Chapter 36
Zioh
Before the press conference
I walked into the hall hours before the conference was set to begin. Last night’s text from Tsabinu weighed heavily on me; he’d asked to meet beforehand to reveal something, and I didn’t sleep all night. My mind wouldn’t stop running in circles. Shit. What was it this time?
I’d barely been around for a few weeks, yet all I’d run into was trouble after trouble. And then, Dad’s evil schemes. He’d planned something—he always did.
The threat from before still echoed in my head, louder and louder. It felt as if my dad were breathing against my neck, making the air around me grow thick. Somehow, I’d always caught people watching me, whispering about me. His people. Even in this hall, I could feel eyes on me.
Did Dad truly believe that Zeraiah and I were such a significant threat? So bloody dangerous that we could ruin his name or his company’s name?!
But every thought that had been clinging to my mind vanished at once. Like sunlight breaking through after a violent storm, the moment Tshabina stood there, right in front of the lift.
It made me want to stay close to her. Just like in the past, those old feelings, long buried, rose again from the depths.
Moving deeper into the hall, I found a room tucked behind it.
Stepping inside, I scanned the space, even the ceiling above.
It was empty—no people, no cameras, only a few large sofas circling the room.
As I went to sit, the door handle clicked behind me.
My body stiffened as I turned to see who entered.
Dave. He was one of Zaeem’s most trusted men, always working in the shadows for him. And now Zaeem had lent him to me.
He walked towards me, posture firm, holding a file.
“These are the documents Ribka and Manda have signed, sir. If they trouble Miss Sophia again, you can be sure they’ll be transferred out,” Dave said, his voice low and heavy.
Nodding, I took the file from him and flipped it open to scan the contents. “Good. Keep an eye on them.” I turned to him, fixing him with a firm look. “If anyone else bothers her, report it to me immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
I handed the file back. “Nothing suspicious, is there?” My eyes flicked about the room. “I saw something in the hall earlier.” I pressed my AirPods. “Someone. Two, maybe three. Watching me.” I swallowed. “Did my dad send them? Do you know anything?”
Dave pursed his lips, and I studied him. He seemed to hesitate. “There seem to be some changes today, sir. I saw Mr Bakti meeting with a few men not long ago.”
My gaze sharpened, though he still looked reluctant. Of course, he was Zaeem’s man, first and foremost. My voice grew harsher, impatient. “Zaeem told you to help me while I’m here. He and I are on the same side. So what is it?”
Dave swallowed hard, looking at me for a second before answering. “All I know is, there’s something tied to his cooperation…” He paused. “The gist is Mr Bakti and some of INDTV Group’s and Artamain’s executives have been discussing matters these past weeks.”
See? He’d always been.
My phone buzzed, cutting me off mid-thought. Instantly, I pulled it from my pocket, and my eyes scanned the text on the screen. My pulse spiked; I glanced at Dave before striding toward the door.
“Follow me,” I ordered. He obeyed at once, trailing behind as I left the room.
I walked with measured, deliberate steps, forcing myself to remain composed. I kept glancing about, convinced I’d seen eyes fixed on me, whispers forming in the corners. I shook my head and pressed my AirPods, whispering words hard and fast.
Someone was here.
My breath shallowed. Sweat dampened my skin.
Fucking calm down. Take a breath. Hold it.
Tables. People. Chairs. Drinks. And—
Tshabina.
Those warm hazel eyes, meeting mine once more. My heart, which had been racing madly, began to steady. Even across the distance, her warmth reached me, wrapping me like a thick blanket against a storm.
Only because of her eyes.
I’d believed it was gone. But she’d always had it—maybe even always would.
Shaking my head, I clenched my fists as the urge to flee rose again. I tore my gaze away, and a voice reached me.
Tsabinu. He had arrived, standing beside me with a stack of files in his arms. He met my eyes with a steady gaze; I returned the look, and he gave me a slight, knowing nod. I let out a heavy breath before turning away, leading us both into the room behind the hall.
I told Dave to stay outside and kept watching, then it was just Tsabinu and me. My chest heaved, as though a dark cloud was gathering inside me, waiting to break into a storm.
With my hands jammed deep into my pockets, I faced him.
Beneath me, my feet wouldn’t stop shifting against the floor.
“What do you want to talk about? And explain what that message meant earlier, Tsabinu.” My voice was edged.
His text spurred me into motion before I could process it, dragging me from the room like a man possessed.
“The terms of the partnership have changed,” he said, his eyes locked with mine.
“This is common in business,” he went on, his voice hushed as if he feared someone might overhear.
“But the decision shifted after Mr Bakti struck a deal with Mr Hendrik.” His gaze hardened.
“And that agreement has to do with you, sir—Zioh.”
I scrubbed my face. My tie suddenly felt like a noose, prompting a desperate tug. Then, the storm burst free, fierce and unrestrained. Of course. Even before speaking to Zaeem that day, Dad was already plotting.
I clenched my fists tight. “Zaeem?”
“He knows.”
My head roared. Calm, for fuck’s sake, breathe! Press it down.
Shaking my head, I tugged at my hair. “So now you’re telling me it’s not just my father, but my brother as well?”
Tsabinu narrowed his eyes, studying me. “Zioh, this is Zaeem,” he said. “He’ll support it if he believes it’s the right decision. But the first person he’ll always support is you. You know that.”
Of course.
Until he lost his sense again, crawling back to Dad’s schemes. Though I knew Zaeem would never—still, not knowing what went on in his head… it gnawed at me.
I scoffed, dragged my hands down my face. “Fuck that.”
A sharp pain stabbed at my forehead, as if nails were piercing into it, and I massaged my temples.
My eyes shut tight before I opened them again when Tsabinu’s hand suddenly pressed on my shoulder, making me look at him.
His eyes were steady, searching mine, and his voice came softer this time. The same calm I once knew in him.
“They’ll be here soon,” he said low. “Calm yourself.” His grip on my shoulder tightened before he stepped back with a nod, ready to leave. “For now, that’s all I can tell you, sir.”
“Why?” The word left me strained, my eyes heavy as I watched his back. He stopped, silent for a beat, then glanced at me over his shoulder.
“Why do you help me, Tsabinu?”
He turned. His gaze was piercing, speaking more through his eyes than his lips. “For defending my sister. Andi told me what happened, and she’d cried herself sick that day. Thank you, Zioh.”
With that, he left, leaving me alone with the storm.
My gaze faltered on the closed door. “If you knew what I did to her, you wouldn’t be doing this or even saying those words,” I whispered.
My vision blurred. “I hurt her, more than them…”
Even if I can’t stay by your side all the time, no matter how much I want to, remember that I’m always holding your hand, Zioh. Orange. 25.
“I hurt our Tshabina, Golden…”