The morning sun stretched across the villa, adding a layer of beauty to it.
The serene, calm atmosphere.
The butterflies flying by the flowers.
Just the way Anthony liked it.
He stood by the window, hands tucked into his tailored trousers, eyes scanning the skyline as if he already owned every building in sight.
A soft knock came.
“Come in.”
Adaora stepped in first—sharp, composed, observant as ever.
Behind her was a man Anthony had personally selected from his personal securities.
They are provided by the system.
And there loyalty can be guaranteed.
Even Adaora was surprised, when she first saw the guard.
Tall.
Lean.
Quiet.
Dangerous in a way that didn’t announce itself.
“Anthony,” Adaora said, folding her arms slightly, “you said you had someone to introduce.”
Anthony turned slowly, a faint smile playing at his lips.
“I do.”
He gestured toward the man behind her.
“This is Nelson Babajide. From today, he’s part of us.”
Nelson stepped forward, offering a respectful nod—not too submissive, not too bold.
Perfect balance.
After all they’ll be partners.
Adaora studied him carefully.
“Background?” she asked, her tone neutral but probing.
Anthony didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he walked toward his desk, picking up a slim file and tossing it gently toward her.
“Financial intelligence. Corporate restructuring. Silent acquisitions,” he said.
“He doesn’t just study companies… he dismantles them.”
“And he have many unearthed talents.”
Adaora flipped through the file, her brows tightening slightly.
“No major records. No public footprint.”
Nelson finally spoke, his voice calm and controlled.
“The best work is the one nobody notices.”
Adaora looked up at Anthony.
“You trust him?”
Anthony smirked.
“I trust results. And he delivers.”
“After all, the system was the fate that brought us together.” He thought to himself.
A brief silence settled in the room before Adaora closed the file.
“Then he’ll need to prove himself fast,” she said.
“The board meeting is today.”
Anthony’s eyes sharpened.
“Exactly why he’s here.”
°°°°°°°
Later — Corporate Headquarters.
The atmosphere inside the boardroom was thick.
Heavy.
Charged with tension.
Around the long polished table sat the shareholders—men and women who had built their empires long before Anthony ever stepped into the game.
And now?
They wanted him out.
Anthony entered last.
Deliberately.
Confidently.
Adaora and Nelson followed closely behind.
Every eye in the room shifted toward him.
And, they were all curious about Adaora and Nelson.
One of the older shareholders, Chief Bamidele, leaned forward slightly, his fingers interlocked.
“You’re late.”
Anthony didn’t sit immediately. This story is hosted at g.com.
He walked slowly to the head of the table… and then pulled out the chair.
“I like to make an entrance.”
He sat.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Another voice cut in—Mrs.
Kalu, sharp and impatient.
“We’ll skip the theatrics. This meeting was called to address leadership concerns.”
“Leadership concerns?” Anthony echoed, tilting his head slightly.
A third voice joined—cold, direct.
“You’ve grown too fast. Acquired too much. And quite frankly, we don’t know where your leverage comes from.”
There it was.
The attack.
Adaora glanced at Anthony, watching closely.
This was the moment.
Anthony leaned back, fingers tapping lightly on the table.
“I was wondering when you’d say it.”
He turned his gaze toward Nelson.
“Let’s begin.”
Nelson stepped forward, placing a sleek tablet on the table.
With a few taps, the screen at the far end of the boardroom lit up.
Files.
Records.
Transactions.
Private dealings.
The room shifted instantly.
“What is this?” Chief Bamidele demanded.
Anthony’s smile returned—but this time, it was colder.
“Your weaknesses.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Nelson spoke calmly as he navigated through the files.
“Unauthorized offshore accounts… hidden debt restructuring… illegal asset transfers masked under shell subsidiaries.”
Each sentence landed like a hammer.
Mrs.
Kalu’s expression tightened.
“That’s fabricated.”
Anthony leaned forward slightly, his eyes locking onto hers.
“Is it?”
Another slide appeared.
Signed documents.
Her signature.
Undeniable.
She went quiet.
Anthony turned his attention to the rest of the table.
“One by one,” he said softly, “I learned who you are behind closed doors.”
He paused.
“Thanks to my newest acquisition.”
Adaora’s eyes flickered slightly—she understood now.
“Helix core group”
She was shocked, when she learnt about Anthony acquisition of the group yesterday.
“So, It was for today”
So she thought.
The company he gained control over.
Information.
Power.
Control. Get faster updates on novelping.com.
Anthony rose slowly from his seat.
“You tried to remove me,” he continued.
“But you made one mistake…”
He placed both hands on the table.
“You underestimated how far ahead I was planning.”
The room was no longer hostile.
It was shaken.
Controlled.
Dominated.
Anthony straightened.
“Now, we can do this the hard way… or the profitable way.”
Chief Bamidele exhaled slowly, the resistance in his posture fading.
“What do you want?”
Anthony’s smile returned—this time, victorious.
“Loyalty and all your shares.”
Gasp.
The boardroom turn chaotic.
“Anthony! You are going too far!.” Yelled by chief Bamidele.
“Going to far? All this circus going on right now…”
He paused.
He glanced briefly at Adaora.
Then at Nelson.
“Was for you to oust me. Who was going too far.”
Silence.
Deafening silence.
“I have documents of all your bribery, forgery, tax invasion.”
“Give me ur shares, and your loyalty…”
He paused.
Staring at them.
“And in return…” he added, “we all become far richer than we ever planned.”
“I acquired Helix core yesterday. I think we all know what their addition could be bring us in the future.”
One by one, the tension dissolved.
Heads nodded.
Not out of respect.
Out of necessity.
Out of fear.
Out of realization.
Anthony had already won long before the meeting began.
The meeting continued unceremoniously.
With Anthony wrapping up all the gains.
…
Outside the Boardroom.
The doors closed behind them.
Adaora turned to him, her voice lower now.
“You didn’t just prepare for this…”
Anthony adjusted his cufflinks, calm as ever.
“I engineered it.”
She studied him for a moment, then glanced at Nelson.
“You chose well.”
Nelson gave a slight nod, saying nothing.
Anthony looked out through the glass walls of the building, the city stretching endlessly before him.
“This is just the beginning,” he said.
And for the first time—
It truly felt like Lagos was no longer a city he lived in.
It was a city he was about to control.
…
Oops sorry.
I did not know how restless I could be without working.
have a great read ahead.
vote!