CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 27

[SNOTHANDO]

She throws her head back and swallows the ginger shot in one go, the burn sliding down her throat like punishment. She winces, then sighs long and heavy. She wants to get drunk but she can't, she really can't. Her chest hurts, her throat scratches, her lungs are still rough from all the smoke she inhaled. And honestly, after talking to Nikky and seeing her walk in there looking like a woman who stepped straight out of a magazine photoshoot, Sno could not stand another second at that table.
Nikky looked too good. Too put together. Too healed for someone who "was just kidnapped." It irritated Sno to her core.

She used the excuse of her sore throat and rushed straight here, locking herself in the bathroom as if she were escaping something dangerous. She grips the edges of the sink, staring at herself in the mirror. Her reflection looks ghostly, tired, bruised, and nothing about her screams wellness lodge guest.
She almost lost her life. Because of Nikky. Because of Diamond. Because of Paul.
All of them. Their chaos. Their lies. Their drama. Their secrets. It dragged her into the fire. Literally.
She remembers the heat licking her skin, remembers inhaling thick smoke until her vision blurred, remembers trying to break the window with weak hands and failing because the smoke was making her dizzy. The backdoor was her only salvation. She stumbled out coughing, choking, half blind. She can still taste smoke when she breathes too deep.
She groans softly and pulls up her sleeve, exposing her left arm. The burnt bruises are still angry and red, some areas beginning to blister. They look painful, and they are painful. The doctor said they'll take a few weeks to heal. Weeks? She wants them gone now. Immediately. She wants to walk around without feeling like her arm is on fire every time fabric touches it.
What excuse will she even give when people start asking? She can't even lie about a waxing burn. The marks look nothing like that. Thank God it's not summer, she thinks to herself as she slowly slides the sleeve back down, her jaw clenched. She adjusts her coat, pulling it tighter around her body. She feels safer wrapped in it, hidden, covered.
The theme of this little rich girl lunch is shades of green and white. Of course. Classy, soft, serene. And Nikky fits right in. Sno saw her earlier in that long dress, hugging her perfectly, showing off her small waist, her hips, her curves, even her boobs looked like they got upgraded. She looked radiant. Fresh. Glowing. As if life did not just drag her through hell.
Sno chuckles bitterly, the sound ugly and low.
"She should lose a bit of weight, maybe she'll look like a model," she whispers, her words dripping with hate, jealousy, and something darker. She hears herself and doesn't care. In fact, it almost feels satisfying.
Nikky has this confidence because of her. Sno reminds herself of that like it's a badge of honour. She is the one who encouraged her to love her body. She is the one who told her to dress nicely, walk tall, smile even if people stare. Without her, Nikky would still be hiding in big T-shirts and leggings, scared to breathe wrong.
Nikky is not even "phat" , just chubby. Thick. Soft. Still too big in Sno's eyes. A body built for hugging, not for Instagram and cover magazines. But now she walks around like some body-positive queen. Like some plus-size model that booked an international campaign. Sno flinches at the memory of how confidently Nikky held her head up earlier. How she smiled like nothing in the world could shake her.
Her face twists in disgust.
After this, after the smoke cough and bruises fade, she will poke right back into those insecurities. She knows where the wounds are. She knows how to reopen them. Nikky might be glowing now, but Sno believes all these "big girls who love themselves" are lying. It's all performance. All acting. All fishing for compliments and pity disguised as empowerment.
Nobody that size truly loves their body. Not in Sno's world. Not in her logic. And she plans to remind Nikky of that soon.
She lifts her chin and stares at her reflection again. Why does Nikky get to glow, while she is coughing up smoke, fighting back wheezing breaths, and hiding burnt skin under a coat, Why does Nikky get a private lodge lunch, long tables, gifts, speeches, attention, love, protection, all this royal treatment, while she is standing alone in a bathroom, looking like a wounded stray dog that barely made it out of a fire?
Her eyes sting with a mix of anger and humiliation.
"Paul did nothing to her that traumatised her," she grunts under her breath, shaking her head sharply. "She was barely touched."
Her voice cracks, but she swallows the pain and forces her emotions into a cold, tight box. She grabs her bag with a firm, irritated yank. Enough hiding. Enough sulking.
She needs answers. She needs to be sure Paul didn't snitch. She needs to know exactly what story Nikky is telling out there, what lies she's spreading, what sympathy she's swimming in. Sno wipes her lips with her finger, straightens her coat, and breathes in deep, her chest burning when she does
Investigation mode.
She's ready.

.
.
.
Hlumelo stops her before she reaches the tables, smiling warmly. Sno forces a smile back. Hlumelo is good for the eye, she won't lie. That tall-dark-and-handsome type that women whisper about. If he wasn't such a serious traditional man, she would've dragged him to a modelling agency the minute she met him. But she knows him. He would say no, talk about culture, ancestors, values, all that deep stuff that ruins business opportunities.
"Are you okay now?" he asks softly.
Sno appreciates that. She'll give him that. She prefers soft-spoken men who don't raise voices and shout like wild animals. Gentle. Calm. Predictable.
She nods. "Yes, I drank my ginger shot."
"Good," he says. "Don't drink alcohol today. You won't heal quickly if you do."
His voice carries a hint of worry, which irritates Sno a little. She doesn't like being fussed over like a child.
"Don't worry, I won't." She shakes her head. "I think I'll leave early too."
That is her plan: gather information, find out if Paul snitched, and get out of here before these happy, shiny people suffocate her.
Hlumelo nods supportively. "I understand. You should come by my place later. Kamva went to her grandparents. We can chill. I'll keep you warm."
His tone dips into something seductive. Sno smiles politely but rolls her eyes internally. A man who says "keep you warm" but refuses to go down on her. She once brought it up, and he said:
"Do unholy things with a mouth I pray and talk to my ancestors with?"
She almost slapped him that day. He's good in bed, yes, but a little freakiness won't kill him.
"I can't, babe," she says sweetly. "My mother is coming. I have to see her."
That part is true. Her mom is coming. And if her mother sees even one bruise, the entire family will hear about it.
Hlumelo nods with understanding and leans in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. She lets him. Maybe he's not that bad, she tells herself. Maybe.
Someone clears their throat behind them.
They both turn. It's Nikky, smiling like a princess in a fairytale, holding a paper bag. Too bright. Too confident. Too perfect for someone who claims to be traumatised.
"Bhuti Hlumelo, before you leave, please give Kamva this," Nikky says sweetly, handing him the bag. "She'll fight me when she hears I didn't give her cake."
"Thank you," he smiles. "You know her well. And thank you for the invite."
Then he looks at Sno. "Muntu wami, I'll call."
He gives her a final kiss and leaves.
Sno doesn't move. She's stuck staring at Nikky calling him bhuti so respectfully, like she suddenly has manners. Like she's some well-raised, gentle sweetheart. Since when?
"Mmm. Looks like you two are serious," Nikky teases. "Come, let's sit."
Before Sno can answer, Nikky holds her hand and pulls her along to the table. Sno's eyes instantly go to Diamond, who is busy laughing and bonding with Nikky's mother like they're a long-lost family.
This is not good. At all.
Her mind twists with annoyance. Why is Diamond getting so comfortable? Why is Nikky's mom smiling at her like she's a blessing? The last thing Sno needs is these two teaming up behind her back.
"Thank you for coming," Nikky says gently. "But you don't have to stay long. You're sick, Sno."
Sno looks at her properly this time. She hates that Nikky looks beautiful. The short haircut frames her face and somehow makes her glow even more.
"I will stay," Sno says. "But I wasn't gonna miss my best friend's birthday. Twenty-eight? Imagine. We're close to thirty."
Nikky nods. "I know. And thank God I survived that kidnapping."
Sno's heart thumps hard. Finally.
The subject she came here for.
"I'm really sorry you went through that," Sno says with practiced softness, placing her hand gently over Nikky's. Let her talk. Let her reveal. Let everything slip.
She hears a camera click. Sno looks sharply at the sound. Futhi is taking pictures.
"My phone was taken," Sno snaps. "And cameras are allowed?"
Nikky giggles softly. "Everyone's phone is taken. We're only using the lodge camera for pictures. It's for the celebration."
Sno bites back a groan. Nikky, always positive. Always happy. Always seeing sunshine in storms. People like that are fake. Fake to the bone.
"So…" Sno leans in. "Diamond paid for this?"
"Yes. She was working extra hours to save some money," Nikky answers casually.
Sno keeps her face neutral, but inside she laughs. Lies. Extra hours at that job? Please. Not enough to afford this place.
"The evil guy that took you," Sno finally asks, voice low and deliberate. "Did they arrest him?"
She watches Nikky's eyes like a hawk.
She needs the truth. She needs confirmation.
She needs to know exactly how much danger she's in.
Nikky exhales, long and tired, like someone who has been repeating the same story too many times.
"Yes, that's all I know. I haven't been told much. Just that they think he's insane. They believe he poured acid on himself so he could blame me," Nikky says softly.
Sno frowns, suspicious.
"Really?" she asks, her voice dipped in gentle pressure.
"That's all I know, Sno. I was told not to interact much with him. Because it will bring back all the trauma. I'm just happy he's locked up, no more bothering women," Nikky answers, her voice trembling slightly.
Sno leans a little closer, eyes narrowing.
"He did this all alone?" she asks, tone sharp but pretending to be casual.
Nikky nods. "Yes. He was all alone. He said bringing people would be risky."
That answer lets some of the tension inside Sno loosen, but only a little.
Relief slides into her chest, but it's temporary.
She'll still need help from her people at the top to check exactly which prison or psychiatric facility Paul is in. If he talked, if he told even one detail, She's finished.
Sno's tongue presses against the back of her teeth. She wants to ask about the fiancé thing so badly her throat goes dry but she stops herself. Paul is the one who told her that. If she asks now, Nikky will smell something. And Sno cannot afford suspicion. Not today.
Still, she can see it. In Nikky's eyes, in the way she looks away for half a second, in how she fiddles with her fingers. Nikky is holding something back.
A detail. Something important.
She will ask Ntobe later.
Ntobe always knows everything.
"You should eat the cake and go home to rest. I need to speak with Sbo a bit," Nikky says gently.
Sno scoffs, lifting one eyebrow.
"Still following him around?" she says, trying to mask the jab as a joke.
"Come on, he's a good person," Nikky says, a little defensive now.
"Mmh. So you call him bhuti too? Like you did with Hlumelo?" Sno asks, pretending she's teasing but actually digging. Hlumelo once bought Nikky a dress.
"Hlumelo is like a brother to me," Nikky shrugs.
"No, I'm just curious. He once got you a dress," Sno says. She wants the real reason. She needs it. Something in her is itching.
Nikky rolls her eyes.
"He was just thanking me for babysitting Kamva, that's all. And don't worry, he's all yours. Hlumelo is not even my type. I see him as a brother, like I said," Nikky explains.
Sno pauses for half a second.
A brother? So there was no little f*ing between them? That annoys her more than it should.
"And Sbo?" Sno pushes, her tone soft but sharp underneath.
"Sboniso is okay… well, if I probably met him before Sphephelo, I would have gone out with him," Nikky says softly.
Sno grunts in disgust, loud enough for Nikky to hear.
"He's not even that good-looking. And you're into stable men with jobs. Sbo? Really?" she asks, her curiosity eating her alive now.
"Well, yes, I know," Nikky says, cheeks warming slightly. "But he's not ugly. He's charming. Clean. Always clean. And he takes care of his health. He has manners, he's kind, yes no stable job, but he's a good man."
Nikky pauses, turning to look at Sbo across the mini-bar.
"He's just… too… he's better off as a friend," she adds quietly.
Sno follows her gaze, staring at Sbo too.
Looking at him properly.
Actually… Nikky is not wrong.

••••

[MNOTHO]

Paul is mute, and he doesn't want to talk. Michael injected him with some painkillers for the pain he's feeling from the unknown person who poured acid on him. It makes me ask myself… Did he kidnap more people? He's sadistic, and he can do that. I want him and his dad alive, for my little game. As I told his dad, their lives are in my hands. They shouldn't have gone and destroyed Bonga and Nikky. If neither of them did that, we wouldn't be here. They would have continued with their lives, and so would I, but no… they had to mess with me. That alone annoyed me.
The room is cold. He put my queen in a cold room, so I'm following his steps. His eyes are open, just staring at the ceiling. I'm not a man of patience. One bullet in the skull would finish this shit, and I could send it in a beautiful box to Richard.
"Still mute?" I ask, stepping next to his bed.
He keeps quiet.
"You know, I don't mind keeping you here to rot to death. You mean nothing to me," I say, disgusted. And Nikky had told me she hallucinated a lot. Paul should feel that too. The cold he kept her in. Starving her. Letting her suffer from menstrual cramps and not caring. He should feel all of that.
Velaphi, Richard's older brother. They don't see eye to eye. Maybe I should make a deal with him, I don't know. Offer him something and later come back to collect a favour. He will be a millionaire if Richard dies. And Paul too. He will get something from their policies. Maybe using that sibling rivalry might work in my favour. The biggest question is how? What can Velaphi offer me? I take my phone out and type a quick message to my guys: do a deep dive on Velaphi Maseko.
No, I'm not going to threaten him or his family. I won't do that. Most men's weakness is their families, and I don't even know how crazy he is. I stare at Paul. Since this family doesn't seem to have any bond, betraying each other, not sacrificing for each other, I might just tell him his dad is the one who betrayed him.
I need to get done with these people. I need to take Nikky on that vacation, and I want to go there cleansed from all the things I'll do to these people. I don't want to transfer that bad, evil energy onto her. She's too precious.
And Mtho, I promised that boy I would help him. With Bonga's help, Alfred was tracked down but still refused to help. With Bangizwe still angry at me, he doesn't tell me much. All I know is Mtho is still clean, just lazing around by himself. That's better though, better than going back to drugs.
And I have to go to Brian and have a conversation with him about Nikky. About us dating. He will be mad, I know, but I really don't care. As my friend and business associate, he should know. He should hear it from me, not from Pinky.
"You know, Paul… I'm sure you're wondering how I found you," I say, my voice low and cold.
Of course he keeps quiet.
"Your father, your dad dearest helped me," I say. His eyes still don't move, still staring at the ceiling. "Your father worships power and money, and in exchange for his life, for his glitz and glam, he gave me you on a silver platter." I chuckle. That fool Richard, thinking I'd let him walk free after what he did. No.
"Maybe he does love you, because he kept you away from his dirty business and invited Thabang to help him instead," I continue.
Still, he doesn't move. Fine by me. I'm not going to beg him to talk.
"Actually, telling you would be boring. How about I give you his file? Do you know about all the shenanigans he did? Huh? That's fair. He traumatized my child… I might do that too. Traumatize you," I say, a wicked idea forming in my mind. "Yeah, I will do that. You will be shocked. Disgusted by the man you call father."
There's a huge file where we collected everything, every piece of evidence. Every tape. Every video. And his son will watch it.
I should go now and talk to Brian. I can't be here begging this person. I don't go around begging, pleading. Of course, when it's Nikky, I can do that. Get on my knees too, if I had to. But not for a low-life wannabe gangster.

Once that file is revealed, he'll talk. He'll apologise for taking what's mine. And it will stand as a reminder to anyone who thinks they can walk into my peaceful home and take from me, consequences will follow.

.
.
.
As I step into Brian Clinic, it's quiet. This place started small, seeing it grow like this makes me proud. I spot Nokuzola at the reception desk and walk over. I'm surprised to see her; I thought she was at Nikky's birthday lunch. I wasn't going to show my face anyway. Nikky isn't ready to introduce me to her family, and our relationship is still new.
"Mr. Mlambo," she greets politely.
"Hey, Zola. Why are you here? I thought you went to the birthday lunch," I ask.
She sighs heavily and leans in a little.
"Pinky called. And called. And called. I had to rush here," she whispers. Pinky and her drama.
"I'm sorry about that. Look, are you keen to make extra cash for the next two weeks?" I ask. She usually rotates with Nikky, but since Nikky will be off because of me, the least I can do is pay Zola for the days.
Her eyes blink in surprise. "Really?"
"Why?" a cold voice snaps from behind us. I already know who it is.
Pinky.
I turn and face her.
"Nikky is still not well mentally, after the kidnapping. She needs two weeks to rest," I say, my voice firm.
She scoffs. "Two? And how will we manage with Zola?"
That's an excuse.
"I will manage," Zola chirps quickly. Oh, bless her soul.
"You can't…" Pinky starts.
"Well, she can," I interrupt calmly. "And I'll speak to Brian myself. He'll agree."
She huffs and marches straight to the reception desk. Nikky wasn't lying, Pinky is going to be a problem. Last time Nikky got hurt, she practically begged her to take extra days off. Now suddenly, because I'm "involved" with Nikky, it's a problem?

_

I lock the door before settling in. I unbutton my shirt, remove my cufflinks. I know there'll be a little scuffle, his eyes said everything when I pulled the chair out and sat across from him.
"How's Nikky? Did you catch the kidnapper?" His voice is low. Controlled. Dangerous.
I sigh softly.
Pinky told him. That wicked woman.
"Brian, look…"
"Mnotho, is Nikky okay? That's all I need to know."
He finally raises his head and glares at me like I owe him my life.
"Yes, she's okay. That man didn't touch her," I answer.
"Where's the man?" he asks, calm again, like he's discussing hospital stock.
"I locked him up somewhere," I say truthfully.
He nods once and closes his file, slow and deliberate.
"Is this one of your problems?" he asks. "Since you started dating her, she gets kidnapped? Did you step on someone's toe?"
I groan under my breath.
"No. That boy… he's just a crazy person she knew."
He stays quiet, still glaring at me like I'm the threat here.
"I love her, Brian," I confess. Honestly. Because I do. More than I planned to.
Brian scoffs, SO loud, it's like I insulted him.
"You… you!" he stutters, grabs the apple on his desk and throws it at me. I duck, the chair tips, almost sending me to the floor, then a cold, hard blow lands on my cheek.
This bastard.
I stumble with the chair but manage to swing and land a punch right on his jaw, hard.
"She's a child!" he shouts, grabbing my shirt.
"She's a grown woman," I snap, shoving him off me.
He tries to swing again, but I block it and push him back. He slams into the cabinet. A file drops to the floor.
"Brian, stop!" I warn, breathing hard, pointing at him. My jaw is already throbbing. I am not in the mood for this.
"No! You brought danger into her life!" he growls and charges at me again.
We crash into the chair. It rolls away. He tries to punch me, but I grab his arm, twist it behind him, and pin him to the wall.
"Listen to me," I say, my voice low and calm. "I love her. I won't let anything happen to her. I'm going to let your arm go, and then we will talk like adults."
He fights my grip for a moment, then stops. His breathing is uneven.
Finally, he nods.
"What do you want from her?" he mutters.
I slowly release him and step back. My legs feel weak, so I slide down to the floor.
"I love her, Brian. I see my future with her," I say honestly. There's more I want to tell him, but my head is pounding.
He laughs bitterly.
"She's a child. Why don't you look for someone your age? Huh?" he hisses.
"I tried fighting what I'm feeling for her," I say, voice shaking despite how hard I'm trying to keep it calm. "But I'm failing. I want her. God, I want her so much it's driving me insane. She's the only one who's ever made me feel like this. She's… she's the missing piece. A gem I've been looking for my whole damn life."
I stumble over the words because they're bigger than me, heavier than my pride. My heart is beating so loud it feels like it's trying to speak for me. I lift my hand to my chest, frustrated and exposed.
"You can come feel my heart if you don't believe me," I whisper. "It's not normal. Not for me."
"Fuck your heart!" he snaps, venom sharp in his voice.
I close my eyes, sighing hard, swallowing the sting. I deserve the anger, maybe. But I can't pretend anymore.
"I'm trying to explain," I force out, softer. "This… this thing I feel? It's foreign. I've never been here before. I don't fall for people. I don't let anyone in. But with her… I don't even have a choice. She scares me. The way she gets under my skin, the way she looks at me like she sees every part of me… it terrifies me more than you know." I drag a shaky breath and look him straight in the eyes.
"I'm not choosing this. I'm losing to it. And for the first time in my life, I don't know if I want to fight."
And I chuckle, half‑nervous, half‑delirious, because I can hear how insane I sound, and I can't even stop it.
"It feels scary and good at the same time," I confess, still laughing softly under my breath. "Like I'm falling and floating at once."
Brian doesn't laugh with me. He just stares, frown deepening, like he's watching me lose my mind right in front of him.
Maybe I am.
"I just…" I pause, dragging a hand over my face, trying to find words big enough for what's happening inside me. "I just want my whole being to sink into her. To breathe her in. To…" A shaky gasp escapes me, embarrassing in its honesty. "Oh… Brian."
I sound crazy. But the truth refuses to stay buried.
"She does something to me," I whisper again as I look at him helplessly.
"Tell me I'm not crazy."
Brian scoffs, loud, bitter, cutting.
"Yes, you are. Completely. Stay away from that child. Find someone your age who'll tolerate your nonsense."
The words hit like a slap.
But I can't do that. God, I can't.
My yearning for her feels like an out‑of‑body experience, like something bigger than me dragging me toward her no matter how hard I try to pull away.
"She's twenty‑eight," I murmur, barely lifting my voice.
Brian's face twists.
"So you want to ruin her youth? Her prime? Drag her down with your confusion?" he spits.
I shake my head immediately, breath catching.
"I would never do that," I say, voice cracking with how much I mean it. "I don't want to take anything from her. I just…"
I smile.
"She… she's like in the Song of Solomon,'You have captivated my heart… with one glance…' I can't… I can't fight it, Brian."