A WEB OF DECEIT ✔️

chapter 63

Nkosikhona

As the night grew darker and the laughter between us faded, I leaned back in my chair, still pondering Thabo's carefree attitude. But just as I was about to toss back the last of my drink, my phone buzzed on the table, lighting up with an unknown number.

My brow furrowed. It wasn't often I got calls this late, especially from numbers I didn't recognize. I hesitated for a moment before picking up.

"Nkosi," I answered, my voice low, feeling a strange tightness in my chest.

There was silence on the other end for a beat too long before a deep, gravelly voice came through. "You're being watched."

My heart skipped a beat, and my grip tightened around the phone. "Who the hell is this?"

The voice chuckled darkly. "I'd worry less about who I am and more about what I know. You've been playing with fire, boy. And fire burns."

I stood up from the table, stepping outside into the cool night air to get away from the noise of the bar. Thabo glanced at me, eyebrows raised, but I waved him off. This wasn't something I wanted him involved in.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice now a controlled growl.

"It's not about what I want, Nkosi. It's about what you don't want. You and your little crew think you're slick, planning something under Mos' nose?" The man chuckled again, sending a shiver down my spine.

My blood ran cold. How could someone know about our plans? We'd been careful-no loose ends, no obvious signs. Unless... unless someone had betrayed us.

"You're bluffing," I shot back, though the doubt was creeping in fast.

"Am I?" the voice taunted. "Let's just say... you've got 48 hours before i tell Mos everything, maybe a little 3 million can keep me shut"

The line went dead before I could respond, leaving me standing there in the dark, heart racing, mind spinning. Who the hell was that? And how much did they really know?

I walked back inside, forcing my face to stay neutral. Thabo was still at the bar, sipping his beer, completely unaware of the bombshell I had just received. I slid back into my seat, but I could feel the tension crawling up my spine. We were being watched.

"Everything cool, bro?" Thabo asked, his casual demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos now swirling in my head.

Whoever had called me knew way too much, and we needed to act fast.

"Thabo, we need to talk," I said, my tone now dead serious.

He raised an eyebrow, sensing the shift in my mood. "About what?"

"About the job. I think someone's on to us."

---

Thelani

Today was a good day. I managed to de-stress a bit, spending time with Mbali and her family. It was really nice to feel at ease for a while.

Later, I headed home and noticed the door was unlocked. That's odd, I thought. Nkosikhona said he would be back later.

The apartment was dark, but as I stepped inside, I saw a shadow in the dining area. My heart started racing. I flipped on the lights, and there, sitting casually on my sofa, was a man I didn't recognize.

Fear shot through me. *Who is this man? Was he sent by Lucas? Why is he in my apartment?* I instinctively took a step back, ready to leave.

"Don't even think about it," he said, his voice steady.