Chapter 2: Her Last Breath

    From the dining room, Ebere''s voice rang out again, sweet and melodious, masking her cruelty. "But, Mom, she''s my sister, and today is her sweet sixteen, too. I know she''s always hated me, always trying to hurt me, but I like her," she said with a mock innocence that earned a chorus of approval. "You all continue here. I''ll go and give her some cake."

    The room erupted into cheers of praise.

    "You''re too kind, Princess!"

    Ebere left the dining room, a faint smirk tugging at her lips as she made her way toward the storage room.

    From her place beneath the stairs, Nnenna felt her heart sink. ''Cake? Giving cake to someone severely ill?''

    She wanted to lock the door, to keep Ebere out, but her body refused to move. She was too weak. Her muscles wouldn''t obey her commands. All she could do was listen to the sound of Ebere''s approaching footsteps.

    The door creaked open. Ebere didn''t bother to knock, of course. She stepped inside, closing it firmly behind her, and turned to face Nnenna with a smile that didn''t quite reach her eyes.

    "Sister, I brought you some cake. How are you feeling?"

    Nnenna stayed silent, her gaze fixed on the ceiling.

    In the past, she might have tried to muster the strength to respond, to maintain a facade of civility. But after everything, Ebere''s sabotage, her lies, her cruelty, Nnenna refused to waste her energy.

    "Don''t be like this, sister," Ebere chided, setting the plate of cake down on a small table and pulling up a wooden chair. "It''s my birthday, after all."

    Her voice was soft, but her words dripped with mockery. She tilted her head, studying Nnenna''s pallid face, her twisted smile growing wider.

    "It seems you won''t last much longer," Ebere continued, her voice dropping to a whisper. "That''s good. I''ll finally be rid of you."

    Her face contorted, the mask of sweetness giving way to something darker, more manic.

    Somto frowned, irritation flashing across his normally calm face. He hated noise, and the chaos surrounding this situation grated on his nerves. Still, he carried her toward the commotion.

    By then, the Queen and King had already barged into the tiny storage room, gasping at the sight before them. Servants flooded the cramped space, pulling Nnenna''s pale, lifeless body from the cold, unforgiving ground.

    Queen Chioma screamed, clutching her chest as though the sight of the dead girl was an affront to her senses.

    Somto stepped closer, his brows knitting together. His calm facade cracked when he caught sight of Nnenna''s corpse. Her skin was pallid, her body unnaturally still.

    She''s dead.

    For ten years, this girl had been his sister in name, if not in treatment. Ten years of shared walls, shared meals, shared memories. And now she was gone. ''What will happen to my mission now?'' He muttered softly.

    "How does someone just die like this?" Somto muttered under his breath. His fists clenched, the unfamiliar weight of sympathy stirring deep within him.

    The dining hall was now silent as the news spread. Yet the second prince, Obinna, sneered, breaking the heavy silence with a dismissive scoff.

    "Finally, this dead weight is gone. It''s about time."

    Obinna''s lips curled in disgust as he crossed his arms. In the far corners of his mind, he worried. Nnenna was the source of many of his successful business strategies, the ideas that had earned him the title of financial genius. Who would help him now?

    The third brother, Abuchi, shook his head, a mix of irritation and resignation on his face.

    She''s dead.

    His gaze lingered on the body, now growing cold as the servants hesitated over what to do next. ''Where am I going to find a replacement for her?''

    He turned to the housekeeper, his voice void of emotion. "Throw her at the back of the mountain. Let the animals feed."