Morning light spread slowly across Lagos.
From the balcony of Daevyd's apartment, the city looked normal again. Cars moved along the roads. Boats crossed the lagoon. The world continued like nothing had happened.
But inside the apartment, the mood was heavy.
The small surveillance camera they found in Shemmy's studio sat on the table in pieces.
Daevyd had already taken it apart.
Tiny wires and chips lay beside his laptop while lines of code ran across the screen.
Ruth leaned over his shoulder.
"So let me get this straight," she said. "Someone secretly planted a camera inside Shemmy's studio… and watched her for months?"
"Looks that way," Daevyd replied.
Shemmy stood near the window, arms folded tightly.
"How long?"
Daevyd checked the device again.
"The internal memory logs say six months."
Shemmy slowly turned around.
"Six months?"
"Yes."
Ruth whistled softly.
"That means someone has been studying you for a long time."
Shemmy felt a chill run down her spine.
Six months ago was around the time her brand started gaining serious attention.
Around the time she first met Daevyd.
"So whoever planted that camera knew about both of us," she said quietly.
Daevyd nodded.
"And they've been collecting information ever since."
Ruth shook her head.
"This is getting creepy."
Daevyd focused back on the laptop.
"Wait."
"What?" Ruth asked.
"This camera doesn't just stream footage."
"What else does it do?"
"It stores data."
Shemmy stepped closer.
"What kind of data?"
Daevyd plugged the memory chip into his laptop.
The screen flickered.
Then several video files appeared.
All recorded inside the studio.
Ruth leaned closer.
"Oh wow."
Daevyd opened the first video.
It showed Shemmy working at her design table.
Another clip showed her team discussing fabrics.
Another showed late night sketch sessions.
Shemmy felt uncomfortable watching herself on the screen.
"They recorded everything."
Ruth crossed her arms.
"Okay, that's officially disturbing."
Daevyd opened another file.
This one had a different timestamp.
Two nights ago.
The video began.
Shemmy appeared on screen inside the studio.
Standing near her design table.
But she wasn't alone.
A man stood across from her.
The lighting in the room made his face difficult to see.
Shemmy frowned.
"Who is that?"
Ruth leaned closer.
"Play the audio."
Daevyd turned up the volume.
The man spoke first.
"You shouldn't trust Daevyd."
Shemmy's voice answered.
"That's none of your business."
Ruth looked confused.
"Wait… when did this happen?"
Shemmy shook her head slowly.
"I don't remember this."
The man stepped slightly closer in the video.
His face remained partially hidden in shadow.
But his voice sounded strangely familiar.
Calm.
Controlled.
Then he said something that made the room freeze.
"Because he's not telling you the whole truth about TechWave."
Daevyd paused the video.
Silence filled the room.
Ruth looked between them.
"Okay… now I'm interested."
Shemmy stared at the screen.
"I don't remember this conversation."
Daevyd frowned.
"Maybe someone from your team."
"No."
"I would remember."
Ruth pointed at the laptop.
"Zoom in on his face."
Daevyd adjusted the image slightly.
The shadow shifted just enough.
Shemmy's breath caught.
"No way…"
Ruth squinted.
"Who is that?"
Shemmy whispered the name slowly.
"Emeka."
Ruth's eyes widened immediately.
"Your ex fiancé?"
"Yes."
Daevyd leaned forward.
"When did he come back to Lagos?"
"I didn't even know he was back."
Ruth shook her head.
"This just got complicated."
Daevyd replayed the video again.
The conversation continued.
Emeka's voice dropped slightly.
"You think Daevyd built TechWave alone."
Shemmy replied.
"What are you talking about?"
Then Emeka said something that made Daevyd's expression change.
"Ask him about the company that existed before TechWave."
The video ended suddenly.
The room became quiet again.
Shemmy slowly turned toward Daevyd.
"What does that mean?"
Daevyd closed the laptop.
"That video doesn't prove anything."
"That's not what I asked."
Ruth leaned against the table.
"Oh boy."
Shemmy's voice softened.
"Daevyd… is there something about TechWave you never told me?"
Daevyd looked at her for a long moment.
"There are parts of my past that don't matter anymore."
"But they mattered enough for Emeka to mention."
Another silence filled the room.
Ruth raised both hands.
"I feel like I walked into the middle of a movie."
Shemmy stepped closer to Daevyd.
"Why was Emeka in my studio?"
"I don't know."
"And how does he know anything about your company?"
Daevyd's expression hardened slightly.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Shemmy stared at the paused screen again.
Her chest felt tight.
Emeka had disappeared from her life years ago.
No calls.
No messages.
Nothing.
And now suddenly he was back.
Watching.
Talking about TechWave.
And questioning Daevyd's past.
Ruth looked between them carefully.
"You know what worries me?"
"What?" Shemmy asked.
"If Emeka is involved in this…"
She gestured toward the burned studio.
"…then this whole situation just got personal."
Daevyd nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Shemmy looked at him.
"What are you thinking?"
Daevyd stared at the laptop screen.
"Emeka didn't come back by accident."
"Then why did he?"
Daevyd closed the laptop slowly.
"Because someone sent him."
Shemmy felt her stomach tighten.
"Sent him?"
"Yes."
"And if I'm right…"
He looked toward the city skyline outside the window.
"…then Emeka might be working with Astra."
The words hung heavily in the room.
Shemmy's heart started beating faster.
Because if that was true…
Then the man who once broke her heart had just returned to destroy her life again.
And this time…
He might not be working alone.