Her desperation hung thick in the cold dungeon air.
Nnenna shook her head slowly. "I can't promise you that. I'll try my best, but I can't do it alone. Not right now. He needs your husband, the Prime Minister, everyone in this household who has always cared for him. And most of all… he still needs you. You've never let him down over the years. Don't start now."
For the first time, Nanny's composure cracked. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "You don't understand… it's either him or her." Her voice broke, thick with pain. "What kind of mother would I be if I let her down?"
"Her?" Nnenna latched onto the word instantly, eyes narrowing. "Who is her?"
But Nanny shut down again, lips pressed tightly together. No matter how much Nnenna waited, no reply came.
Still, it was enough. The slip had given her a thread to pull.
"I understand," Nnenna said carefully, her voice gentler now. "But it goes both ways, doesn't it? What kind of mother would you be if you let Carl down?"
