SUB ROSA

PROLOGUE

In the profound darkness, she should have been in the dining hall with her friends, savouring her beloved dish, waakye, a delicacy for which she would go to great lengths. However, she found herself frozen, gripped by fear, unable to utter a sound. Her gaze remained fixed on the boy before her, whose appearance betrayed a lack of innocence. She swallowed hard, careful not to let her terror consume her entirely.

"What...what are you doing here?" Her voice quivered slightly, but she quickly cleared her throat to maintain composure and conceal her fear. "Aren't you supposed to be in the dining hall?" She mentally congratulated herself for steadying her words.

"I could ask you the same question, my dear," he replied with a smirk, faintly visible in the dimly lit classroom as he advanced slowly toward her. "You, of all people, know I have a penchant for breaking school rules beneath this facade of a good boy." She heard him chuckle, a bitter-sweet sound that sent shivers down her spine.

She knew he had come for her. The signs had been there for a while – the lingering stares and subtle contact whenever they crossed paths on campus. She had dismissed them, thinking they were mere figments of her imagination, but now, their reality was chillingly clear. His threats were not empty.

"What do you want from me?" She cut to the chase, refusing to pretend she was oblivious to his intentions.

"I knew I made the right choice," he said, advancing further. "You, Skylar, are quite clever. Let's dispense with the pleasantries since we've established why I followed you here." He paused, then let out that unsettling chuckle again. "Honestly, I didn't expect to find you here today, especially when they happen to be serving your favourite dish for supper." Of course, he would know such intimate details about her, she thought to herself. "I've been waiting patiently for an opportunity to have some alone time with you, but your idiot friends were always in the way..."

"Don't you dare..." Skylar interrupted his speech with a stern warning.

"...call my friends idiots," he finished her sentence with a chuckle. "Skylar, consider this... your friends are remarkably foolish. Foolish for persisting in that risky game, foolish for ignoring danger and walking headfirst into it, foolish for dragging you into this situation. Let me clarify my purpose here. I want you to get rid of them, burn them if you can, unless... you wouldn't like to find out what I'm capable of if you disregard my warnings." With those ominous words, he vanished into the cold night, blending into the stream of students emerging from the dining hall.

She understood exactly what he was referring to—the evidence that could bring down his family.

♡●♡●♡●♡

Several days later...

Flashback:

Elinam had always been the observant one among her group of eight friends, the cautious one. So, when Asher suggested making copies of the files, she began to question the wisdom of that decision.

"Asher, do you think we're doing the right thing? Creating copies of these files?" Her eyes betrayed her fears.

"Sweetheart, there's no need to worry about a thing. He'll never find out, and since I'm going to dispose of the copies, he won't take any more of our friends away from us," Asher assured, giving Elinam's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"You still believe he's responsible for Sky's disappearance?" She asked him in hushed tones, anxious about his response.

"I know he took her away to Russia. I have evidence, Elinam." He held her hand and planted kisses on it.

"Then why not report it to the police? Give them the evidence, and let the law handle this. Heck, your father is even a judge. If you tell him, he'll know what to do. Baby, please don't get involved. If he really took Sky away, who knows who might be next," she reasoned with him, as she had done many times before.

"I understand your fears, Elinam," he gently stroked her temple.

"Then..." She began.

"Shhh..." He silenced her with a kiss on her lips. "Stop worrying. Everything will be alright."

End of flashback

Elinam couldn't hold back her tears as she reminisced about her final moments with him. He had promised that everything would be alright, but it was a lie. Jordan had managed to eliminate two of them - Sky and Asher. While Ashley believed Kwame was responsible for her brother's death, Elinam knew the truth. However, she couldn't reveal it; it would sound unbelievable, and Ashley wouldn't believe her, possibly thinking she was mocking her. Ashley had lost everything in the blink of an eye - her parents, her twin, and perhaps, her boyfriend, Kwame. The pain Ashley felt was unfathomable, and no one could truly understand. Elinam watched as the last remnants of the fire were extinguished, the ashes of Asher, her beloved, now mingling with the ruins of the heritage house. It was a truly dark day.