The darkness in the Oriental Hotel ballroom wasn't just an electrical failure; it was a void. One second, I was standing in the center of the world's attention with Alexandra by my side—the next, the air was cold and empty.
"Xavier?" Alexandra's voice was a frantic whisper in the dark. I felt her hand brush against my sleeve, but then I heard a muffled grunt and the sound of heavy footsteps.
"Alexandra!" I shouted, reaching out blindly. My fingers caught only silk before she was pulled away.
Thud. The heavy emergency doors at the back of the hall groaned open and shut.
When the lights finally flickered back to life five seconds later, the room was in chaos. People were screaming, champagne glasses were shattered on the floor, and the "Ice Queen" was gone.
Marcus was also gone.
I didn't wait for the security team. I didn't wait for Chinedu. I sprinted toward the back exit, my heart roaring in my ears. The hallway was empty, save for a single item lying on the red carpet: Alexandra's emerald earring.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. A blocked number.
I snapped it open. "If you touch her, Marcus, I will burn every street in this country until I find you."
"Calm down, Mr. Co-Chairman," Marcus's voice was smooth, undisturbed. "She's safe. For now. But we need to finish our conversation. You see, your grandfather didn't just leave you land. He left you a key to a vault that your father-in-law never found. And I think it's time we opened it."
"Where are you?" I growled, stepping out into the humid night air of Lagos.
"Check the glove box of your car, Xavier. There's a map and a 365-day timer. If you aren't at the old schoolhouse in Ogidi by dawn, the 'Ice Queen' officially melts."
The line went dead.
I looked at the earring in my hand. They thought I was just a businessman now. They thought the suit had made me soft. They forgot that before I was a billionaire's husband, I was a survivor.
The "Hidden Husband" was going back to the beginning. And this time, I wasn't bringing a contract. I was bringing a storm.