The night was restless. Ochieng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. The city sprawled beneath him, glittering like a galaxy trapped in concrete. But even as he gazed at the skyline, his mind was elsewhere.
Seline's scent still lingered on the sheets, a ghost of a past he had buried deep. He should have felt victorious sending her away. Instead, there was a strange hollowness gnawing at him.
A knock at the door snapped him from his thoughts.
He turned, brows furrowing. It was nearly midnight.
Approaching cautiously, he pulled the door open.
Victoria.
Draped in a silk dress that hugged her curves, she leaned against the frame with a smirk. "Bad time?"
Ochieng's gaze swept over her, reading between the lines. "You don't show up unannounced unless it's serious."
She stepped inside without invitation, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Word is, someone's making moves against you."
Ochieng's jaw clenched. "Who?"
She tilted her head. "Brian."
The name alone was enough to send a dark wave of irritation coursing through him. Brian—the same man who had mocked him when he was nothing. The same man who had always tried to get under his skin. And now, he was making moves?
Victoria handed him a small flash drive. "Everything you need is in there. Financial records, deals, and some… personal dirt. I thought you'd want to see it before the media does."
Ochieng took the flash drive but didn't plug it in yet. He studied Victoria instead.
"You wouldn't bring this to me for free. What do you want?"
Victoria smiled, stepping closer, her perfume intoxicating. "Who said I wanted anything?"
Ochieng chuckled, shaking his head. "Victoria, we both know you're not a charity."
She leaned in, her lips close to his ear. "I like power, Ochieng. And right now, you have a lot of it. Maybe I just want to be on the winning side."
He smirked. "Or maybe you just like playing with fire."
Her fingers trailed over his chest. "Maybe."
The tension crackled between them, but Ochieng wasn't easily swayed. He took a step back, his mind too occupied with the new threat.
"I'll deal with Brian," he said. "Thanks for the tip."
Victoria's smirk didn't fade. She reached for the door but turned back at the last second.
"Be careful, Ochieng. Some ghosts don't stay buried."
And then she was gone, leaving him standing in the dimly lit room, flash drive in hand, and a storm brewing in his mind.