In the NSPD Commissioner's office, Captain Ben sat across the desk, the formalities of greeting already behind them.
"You made an appointment with me." The Commissioner leaned back, eyes sharp. "What's happening?"
"A girl came to me last night." Captain Ben's voice was measured. "She had a message for you. Back off."
The Commissioner's brow furrowed. "Back off?"
Captain Ben pulled out his phone and queued up the surveillance footage. Blue's figure moved across the screen—confident, unhurried, entering NSPD like she owned the place. The Commissioner studied it, confusion etching deeper into his face.
"Are you sure you heard that right? I don't know this girl."
"She said her name is Blue." Captain Ben's jaw tightened. "She's got this demeanor about her—an attitude like she owns the place. Disrespectful, too. Carries a gold-stripped gun. "He paused. "She told me to tell my boss to back off. Now, I don't know what you've got going on, but she threatened my niece."
The Commissioner narrowed his eyes. "Why would she threaten your niece if you have a kid yourself?"
"Maybe she doesn't know that." Captain Ben shrugged. "Oh, and I added her as a suspect for the recent murders."
"Why?"
"It's like she just popped out of nowhere." Captain Ben leaned forward. "She doesn't appear on any record in this country. Not even social media. For someone to be nowhere... they've got something to hide."
The Commissioner's expression didn't shift. "I thought you made captain because you're the best detective?"
Captain Ben shifted in his seat. The words landed like an insult, deliberate and cutting.
"What do you mean, Commissioner?"
The Commissioner held his gaze, something calculating behind his eyes.
"Why would Blue threaten your niece just so you could pass a message to your boss?"
Silence stretched between them.
Then it hit.
"Wait... my boss is you—"
"What's your niece's name?" The commissioner cut him off.
"Elena Sanches." Captain Ben's brow creased. "She's popularly known for her—" He stopped. Realization broke across his face like dawn through storm clouds. "You mean this may all be a business dispute?"
He stood abruptly.
"Yes." The Commissioner nodded, grim. "Hurry up before anything happens to Elena. Her project is being displayed tonight."
"We can just arrest her," Captain Ben suggested.
"On what account? A threat?" The Commissioner shook his head. "People like Blue are business-minded. And like you said, she had a certain demeanor. That means she calculated you arresting her, and she still took that risk." He leaned forward, voice dropping. "Don't do anything stupid. Just warn Dr. Alexander Shikongo before anything happens to your niece."
At the Elder residence, the tension was thick enough to carve.
Minutes had passed in silence. Xavier still stood, his glare fixed on Mr. Elder with an intensity that could have solved every crime in the city if looks alone had that power.
"So." Mr. Elder's voice was almost casual, too casual. "Do you need anything to drink? Your favorite scotch is still here. I bought it each year you've been gone."
He was avoiding. Circling. Xavier saw it clearly now—his father wasn't ready for this conversation. He'd thought Xavier came to hear him out. Never in his life did he think his son would walk through the door with that question.
"Am I?" Xavier's voice was low. "Because your babbling just makes me think you really did steal me."
"Son, what you're trying to do is..." Mr. Elder's voice wavered. His eyes glistened. "Not good for you."
"Please don't get emotional." Xavier's jaw was set. "And don't give me that 'protecting me from the truth' crap. I need to know."
"Xavier..." Mr. Elder's shoulders sagged. "Can you at least sit?"
Xavier exhaled sharply, finally lowering himself onto the expensive couch across from his father.
"What's in the file?" Mr. Elder rubbed his hands together—nervous, fidgeting.
"That's not the matter right now." Xavier set the file beside him. "Talk."
"Who even told you that?" Mr. Elder's voice rose slightly. "Is it that Blue girl I heard you roam around with?"
"Dad," Xavier's voice cut through. "If you must know, I don't hate you. But I can't stand you if you keep lying to me." He leaned forward. "I didn't leave because I found out I was adopted. I left because—if you remember well—I had DNA blood transfusions until I was fifteen. I went with you to the hospital every time. Which means you've been lying to me since..." His voice hardened. "Well, since you stole me."
Mr. Elder was silent for a long moment.
"What happens after I tell you the truth?"
"I'm trying to make a bid for myself." Xavier held his father's gaze. "But I need your side of the story before I make it."
Mr. Elder's eyes drifted to the file again. Was Xavier trying to quit the family business?
"I already know my twin is Alexander." Xavier's voice softened, just slightly. "I assume Mom or Dad is one of them, given they're Black by race. I won't go to them. Because despite them, you raised me. You loved me more than your own kids." He paused. "I won't leave you, Dad. I just need the truth."
Blue had made a joke about him being stolen. Blue had invited him into her world—which meant he'd have to choose between his family's business and hers. Two worlds that contradicted each other completely.
He needed to hear his father out first. Before he became a fool for love.
Mr. Elder inhaled deeply. Held it. Exhaled.
"Yes." His voice was calm. Careful. "I stole you."
The words landed like a bullet.
Xavier had promised himself he wouldn't get mad, regardless of the truth. But something shattered in his chest anyway.
"My wife and I were at the hospital for fertility testing." Mr. Elder's gaze drifted, lost in memory. "We'd been trying for three years. We were waiting for our results when my wife spotted a baby lying in a crib. Alone." He swallowed. "She went in. A nurse came and told her the baby was stillborn. The parents had already left. Back then, stillborn babies were always the responsibility of the hospital to bury them."
His eyes glistened, remembering.
"My wife called me to look at the cute baby. She picked you up. Played with you. She said she was practicing, in case she had her own one day. "A pause. "And in the course of playing with the breathless baby..." His voice cracked. "The baby moved."
Xavier didn't move. Didn't blink.
"We were shocked. Surprised. My wife suggested we get a nurse, but I stopped her. I wrapped you carefully in the hospital sheet and went outside while my wife told the nurses the stillborn baby had already been taken away."
Mr. Elder fell silent.
"We started raising you as our own. When we realized we couldn't conceive, we adopted Derek. You grew up together. Later, we had our own—Cale and Arena."
Xavier's face remained stone. "But we all knew Derek was adopted. I remember he was months old when we got him from the orphanage. Why didn't you tell me I was adopted? That I wasn't yours either?"
"Your mother advised against—"
"Yeah, well." Xavier stood, his voice cold. "Blame the dead."
Tonia pulled up with Emily in tow. Vicky was nearly ready for her event at Carlos Resort, bag packed, checklist running through her mind—until she noticed what Emily was eating.
Chicken. Definitely not theirs.
"What is Emily eating?" Vicky frowned.
"Oh, Mr. Charming bought me chicken when I gave him my koeksister." Emily spoke between bites, utterly unbothered.
"Mr. Charming?" Vicky repeated.
Emily had been talking about a male friend she met at the supermarket. Ever since, he'd been bringing her food while she traded him her koeksisters. Vicky's stomach turned.
"Yes, I told you, sister. He loves koeksisters so much."
"Emily..." Vicky crouched down, her voice tight with concern. "This is Windhoek. I didn't know you were that close. What if—"
He's a pedophile. What if he's coaxing her into his car? What if—
"He's a nice guy." Emily smiled, innocent, trusting. "And he wants to meet you."
"I don't trust him, Emily. Stop hanging out with him." Vicky gripped her sister's shoulders, willing her to understand. No adult person—especially a man—befriends a little girl just for baked goods. Not in this city. Not anywhere.
Emily's face crumpled. She pouted, angry now. Vicky never understood. Mr. Charming was good. If he wanted to do something bad, he would have done it already. Especially when he took her to a restaurant in the city and brought her back to school, safe and sound, but she won't tell Vicky that.
"Alright, Vicky." Tonia stepped in, her voice calm. "Why don't you meet this man? Talk to him."
Vicky hesitated. Then nodded.
She'll warn this Mr. Charming. He'll never cross paths with her little sister again.
Meanwhile, Alexander entered the mansion, a koeksister dangling from his fingers.
"I always wondered why you don't come for lunch anymore," Betty said as soon as he stepped through the door.
There was a tradition in the Shikongo house—at lunch hour, everyone would come home, and everyone would eat together. But Alexander hadn't shown up in days.
"Oh, Aunty." He shrugged off his jacket, hanging it by the door. "I always have my lunches." He glanced around. "Where's Kuku?"
"At Lauren's. In town." Betty sipped her juice. Alex nodded.
The front door opened. Monica walked in, her face drawn, eyes glued to her phone as she typed furiously. She moved through the living room like she didn't even see them.
"Monica?" Betty called.
"Afternoon, Mom." Monica barely looked up, already heading for the stairs.
Daniels entered next, watching his sister retreat.
"What's with your sister?" Betty asked.
"I don't know." Daniels shook his head. "She's been like that the whole drive."