Chapter 38: An Undercover Journalist and a Shocking Revelation
2225words
Just when she realized how important everything was, a knock on the door disturbed the tense silence. Eki looked at the woman worriedly, and the woman quickly showed to a hidden back exit with a serious nod. When Eki went out, the woman opened the door only a small amount. Her eyes were cold and seemed like she was thinking deeply.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice not having the warmth she had when speaking to Eki earlier.
A tall person in a fashionable trench coat was standing on the other side. It was Olajumoke, who once was Dapo's fiancée, but she did not seem friendly at all. Her eyes, usually warm and brown, now had a sharp sparkle in them. Her perfectly shaped face was tight with anger.
"I'm here to see Eki Olumide," Olajumoke stated, her voice clipped and professional.
The woman stopped for a moment, then stepped aside so Olajumoke could enter. At the same time, Eki was running fast through the dark alley with many strong emotions swirling inside her. Did Dapo send Olajumoke here? Was she in danger again?
When she got to the end of the alley, she emerged onto a busy street. She needed to go back to Kunle, but finding him in this tangle of crowded streets seemed very hard. Just as despair threatened to consume her, a voice cut through the cacophony.
"Eki!"
Eki turned around quickly and felt very relieved when she saw Kunle coming out from the nearby market. He ran to her fast, his face showing he was very worried.
"There you are! Where did you go?"
Eki talked quickly about what occurred at the noodle stall, the odd things the woman mentioned, and her concern that Olajumoke might be helping Dapo.
Kunle whistled, his brow furrowed in thought. "Maybe the woman wasn't who she seemed. Maybe she was with the men who were chasing us."
Eki thinks about this, feeling worried in her belly. But who is the woman, and why does she help them?
All of a sudden, very loud sounds started from the noodle shop just one street away. They looked at each other with scared eyes and then quickly ran to where the noise was coming from.
When they turned the corner, they saw Olajumoke coming out of the kiosk looking very angry. Her face was red with anger. Two men in black suits were following her; these were the same men seen at Iya Wura's house before. Their faces looked very frustrated as they stumbled behind her.
Eki and Kunle stopped quickly, feeling like they were in a hard spot. Before they could decide what to do next, Olajumoke noticed them. A flicker of surprise crossed her face, then morphed into an icy glare.
"Eki," she said, her voice filled with anger. "You are the person I wanted to see."
Eki stayed still, unsure of what words to use. She had known Olajumoke for many years and always thought of her as Dapo's loving fiancée. But the woman standing in front of her was a stranger, someone with very strong intentions.
"What's going on, Olajumoke?" Kunle asked warily, stepping forward to stand beside Eki.
Olajumoke does not listen to him; she looks only at Eki. "You think you know your family's past, yes?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Think you have the whole story?"
Eki swallowed, a knot forming in her throat. "What do you mean?"
Olajumoke removed an old file folder from her trench coat, a proud smile appearing on her face. "I have been investigating some matters, Eki," she said in a voice that was different and not as kind as what Eki remembered hearing before. "Digging deep into your family's secrets, their little 'philanthropy' projects."
Eki's heart lurched. What secrets was Olajumoke talking about? The Moonlight Lease?
Before Eki could say anything, Olajumoke quickly opened the folder with a lot of energy, showing many papers and photos. "Look at this?" She points to one paper with the Olumide family crest on it. "This contract is signed by artists who have hard times, promising them everything for their creations," she says. But in the small details, hidden under complicated legal words, there is a rule that removes all their copyright and ownership.
Eki's mind reeled. Was this the truth behind the Moonlight Lease? Was it all just acting, a scheme to use skilled artists and grab their works? Shame felt like hot flames inside her chest. The Olumides, and her family, built their empire from dreams they took away. She felt a strong sick feeling of betrayal rising inside her.
"This cannot be true," she spoke with a trembling voice, nearly whispering. "The family always helped those who create art!"
Olajumoke scoffed, her anger evident. "Helped them? Or leached their talent, Eki? Look at this!" She pushed an old photo to Eki. In the picture, a young and energetic woman with eyes filled with creative passion stands proudly next to a beautiful sculpture. A name was scrawled on the back – Ayana.
Eki feels cold fear deep inside the bones. It was Ayana, the architect who got angry from the scroll. The woman who had pain before. Could Moonlight Lease link to the design she lost, her dream stolen?
"This is Ayana," Olajumoke said with a serious tone. "She is one of many artists your family used for their own profit." Used her brilliance, then cast her aside like yesterday's trash."
Eki felt tears prickling behind her eyes. Shame and anger warred within her. How could her family do something so mean? But the evidence she had in her hand, screamed the truth.
"Why do you show me this now, Olajumoke?" Kunle finally speaks, his voice sounding very tight with doubt. "What's your connection to all this?"
Olajumoke's expression grew very serious. "I am an investigative journalist," she declared, her voice now carrying much more strength. I have been tracking the Olumide family's shattered dreams for many months. Ayana's story is just the start.
Eki understands now. The anger in Olajumoke's eyes – not only for Eki but also for all the artists that her family had taken advantage of before. Eki's feeling of betrayal is like the pain in Olajumoke's broken heart. Dapo's ex-fiancée stood here, she was once her friend but now her greatest enemy, just because both seek justice.
"And that book you grip so firmly," Olajumoke continued, her voice heavy with blame, "the Moonlight Lease— it is no family heirloom; it is a tool for exploitation."
Eki gripped the book tighter, her mind swirling with many emotions. The woman at the noodle stand had mentioned it as well – this book held powerful secrets. But which version of the truth should she believe?
Suddenly, the men in black suits came back behind Olajumoke after they recovered from meeting with the woman at the kiosk. They walked to her, faces looking very serious and determined.
"We have orders to retrieve the book," one of them growled.
Olajumoke turned quickly, her eyes showing strong resistance. "No way," she said firmly, reaching into her bag for something hidden inside.
Eki and Kunle watched with fear as the men moved quickly towards Olajumoke. There was a fight, where the men's strength overpowered Olajumoke's speed. Right when they were almost beating her, a loud high-pitched scream was heard. The scream did not come from Eki, Olajumoke, or any of the men in black.
The noise came from the tight alley behind Eki. A cold fear slid down her spine like a snake creeping slowly. The ghost inside Olumide mansion, which had been awoken by the Moonlight Lease, noticed them.
Eki turned slowly, feeling her heart pounding very fast. The dark alleyway seemed to be moving as if it were alive, bringing a sense of hidden danger from within. A low, guttural growl echoed through the air, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
The men in black, for a moment not fully focused, paused and had faces that showed both fear and confusion. Olajumoke saw this short chance to get away. She broke free from their grasp fast and ran towards Eki and Kunle.
"We need to get out of here!" she shouted, her voice hoarse with terror.
Eki did not need to hear it again. The scary growl became louder, getting closer with every passing second. This was a fight they could not win. Feeling very scared together, the three quickly ran away from the alley, leaving behind men in black and the darkness getting bigger.
As they walked through the busy market, with scary noises from the angry spirit coming from behind, Eki realized one clear thing: fighting for truth and her family's history had just become very frightening. The hidden secrets in Moonlight Lease brought out something much more dangerous than anyone ever thought before.
They ran until their lungs felt burning and their legs almost stopped working. They quickly turned into the small side street, then fell against a wet brick wall, breathing very hard. The sounds of pursuit had faded, leaving an oppressive silence in their wake.
Eki looked at Olajumoke, feeling both anger and gratitude mixed inside. This woman was once Dapo's fiancée but now she is their enemy. However, she had unknowingly saved them from the men in black.
"What was that thing?" Kunle panted, his voice trembling.
"The spirit," Eki whispered gently, holding the book close to her chest. "The spirit trapped inside Olumide mansion." It's free."
Olajumoke's eyes became very big with fear. At first, she was feeling really angry, but now a strong fright took over her heart. She grasps now that the situation is very serious, not just about showing her family's bad actions. They are dealing with something ancient and full of revenge feelings.
"We need to make a plan," she said. Her voice is more firm than you expect, even though her hands still shake. "And that book has the important answer."
Eki did not feel very confident. Can they believe what is written in the book, especially after Olajumoke said her words? Was it a guide to appeasing the spirit, or another instrument of control?
"You said Moonlight Lease is a weapon," Eki accused, voice full of hurt and anger.
Olajumoke looked directly into her eyes. "Maybe it can," she said, "but the truth inside might also help us in ending this craziness." The information in the documents you showed me, seems there might be a secret rule. This rule could allow the artist to regain their rights if certain specific events occur.
Eki's heart was beating fast with a small bit of hope. Maybe there is some way to calm the angry spirit and end all this taking advantage and anger? But alongside that hope came a gnawing doubt.
"How are we sure you are not using this for your reasons?" she asked. The feeling of betrayal to her family seemed to make a difference in the way she spoke with Olajumoke.
Olajumoke sighed deeply, her expression filled with sorrow. "Eki," she murmured gently, "the artist in that picture? The one your family didn't treat well?" That's my grandmother."
The news hit Eki like a strong punch. Standing before him was Olajumoke, who wasn't just an investigative journalist but also someone carrying the heavy burden of her family's legacy ruined by the Olumides. Eki understood she was searching not only for the truth about her family but also dealing with the results of what they had done, a fight that started many generations ago and continued.
A tense silence is there among them, interrupted just by the irregular breathing of three tired people leaning on a moist wall. The lights in the city seem to shine with a strange brightness, very different from the darkness and worry surrounding them.
Finally, Eki let out a breath that trembled. "Okay," she whispered in a voice almost too soft to hear. "We will see what secrets this book has. We need to find a way to stop spirits and show the truth, for your grandmother, for all artists hurt by your family, and maybe also a little bit so my family can be good again."
Olajumoke nodded, and for a short time, respect took over the anger in her eyes. A delicate partnership began to form between them as they faced a scary unknown together. Together, holding tightly a book full of secrets and both strongly wanting justice, they step into the darkness with hope. They wish to find ways to calm angry spirits and fix broken parts of history.
But as they come closer to each other, feeling safe in their new friendship, a faraway and cold growl from the spirit is heard softly. It makes them remember with fear that the fight has only started now. Moonlight Lease's secrets hold very important answers, but uncovering them comes with a cost—a price that could transform their family and maybe the entire city forever.
