While gazing at him, Sam wanted to continue his statement, but Rose interrupted him. l
"Wait a minute! You’re not lying to me, are you? I hope you’re not lying to me?" she questioned, a puzzled expression on her face, as Sam swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
"As far as I know, Adam is not part of my family. I don’t know him at all, and I hadn’t even heard of him until the day I arrived in this city. So why would I make up a story about him if he truly didn’t do any of the things I’m talking about? What would I gain from that?" he asked.
"So what would Adam gain by trying to kill you? You mean nothing to him. Why would he want to kill you?" Rose questioned.
"Because I discovered a secret about him—a big secret."
"What secret is that?" she asked.
"He used to sleep with his daughter; he lays with her," he stated. Rose immediately stood to her feet, looking at him with so much surprise. There is no way she's going to believe such accusations against Adam, not unless she sees it with her own eyes, and even if she sees it in a video, she still wouldn't believe it until she sees it with her own eyes.
"You see? you are surprised That’s why I said I know who to share my secrets with. If you weren’t someone who already knew me, you might think I was making up stories. But right now, I can see that you don’t even know what to believe. If you think I'm lying, then I have a little proof for you," he said, while Rose waited patiently for his evidence.
Despite her curiosity, she was still deeply surprised. She knew how much Adam had invested in free hospitals around the city, how he had improved the roads, and how the economy was developing well. She was aware that he despised corruption and was like a giant weapon against the very things Sam was accusing him of. Yet, could he really be such a hypocrite? Sleeping with his own daughter? That was something she could never believe, but it was a question that lingered in her mind. Even if Sam had made it up, how could his imagination reach that level?
"You can ask his daughter. There’s even a way you could reach her. Tell her I was the one who informed you, and you’ll see she will gladly share everything you need to know. That girl, Ariana, has been through hell," he said, while Rose shook her head, a ridiculous smile playing on her lips.
"No... there’s no way I’m going to believe all this..." she insisted, but Sam interrupted, continuing with his statement, not caring about what she thought. He knew from the start that she would never believe it.
"When he adopted me into his home, Ariana saw me. At first, she despised me, but then she grew to love me. She was the first person who ever loved me. Her love was so deep that words couldn’t express it. But then her father became jealous of her affection. He wanted me to stay away from her."
Sam swallowed hard, taking a deep breath as he blinked and looked into Rose's eyes.
"Trust me, it was difficult for me to stay away from the first girl who loved me and the first girl I felt so close to. But I had no choice. I promised to help find my father, so I accepted staying away from her. Yet, Ariana never wanted to distance herself from me. I tried my best... and now, unfortunately, I find myself here without her while she’s at her father's home. I can’t imagine how she feels, but I know she’s not happy," he said.
"When I entered this forest, I thought I would never find someone who could love me again. But I couldn't foresee the future, especially not your arrival," he continued, gazing into her eyes and leaning in closer.
Rose, however, was still troubled by the unsettling things he had shared. She wasn’t interested in the love he was expressing. When he pressed a kiss to her lips, she looked at him and grasped his face, searching his eyes.
"I want to know if everything you’re saying is true. I need to meet this daughter of Adam and hear from her as well," she stated firmly.
"Her father won’t allow it. He knows what he’s doing, which is why he keeps her away from others. You’ll never lay eyes on her, so forget about her. You’re with me now, and I’m with you. I didn’t tell you all this to make you believe me; I shared it because you wanted to know why I'm hiding here in this forest," he replied, slowly sliding his hand under her skirt, eliciting a soft moan as they kissed once more.
  
                     • John's Home •
It was just too early in the morning. Theresa must have already gone home to prepare for work. That is, if she was willing to return. After all, she might decide not to work with the police again since she had become incredibly rich.
John had promised her many things, and although he didn't buy her a car, he did transfer millions of naira to her.
This morning, John was already awake but felt stressed from the rough night he had with Theresa. He had used all his energy on her and wanted to make sure he got his money's worth. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recoup the amount he had sent her. Instead, he focused on satisfying himself, and this morning, he struggled to get out of bed because he was so tired.
He picked up his phone and noticed the time was ticking away. He needed to start getting ready for work. Although it wasn't mandatory, there was no specific time he needed to arrive, and no one would question him. Still, there was a serious matter at hand, so he knew he had to be there.
Gathering some strength, he went into the bathroom, took a shower, brushed his teeth, and got dressed. He didn't bother eating since he had a lovely lady who always brought him food at the office. It used to be Rose, but since she was no longer around, he had quickly moved on to other women.
As he was stepping out of the house, Finn drove into the compound. John recognized Finn's car and was surprised that he was making an emergency visit this early in the morning. He wondered why Finn hadn’t called first. What if he had already gone to work?
John wasn't too surprised when he saw Rosemary step out of the car. He felt a twinge of fear, knowing what this was all about, but his anxiety eased slightly since she hadn't arrived with the police or anyone else—just his best friend.
"Where is she? Where have you kept her, you bastard?" Rosemary shouted, rushing toward him and grabbing his shirt, pounding her fists against his chest.
John was taken aback, confused about what was happening. He thought Mary had come to discuss what had happened between him and Rose, but asking where she was? Who was she talking about?
"Hey! Calm down! What are you talking about? Where is who?" John asked, trying to understand while enduring the repeated blows from Rosemary, who was clearly furious.
"What do you mean, 'where is who'? I know you’re going to pretend you don’t know what we’re talking about! I know you’ve always been a monster, but you will tell me where you’ve kept my sister, whether you like it or not!" she yelled, her anger escalating. It was getting serious, but Finn stepped in to hold her back.
"Mary, please calm down! I’ll handle this! That’s why you called me along—just take a deep breath, okay?" he urged, and she began to slow her breathing.