Married for His Empire

n Building in Victoria Island. Glass, steel, and the kind of sile

d like they'd retired from military special operations. The elevator ride was

questions designed to find inconsistencies. See if you actually

ing these types of transact

lity until you prove otherwise." He pocketed his phone. "He doesn't know about the contract. N

meone asks

ought them to my attention, we worked together. They'll

table that could seat twenty. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of La

sment happen in real time-eyes cataloging my s

is is my wife, Eniola. She's the analyst who uncovered the W

"Marcus Chen, federal prosecutor on temporary assignment. Mrs. Kingston." He di

hout waiting for permission. "After six months

ch w

helles, Mauritius, and the Caymans. The money originated from construction contracts in the Niger Delta,

as obvious once you looked. Every month, Westbridge would process payments to companies

reen. Color-coded, annotated, showing t

ministrative delays. By the third report, they told me to stop

you went to the police instead o

s. "Not because I wanted revenge, though I won't pretend I'm not angr

Or calculated. You knew Mr. Kingston would be interested in

companies connected to entities doing business with Kingston subsidiaries, b

report his enemies, he

lice protected me better than they usually protect witnesses against billionai

n, immaculate in navy. Her nameplate read *Yetun

exchange with that unreadable expression. "Turns out spending every

" Yetunde's smile didn't reach her e

ed enough to know when someone is worth keeping. Eniola is brilliant, principled, and underst

Mrs. Kingston, walk me through how

ed how payments would go out to Company A, which would immediately transfer to Company B, which wo

at they had. And wh

-exists on paper but has no digital footprint beyond incorporation documents. No website, no LinkedIn e

it?" Mar

partners. James Okonkwo." I pulled up the corporate registration. "Same pattern for t

Kingston." Elijah stood, walked to the wind

l forensics will take months to build the complete cas

laptop. "They weren't as careful as they thought. Money

all of this? Under oath,

es

dibility? They'll say you're bitter about being fired. That you'r

t my motivations. The shell companies exist. The transactions happened. T

, but real. "You might actual

ah said dryly. "Sho

protective orders, media strategy. By the time we finished, my head ached f

oard dinner is Friday. You'll both need to attend. Thomas

us to fail." Elijah helped me gathe

as a united front. A stable couple. If they sense this marriage is a strat

g roles my entire career. 'Competent analyst who doesn't threaten male egos.' 'Gratefu

in Elijah's eyes.

tice

"We have three days before the dinner. That's not

tes, not newlyweds. If you can't sell this to a room full of executives who

s not wrong. Victoria and the board will be loo

transac

im like he's more than a contract. You need to touch him like it's natural. Laugh at his j

y know ea

d for the elevator. "You have seventy-two hour

-

h emails. I watched Lagos stream past-vendors closing up shop, buses

d finally. "Marcus is notori

skeptical. I'm a m

to also be a liability." He pocket

my employment history, every relationship I've ever had. When they find out I have nothin

eve what makes sense to them. A lonely billionaire falling for a brilliant woman who challenged him? Th

t your

to the police knowing it could get you killed. I call that courage. You memorized eighteen months of financial

rd. I looked away. "Kemi says we

We're not co

we fix

familiarity that can't be faked." He leaned back. "Starting tonight

ut w

He pulled out his phone, typed something. "Grace is making r

dat

orrected. "For t

r-a rooftop place in Ikoyi with string lights and a

I wanted but somehow chose exactly what I would have

you grow up

oud neighbors, not enough spa

o much space." He smiled slightly. "We'

ealth. The cla

s is?" He leaned

tion that requires

ish parameters. What's

aybe a kiss on the cheek. Nothing th

And in

e lives. This is a contr

e heir re

anded between us like

out building the business, about his father's impossible standards. I told him about university, about my

said carefully. "

ing. Brilliant. Impossible to please."

opped my fo

vestigation concluded mechanical failure, but..." He trailed off. "My father

someone k

I think my father would have had contingencies." He

ern reco

at made you a

to its nighttime rhythm-generators humming, security guards

rang. He glanced at it, fro

tened. His expre

bad?" Another paus

the driver. "Change of plans

the time. "It's

fire to the records room." He looked at me

"They're destroyin

And they don't know you have a photographic memory." He squeezed my hand-the fi

t burning documents would erase their crimes. Who'

they walked me out wi

nd dangerous. "Good. Le

d. This wasn't just a contract anymore. Somewhere between the police station and the

s partner in

anyone who go