The Lekki apartment felt strangely quiet.
Outside, the city lights shimmered across the lagoon, but inside the room the air had turned heavy.
Shemmy sat frozen on the couch.
Her phone trembled slightly in her hand.
The video had already ended, yet her mind kept replaying the same moment over and over.
The hand opening her laptop.
The files being copied.
The bracelet on the wrist.
She knew that bracelet.
She had seen it a hundred times.
Every day.
Inside her studio.
Daevyd watched her carefully.
"Semilore," he said softly, "talk to me."
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"The designs weren't stolen from outside."
She slowly turned the phone toward him.
"They were taken from inside my studio."
Daevyd leaned forward, studying the screen.
The video played again.
A hand moved across the keyboard.
A flash drive connected.
Files transferred quickly.
He paused the video and zoomed in.
"Who had access to your laptop?"
"My assistants… my studio staff… Ruth sometimes… clients during fittings…"
She stopped.
Her breathing slowed.
Because the bracelet was clearly visible now.
Silver.
With a small green stone.
Her chest tightened.
"That bracelet…" she murmured.
Daevyd looked at her.
"You recognize it."
Shemmy nodded slowly.
"I gave it to her."
"Who?"
Shemmy swallowed hard.
"Ruth."
The room went silent.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Daevyd shook his head immediately.
"No."
"But it's her bracelet."
"That doesn't mean it was her."
Shemmy stood up suddenly and began pacing.
"She was always in the studio. She had access to everything."
"Semilore."
"And she knew how important the collection was."
"Semilore."
Her voice cracked.
"Why would she do this?"
Daevyd stood and gently grabbed her shoulders.
"Listen to me."
She looked up at him, eyes shining with emotion.
"Ruth has stood by you through every disaster."
"I know."
"She fought for you when the entire internet attacked."
"I know."
"Then don't condemn her based on a bracelet."
Shemmy sat down slowly.
Her head felt dizzy.
"I need to talk to her."
Daevyd nodded.
"Call her."
Shemmy dialed immediately.
The phone rang twice.
Then Ruth answered.
"Hey troublemaker," Ruth said cheerfully. "Did the fashion police arrest Tara yet?"
Shemmy's voice was tense.
"Ruth… I need you to come over."
There was a pause.
"Now?"
"Yes."
Ruth sensed the seriousness.
"I'm on my way."
Thirty minutes later, Ruth walked into the apartment.
She immediately noticed the tension.
Her eyes moved between them.
"Okay… what happened?"
Shemmy handed her the phone.
"Watch this."
Ruth frowned and pressed play.
The video ran for fifteen seconds.
Then ended.
Silence filled the room.
Ruth blinked.
"What am I looking at?"
Shemmy pointed to the screen.
"The bracelet."
Ruth looked again.
Her face went pale.
"That's…"
"My bracelet," Shemmy finished quietly.
Ruth's head snapped up.
"You think I stole your designs?"
"I don't want to think that."
"But you do."
Ruth stepped back, hurt flashing across her face.
"Shemmy… I would never do that to you."
"Then explain the bracelet."
"I can't."
"Because it's yours."
Ruth looked genuinely shaken.
"I lost that bracelet two weeks ago."
Shemmy froze.
"What?"
"It fell off while I was working in the studio."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought I dropped it somewhere at home."
Daevyd suddenly leaned toward the screen again.
"Wait."
He zoomed into the corner of the video.
A timestamp appeared.
"Where did you get this video?" he asked.
Shemmy checked the message.
"It was sent from an unknown number."
Daevyd frowned.
"No. I mean the camera."
He studied the angle carefully.
"This wasn't recorded on a phone."
"What do you mean?"
"This angle is fixed."
Realization dawned on him.
"This is from your studio security camera."
Shemmy's eyes widened.
"My security system?"
"Yes."
She frowned.
"But only one person has access to those recordings."
"Who?"
"You."
Daevyd shook his head slowly.
"No."
"What?"
"The login wasn't from me."
He pulled out his laptop quickly and began typing.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking the access logs."
The room fell silent except for the sound of his keyboard.
Ruth stood stiffly by the table.
Shemmy watched the screen anxiously.
Then Daevyd stopped typing.
His expression changed.
"What is it?" Shemmy asked.
He turned the laptop toward them.
A login record appeared on the screen.
Location: TechWave Headquarters
Timestamp: two weeks ago.
Shemmy frowned.
"But you weren't at the office that day."
Daevyd nodded slowly.
"I was in Abuja with investors."
Silence filled the room.
Ruth whispered first.
"If you weren't there…"
Shemmy finished the thought.
"Then someone inside TechWave accessed my studio cameras."
Daevyd's jaw tightened.
Someone inside his company had leaked the designs.
Not just anyone.
Someone with access to secure systems.
Someone powerful.
Across the city, in a luxury penthouse office, Tunde poured himself a glass of whiskey.
He watched the skyline calmly.
His phone buzzed.
A message arrived.
Task completed.
Tunde smiled slowly.
Because the real sabotage had only just begun.
And soon…
Daevyd would realize the betrayal was much closer than he thought.