Ochieng barely had time to process Zane's warning before his phone buzzed with a series of messages.
Emergency alerts.
Bank accounts frozen.
Properties seized.
His businesses shut down.
Arrest warrant issued.
His jaw clenched. It was happening fast—too fast.
"The Architect doesn't just come after you," Zane muttered, watching Ochieng's reaction. "He makes sure you have nothing left to fight with."
Sienna was already scrolling through news articles on her phone. Headlines painted Ochieng as a criminal mastermind.
"Notorious businessman suspected of multiple murders—on the run."
"Ochieng's empire crumbles overnight—was it all built on blood money?"
They had flipped the narrative.
"He's making me the villain," Ochieng muttered.
"That's what he does," Zane said. "And by morning, half the city will believe it."
Ochieng stood abruptly. "Then we don't wait till morning."
---
They left the club quickly, moving through back alleys.
But Nairobi was already turning hostile.
Police cruisers lined the main streets. Men in dark suits—not cops, but hired enforcers—were watching every exit.
Then came the whispers.
Street vendors who once smiled at Ochieng now turned away. People he had helped before now avoided eye contact.
Sienna's fists clenched. "They're scared."
Ochieng exhaled. He had been powerful once. Untouchable. But now? Now he was a fugitive.
They needed a safe place.
"Back to the old district," Ochieng said.
---
The Architect watched everything unfold on a live feed.
He sipped his wine slowly.
"The next move is his," he said to the figure beside him. "Let's see if he plays wisely."
The figure nodded. "And if he doesn't?"
The Architect smiled.
"Then we erase him for good."
---
Ochieng, Zane, and Sienna moved quickly through the back alleys. The glow of neon lights flickered above them, casting eerie shadows on the wet pavement.
The Hidden District—a place forgotten by the government but controlled by its own set of rulers.
It was a mix of run-down buildings, underground casinos, and black-market traders.
"This place still recognizes me," Ochieng muttered.
A group of masked men approached them, their eyes scanning Ochieng carefully. One of them—an old fighter named Jabari—stepped forward.
"You look like hell, Ochieng."
"I need a place to lay low."
Jabari chuckled. "Half the city wants you dead. Why should I help?"
Ochieng pulled out a small silver coin and flipped it to Jabari.
Jabari caught it, eyes widening. "The old coin…" His tone changed instantly. "Follow me."
---
Meanwhile, the Architect's men were already closing in.
One of them—a ruthless killer named Kairo—walked into the bar they had just left. His cold, calculating gaze scanned the room.
"Where did they go?" he asked the bartender.
The bartender shook his head. "I didn't see anything."
Kairo smiled. "Wrong answer."
A gunshot echoed through the bar. The bartender collapsed, and the room fell into silence.
Kairo turned to his men. "Find them."
The hunt had begun.
---