burn everything you love, and when I am done, you will understand what it feels like to lose everything that gives your life meaning.
There was no signature or name. Just that empty void at the bottom of the screen, like the sender knew I didn’t need to see one to understand who it was from.
Clearly, this was Lyrick’s father. It had to be…
I felt Kojo’s gaze on me before I even looked up. He could read me too well. “What is it?” he asked.
I didn’t speak right away. Instead, I handed him the phone.
His eyes scanned the screen quickly, and for the first time in years, I saw that look in his eyes.
It was the one he used to have when we were younger, when someone tried to cross him.
He exhaled slowly, leaned back against the headboard, and let the phone rest on his thigh.
“So it begins,” he muttered.
I tilted my head slightly. “You’re not surprised?”
He gave a short, humorless laugh. “Not at all. You handled business, and business always comes with consequences. But let him come. His first hit better be his last, because that’s the only chance he’ll get.”
His tone was calm, but there was a deadly certainty behind his words that made my heart flutter in a way that had nothing to do with fear. Kojo had always been a man of action. I’d seen him take down empires quietly, efficiently, leaving no trail behind. That was why we worked so well together.
I reached over, took the phone, and set it on the nightstand. “He’ll make his move,” I said softly. “Men like him always think they can. But you’re right. He won’t get another chance.”
Kojo turned his head and looked at me with a faint smirk. “That’s why I married you. You got the heart of a queen but the mind of a general.”
I smiled faintly and leaned forward to kiss him. His lips were warm, and when he pulled me closer, I let myself melt into that comfort for a moment, but even as I kissed him, the email replayed in the back of my mind.
The words weren’t haunting, but in my heart, I knew they were a promise.
As I pulled away, I laid my head against his chest and closed my eyes. “We’ve done many things in the name of family,” I whispered. “But some things don’t stay buried forever.”
Kojo ran his hand along my back, his voice low. “Then we deal with it, just like we always have.”
I smiled, letting the rhythm of his heartbeat lull me. “You know something,” I said. “For the first time in years, I almost feel like the game is beginning again.”
Kojo’s chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Then let’s make sure we win.”
I closed my eyes and felt a strange calm wash over me. The empire we built had always drawn enemies, but this time felt different. There was a darkness on the horizon, one that I had called upon myself.
Deep down, I knew I had opened a door that could never be closed when I killed Lyrick and took Kashmere’s baby. And now, whatever walked through it was coming straight for me and everything I loved.
But fear was something I had buried long ago.
If destruction was on its way, then I would meet it with my crown on, my family behind me, and my empire intact.
A new saga was on the way…