The smell of smoke filled the air long before they reached Victoria Island.
Daevyd's car sped through the late night traffic while sirens echoed somewhere ahead. Fire trucks had already blocked off part of the street near the studio building.
Orange flames flickered against the dark sky.
Shemmy's chest tightened.
"My studio…" she whispered.
Daevyd parked abruptly and stepped out before the car had fully stopped.
Shemmy followed quickly.
The heat from the fire hit them immediately.
Firefighters were spraying water through the broken windows while thick black smoke poured out of the building.
Yellow caution tape surrounded the area.
Several people stood nearby watching.
Some were recording with their phones.
Shemmy's legs felt weak.
"This can't be real."
Daevyd grabbed her hand.
"Stay close."
They pushed through the crowd until one of the firefighters stopped them.
"Ma'am you can't go in there."
"That's my studio," Shemmy said quickly.
The firefighter looked at her with sympathy.
"The fire started on the second floor. It spread fast. We're still trying to contain it."
Shemmy stared at the building.
Her fabrics.
Her designs.
Months of work.
All inside.
"Are my staff okay?" she asked.
"They got out before it spread."
Relief washed over her for a second.
Then reality hit again.
Everything she built was burning.
Ruth suddenly appeared from the crowd.
"Shemmy!"
She ran over and hugged her tightly.
"Oh my God are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Shemmy said quietly.
"What happened?"
Ruth shook her head.
"I got a call from Ada. She said there was a loud bang and then the fire started."
Daevyd's eyes narrowed.
"A bomb?"
"Maybe gas," Ruth said uncertainly.
But Daevyd didn't look convinced.
He pulled out his phone and called his security chief.
"Lock down the TechWave building," he said immediately.
"Sir?"
"Now."
He ended the call.
Shemmy looked at him.
"You think this is connected?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Daevyd gestured toward the burning building.
"They warned us."
Shemmy felt anger rising inside her chest.
"So this is their next move?"
"Looks like it."
Ruth crossed her arms.
"This is insane."
Shemmy watched the flames carefully.
Then something strange caught her attention.
The second floor.
Her design room.
That was where the fire started.
But the explosion Ada mentioned…
Her eyes widened suddenly.
"My sketch room."
Daevyd turned toward her.
"What about it?"
"That room had no gas lines."
Ruth blinked.
"So how did it explode?"
Shemmy looked back at the fire.
"It didn't."
Daevyd understood immediately.
"Someone planted it."
A police car pulled up nearby.
Officers began speaking with the firefighters.
One of them walked toward Shemmy.
"Are you the owner?"
"Yes."
"We'll need to ask you some questions."
Shemmy nodded slowly.
But before she could respond, her phone buzzed again.
Another unknown number.
Daevyd grabbed her wrist.
"Don't answer."
But the message appeared anyway.
A video.
Shemmy opened it.
The footage showed her studio earlier that night.
A man wearing a hoodie walking through the hallway.
Carrying a small black case.
He stopped outside her design room.
Then the video ended.
Below it was a single message.
Next time it won't be the building.
Shemmy's blood ran cold.
Ruth stared at the screen.
"They're threatening you."
Daevyd's voice was quiet.
"No."
He looked at the burning studio again.
"They're escalating."
Shemmy's hands slowly closed into fists.
Everything she had worked for was turning into ashes right in front of her.
Her voice was steady when she spoke.
"I'm done being scared."
Daevyd looked at her.
"This is dangerous."
"So is letting them think they won."
Ruth raised an eyebrow.
"What are you thinking?"
Shemmy stared directly at the flames.
"If they wanted my attention…"
She turned toward Daevyd.
"They got it."
Daevyd studied her carefully.
"You're planning something."
"Yes."
"And I probably won't like it."
"Probably not."
For the first time that night, a small determined smile appeared on Shemmy's face.
"Because if they want to destroy my brand…"
She looked back at the burning building.
"…then I'll build something they can't burn."
Daevyd slowly smiled too.
Because he recognized that look.
It was the same one he had when he built TechWave from nothing.
Stubborn.
Fearless.
Dangerous.
But neither of them noticed the black car parked across the street.
Inside, a man watched the fire through tinted windows.
His phone buzzed.
"Is it done?" a voice asked through the speaker.
The man looked at the burning building again.
"Yes."
"And the girl?"
The man smiled faintly.
"She's stronger than expected."
There was a short pause on the line.
Then the voice replied coldly.
"Good."
"Because the next phase begins tomorrow."
The call ended.
The man started the engine.
And disappeared into the Lagos night.