The silver sedan tore through the rain-slicked streets of the city's outskirts, the tires hissing against the asphalt like a disturbed nest of vipers. Beside Xavier, Seraphina sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white against the dark fabric of her dress. The glamour of the gala was a million miles away now; they had traded champagne for adrenaline.
"The nurse's name is Elena," Seraphina said, her voice tight but steady. "She was the only one allowed in the basement for the last six months. I trusted her because she had worked for my grandfather for twenty years. I didn't realize Silas had found her gambling debts."
"Greed is a stronger leash than loyalty, Seraphina," Xavier replied, his eyes locked on the road as he swerved around a slow-moving delivery truck. "Where does she live?"
"A small apartment complex near the old docks. It's quiet, out of the way. If Silas's men are already there..."
"Then we take them out," Xavier said simply. He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a heavy, professional-grade flashlight and a pair of tactical gloves. "I'm not letting a flash drive end this empire."
They pulled into the gravel lot of a decaying brick building ten minutes later. The scent of salt air and rotting wood was heavy here. Most of the windows were dark, but one on the third floor was glowing with a flickering, pale light.
"That's her unit," Seraphina whispered.
Xavier didn't wait. He led the way up the creaking stairwell, his movements silent and fluid. When they reached the third floor, he signaled for Seraphina to stay back in the shadows of the hallway. He approached Door 304 and pressed his ear to the wood.
Inside, he heard the sound of glass breaking and a woman's stifled sob. Then, a man's voice—rough, impatient, and familiar.
"Where is the physical logbook, Elena? The digital copy on the drive isn't enough for the court. We need the handwritten notes with the timestamps. Silas isn't a patient man."
Xavier didn't knock. He put his shoulder into the door, the frame splintering with a deafening crack.
The room was a mess. Books were tossed across the floor, and the thin curtains were torn. A man in a dark tracksuit was pinning an elderly woman against the kitchen counter. He turned, reaching for a holster at his hip, but Xavier was faster.
Xavier closed the distance in three strides, his fist connecting with the man's jaw with the force of a sledgehammer. The attacker crumpled, his head hitting the linoleum floor with a sickening thud.
"Elena?" Seraphina rushed into the room, kneeling beside the trembling nurse.
"I'm sorry, Miss Seraphina," the woman wailed, clutching a tattered notebook to her chest. "They said they would hurt my daughter. They said Silas owned the debt. I didn't want to betray him... I didn't want to..."
"It's okay," Seraphina said, her voice surprisingly tender as she took the notebook. "You're safe now. But you can't stay here."
Xavier stood over the unconscious man, checking his pulse. "He's a pro. There will be more coming. We need to move her to the safe house near the clinic."
"Wait," Elena gasped, reaching out to grab Xavier's sleeve. "The drive... the one Silas has... it's a decoy. I gave him a corrupted file. The real data, the evidence that proves the Grandfather was conscious and gave verbal consent for the signatures... it's in the back of this book."
Xavier took the notebook from Seraphina and flipped to the last page. Taped inside was a tiny micro-SD card.
"This is it," Xavier said, a grim smile spreading across his face. "This doesn't just protect you, Seraphina. This destroys Silas. It proves he knew the truth and tried to suppress it."
"Then the hunt is over," Seraphina said, standing tall.
"No," Xavier replied, looking out the window as two more sets of headlights pulled into the gravel lot below. "The hunt is just getting interesting. Get Elena out through the fire escape. I'll hold the stairs."
Seraphina looked at him, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and fierce pride. "Xavier, there are four of them."
"Then it's a fair fight," he said, adjusting his gloves. "Go. Now!"
As Seraphina led the nurse toward the back exit, Xavier stepped back into the dark hallway. He could hear the heavy boots of the reinforcements hitting the stairs. He felt the old fire of the Lagos streets rising in his chest. He wasn't just a husband in a contract; he was a wall that no one was going to break.