Chapter 86: Sadness overboomed!
After observing for a while and making sure that Charlotte had fallen asleep, Scott and Flora walked slowly to the balcony on the upper floor, where the rooms were still being insulated. Their fingers intertwined without a word, their silence heavy-each lost in thoughts too tangled for language.
The late afternoon breeze touched their skin, and it was Scott who finally spoke, his voice low and tender.
"Baby..." he began, pausing for breath. "I just want you to be okay. I don't want your heart heavy with all of this. Let me handle it. Whatever it is-whatever's coming-I'll face it. Just... please, be okay. For me."
He hesitated, jaw clenched briefly, then whispered, "I'm sorry."
The weight of his words hung between them. A moment later, a weak smile crept across his face-strained but genuine. Flora met it with her own, though hers didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Yes, love," she said quietly. "But I need a favor."
Scott tilted his head slightly. "What kind of favor?"
She took a breath, met his gaze without flinching. "Let me join Joan's squad."
His body went still, but he didn't seem surprised. Deep down, he had known this was coming.
"No, love," he said, voice gentle but resolute. "I don't want you in that world. I don't want you turning into someone like me."
Flora's brows drew together. "Someone like you?" she echoed. Her voice wasn't angry-it was calm, but firm.
"That's not fair, Scott. You keep calling yourself a gangster like you're some kind of monster. But that's not who you are. You protect people. You protect me. The people you love feel safe around you... because of you. There's nothing shameful in that."
Her eyes shimmered, not with tears, but with conviction.
"And listen, I know the darker side of power. I've seen it, touched it. What people call bad... sometimes it's just survival. And power? It attracts enemies whether you seek them or not."
She moved closer, her voice dipping lower, more personal.
"Scott, you've always been there to protect me. But I need to protect myself too. I need you to trust that I'm not just your wife-I'm a woman who can stand on her own two feet. I love you. I lean on you. But I don't want to be helpless when you're not there."
She swallowed, her voice softening.
"I want to feel capable. Not for pride... but for peace. I want to know that if I ever have to fight-for you, for me-I won't freeze or fall apart. Do you understand that?"
Scott stared at her for a long moment. No words came. Just a long exhale, the kind that carries a thousand unspoken emotions.
Then, quietly, he smiled. That rare, deep smile-the one he only ever showed when he saw something in her that reminded him why he loved her.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms. No arguments. No promises. Just silence. Just the kind of embrace that says, I see you. I believe you. I love you.
And she melted into him-not because she was weak, but because she knew she was safe.
♡♡♡♡
Scott entered the room with Flora by his side, the door clicking shut behind them. There was laughter in their eyes, the kind that came from peace after chaos. As soon as they were inside, Scott reached out and began tickling her.
"Scott!" Flora squealed between giggles, trying to dodge his playful hands.
He only smiled wider, loving the sound of her laughter. She tried to run, but he caught her, and the room filled with soft chuckles and tender teasing. They kissed-slowly at first, then with a growing urgency. In the middle of their closeness, clothes slipped away. Skin met skin. Their bodies sank into the sheets, lost in each other.
The pleasure between them wasn't just physical-it was emotional, rooted in everything they'd been through. In that moment, nothing else mattered.
But then, the buzz of Scott's phone shattered the stillness. He glanced over, saw Maxson's name, and sighed.
"He's downstairs," Scott said, breath still uneven. He sat up and began dressing.
Flora pulled the sheets up to her chest, watching him quietly. "Oh baby, you're leaving already?"
Scott turned to her, buttoning his shirt. "Yes, dear. But don't worry, I promise I'll be back soon."
She nodded, her smile soft but tired. "I love you so much."
"I love you more." He leaned down, kissed her tenderly, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before walking out of the room.
Left alone in the silence, Flora sat for a moment, looking around. The room was large and polished, but the stillness inside made it feel too quiet. She sighed, then stood and walked into the bathroom. The hot shower helped clear her thoughts, washing away the tension, but it couldn't rinse away the ache in her chest.
She got dressed, pulled her hair back, and stepped into the hallway. As she walked toward Charlotte's room, her mind wandered. She thought of everything that had been happening-Scott's burdens, the things he never said but always carried. She hated that he had to shoulder everything alone.
I want to be strong too, she thought. I want to fight beside him. To protect him, not just be protected.
Downstairs, Scott was already making his way into the living room. Maxson was seated on the couch, arms spread across the backrest, waiting.
"Oh bro, I've been here for a while," Maxson said, standing up as Scott entered.
Scott let out a low chuckle. "Yeah? I hope you didn't raid the kitchen."
Maxson grinned. "Tempted.
"So... have you checked on Mum?" Scott added.
Maxson nodded. "Yeah. She was asleep when I went in. She's looking better. Finally. Joan and Grandma will be visiting later."
Maxson adjusted his jacket. "Sister-in-law's around, right?"
"She is," Scott replied. "She's upstairs."
"What about Joel? Scott asked quickly. "Is everyone ready?"
Scott glanced at him and gave a firm nod. "Yes. Everything's set?"
Maxson straightened up. "Yes, bro. Everyone is ready. We're good to go. Everything's been arranged."
"Alright then," Scott said, his tone shifting as he looked toward the door. "Let's move."
The two of them walked through the grand hallway, past the high ceilings and polished floors. They stepped out of the main house and into the cool air outside, heading toward the concealed entrance that led underground-a different world, where decisions were sharp and time unforgiving.
♡♡♡♡
Scott's Mansion – A Family Visit
"Let's see who's home!" Joan's cheerful voice rang out as the front door opened, her tone bright and familiar, echoing down the grand hallway of Scott's mansion. "Hello, sister-in-law!" she called playfully.
Upstairs, Flora heard the commotion. She was in Charles's room, folding some laundry, but the excitement pulled her to the banister. She peeked over and instantly lit up. "Joan! Grandma! Baby Jeda!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying her down the stairs faster than her feet.
Grandma Lydia stood in the hallway, holding baby Jeda in her arms. The toddler was giggling, her tiny hands flailing in all directions, waving at everyone-including Flora-with that clumsy, excited energy only a baby could have.
Flora rushed forward, arms wide, and embraced Grandma first, careful not to squash little Jeda between them. Then she pulled Joan into a hug, smiling wide.
"Oh, Joan," Flora laughed, her eyes twinkling. "You're looking even more beautiful every time I see you. Jeddah missed you so much-she's always going, 'Aunt Flora, Aunt Flora!' all over the house."
"She says that?" Joan laughed, brushing her fingers across Jeda's soft cheek. "You clever little parrot!"
"She missed you," Flora said, her voice soft with affection, shifting her attention back to Grandma. "How are you doing, Grandma? I hope Joan's spoiling you properly-and that baby here hasn't worn you out."
Grandma Lydia chuckled, rocking baby Jeda gently. "Oh, she's a handful, yes-but the sweetest kind. She talks to me all day, follows me around like a little duckling. Never a dull moment in this house, even when her mother's off doing ten things at once."
They all laughed, the kind of laughter that felt earned and easy, the kind that came from shared life and love.
Then Joan leaned a little closer to Flora and said, "Actually, we came to see Mom."
Flora nodded. "She's upstairs-sleeping, though."
Before she could say more, Grandma Lydia waved her hand gently. "Let her rest, my darlings. You can check on her later, when she's up. No need to wake her now."
"Alright, Grandma." Flora gestured toward the living room. "Please, sit. Make yourself comfortable."
"What would you like to eat or drink?" she added warmly. "We've already prepared a few things."
"Ahh," Grandma Lydia smiled, settling into the sofa with baby Jeda bouncing gently on her knee. "Anything, my dear granddaughter. You always know what I like."
Joan grinned, already pulling off her jacket. "Flora, you know I'm following you to the kitchen. Let me help."
Flora laughed. "Of course, come on."
She gently lifted baby Jeddah from Grandma's lap. "Let me borrow her for a bit." Jeda squealed happily as Flora carried her into the kitchen, gave her a tiny candy from the bowl near the sink-"Just one," she said, smiling-and then brought her back to Grandma, who opened her arms like she'd been waiting.
With soft laughter and the cozy clatter of kitchen sounds beginning in the background, the house seemed to hum with life. There was warmth in every corner-family in every room-and for a little while, everything else outside those walls simply didn't matter.
♡♡♡♡
Just as they were setting the dining table with steaming plates of jollof rice, fried chicken, vegetable salad, and soft yam porridge, Flora's phone rang sharply from the smaller living room adjacent to the hallway. It wasn't loud, but the vibrating hum against the polished wooden side table echoed just enough to pull everyone's attention for a brief second.
The phone sat on the neatly decorated side table-glass top, lace doily underneath, and a little porcelain figurine of a praying angel beside it.
Flora looked up, her brow tightening slightly. "Who could be calling now?" she murmured, wiping her hands on the kitchen towel slung over her shoulder.
Joan, who was arranging cutlery beside the dishes, waved a hand playfully. "Sister-in-law, you have a call!"
Flora hesitated.
"Don't worry," Joan added, smiling. "Go and answer it. I'll finish up here."
"You sure?"
"I've got it. Go."
Flora nodded, murmuring a quiet thanks as she stepped out of the dining room and into the smaller lounge.
The phone buzzed again. She reached for it, flipping it over to check the caller ID.
It was her friend, Beauty.
Flora quickly picked up the phone and walked out of the living room, climbing the stairs into her room.
"My love, what happened?" she asked, her voice soft, sensing something wasn't right.
The next thing she heard was sobbing-deep, broken sobs.
"Flora," Beauty cried. "I don't know why he would still be like this to me. I actually caught him. I caught him, Flora."
Her voice trembled. "And not just anywhere-I caught him in a lounge. A VIP section. Imagine. I didn't even know he was into all of that."
Flora sat down slowly, stunned. "Oh baby... calm down," she said gently, trying to keep her own voice steady. "Where are you? Let me come and get you. Just be with me for a while, so you can breathe. Please, don't do anything to hurt yourself. Please."
Beauty's voice cracked. "Where do I start from? I gave him another chance. Another chance, Flora. And this is what he did with it?"
"I understand," Flora said, holding back her own emotions. "We're not giving him another chance. Ever. Just tell me where you are."
Beauty sniffed. "I'm at home. In my room. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I just needed to let you know."
"Okay, baby-"
But the line went dead. Beauty had ended the call before Flora could say another word.
She sat there in silence, staring at the screen, her heart heavy with worry.
♡♡♡♡