The aftermath of the Masquerade of Motives was chaos wrapped in velvet.
Rumors spread like wildfire across Moonlight Valley University and the bustling town of Vintelle. Everyone had seen the marriage certificate. Everyone had heard the word pregnant. But no one could confirm the truth… yet.
Inside the VIP suite of AetherCorp's Tower, Ochieng leaned on the edge of his private bar, whiskey swirling in his glass as his eyes remained fixed on the massive LED wall showing hacked footage from last night's ball.
In walked Tesslyn, dressed in an off-shoulder jumpsuit, her red lipstick a warning sign.
"You said you had it under control," she said coldly.
Ochieng turned to face her, his voice calm but cold. "I do. But I didn't account for Bianca returning."
Yes—Bianca Asher, 24, former elite model turned real estate magnate's daughter, and Ochieng's ex. She was back in town, enrolled in a postgraduate course "for fun." Everyone knew it was because of him.
Bianca's beauty was still breathtaking—hazel eyes, glossy black curls that kissed her waist, and curves that could start a civil war. But it was her mind—calculated, strategic, and deadly—that made her dangerous.
---
Meanwhile, at Moonlight Valley's Business Block, a new lecturer had joined—Professor Damian Wycliffe, 32, CEO of a cybersecurity firm and secretly the half-brother of Ochieng. Handsome with a rough edge, Damian had salt-and-pepper hair, tattooed arms hidden under his button-up shirts, and a voice like thunder after rain.
He instantly became the obsession of many students, especially Maya Rivers, who now sat in the front row every class—no longer for grades, but something deeper.
But Maya wasn't just a student anymore. She was revealed to be the only daughter of Cassidy Rivers, owner of the trillion-dollar empire Celestica Holdings. And her father's enemies were beginning to move… especially toward Ochieng, who had unknowingly entangled himself in their bloodline.
---
That evening, a private garden party was held by The Kingston Dynasty, known for their wealth, pride, and savage competition. Their twin heirs—Romeo and Roman Kingston, 23—arrived dressed in silk suits, both equally dangerous, both attracted to Maya.
Jealousy burned hot. Ochieng watched from across the fire-lit lawn as Maya laughed a little too freely at Romeo's jokes.
"You letting her slip away?" Bianca murmured, appearing at his side in a golden dress that hugged her figure like sin.
"I don't chase," Ochieng replied. "I replace."
"Sounds like a man who's about to lose everything."
Before he could answer, a young woman in a crystal-blue dress stood up in the center of the party.
"I have something to say," she declared.
All eyes turned to her. It was Sabrina Muthoni, 21, a soft-spoken literature student and the hidden lover of… Professor Wycliffe.
She held up a pregnancy test.
"It's positive. And the father... is here tonight."
Gasps. Whispers. Damian stiffened. Bianca smiled. Maya looked betrayed. And Ochieng…
He sipped his whiskey.
Then turned toward the shadows.
Because someone else was watching. Someone not invited.
Caroline.
With eyes full of secrets and hands full of blackmail.