Page 31

When I couldn’t find Jade, I put myself more in the path of the crown but deep down within me, I knew, I didn’t want it. Now I remember just before I left for the second half of the training, he’d asked why I had returned earlier. After explaining the King’s urgent call, I obliviously told him I didn’t return right away because I had to see Jade. I should have known better, I thought after our fight, he’d pull back. How stupid could I have been. I put Jade in the sight of the wolf in sheepskin. My dad.

He must have realized my proclivity to choose her no matter what over the crown, when he couldn’t convince me to break up with her, he decided to eliminate Jade herself. He went directly to the source, the same way I eliminated James and Nate, ironic how I feel like tearing things apart when the same is done to me.

The car pulls up in front of her building and I use the spare key I took from the building caretaker to let myself in. She’s still sleeping peacefully, the best thing to do is let her sleep. I need her to be lucid when she tries to lie to me. I want to see my children. She has done a good job of hiding them from me. I have no idea what they look like. I wasn’t eager to see them when I thought of them as another man’s children, now I want every inch of them.

I began searching through her house. I finally found an album hidden in a small corner drawer in the bathroom. I take my time to view the pictures Micah is my mirror image and Mira is Taimani’s mirror image. I keep looking until I see one that shocks me.

Taimani is in a Christmas picture with Jade, the twins, and her children. In another picture, it’s their birthday. How long has Taimani known about my children and didn’t tell me? I put the album back into hiding.

I leave the house, disappointed, as anger washes over me. I head to my place. I instructed a guard to stay with Jade’s driver. He must call me once she comes out of the house. After taking shots of whiskey. I call my sister on Facetime. I need to see her face when she lies to me again.

“Hi Nas,” she answers all cheery

“How long have you known about my children?” Her gobsmacked expression tells me all I need to know.

“Nas, I’m sorry. I promised her that was the only way she would let me see them.”

“You promised, Mani! You didn’t think I needed to know about my children.” Her eyes are teary, but I don’t care. She should have told me.

“How long have you known about them without telling me?” I yelled at her.

“Two years ago. I met them at a wedding.”

“Two fucking years, Taimani.” I exhaled a weighted ton of exasperation. “Two years you’ve known where Jade was with my children.” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “I asked you if you’ve heard from her and you lied to me, Mani.”

“I’m sorry, Nas, I need you to believe me. I didn’t want to keep it from you, but she said she would leave, and I would never see them again if I told you. I had to agree. I was mean to her in the past and I owed it to her.” She wipes the tears, that are now trickly down her face.

“Did she tell you why she didn’t want you to tell me?”

She shakes her head. “She said that someone powerful offered her money to get out of your life and she believes the person will kill the twins if they find out about them. I believed her because she was petrified when she talked about it. So, I promised not to tell you or anyone in our family that I see her and the twins.”

“You should have told me. They are my children. I have every right and then some to know” I shouted at her.

“I’m very sorry, Nas.”

“You should have told me when you found out, now I don’t know where to begin and the person that offered her money is Dad.” She gasps when I tell her our father is the culprit. “You were going to watch her marry another man who wants to adopt my children. I doubt I will ever forgive you for this.” I unleash my anger.

“I’m very sorry, I had to trust Mariam’s maternal instinct. She was terrified that someone was going to snatch her children.”

“Well, Dad needs to be terrified of me.”

“How did you find out about the twins?”

“Ken, in his usual craziness, got Mariam drunk last night and she told him … which he recorded. She’s still sleeping off the alcohol and doesn’t know that I know about my children, and don’t you dare call her before I speak with her, you will not like my wrath turned towards you.” I warned.

“I won’t but please go easy on her,” Taimani pleads. “She was scared for her life and that of her children. She’s very good with them and would die first before she lets anything happen to them.” I nodded without saying goodbye, and I hung up on my sister. She doesn’t deserve my pleasantries right now. I text her to send me pictures of them if she has any.

I soon received pictures and a video of them playing with their grandfather. There’s no doubt they are mine. Micah looks a lot like me, and Mira looks a lot like Taimani. I feel tears build up as I watch them climb on their grandfather’s back. Jade’s father plays with them. My father wants them dead. The reality of the glaring situation hits.

I’m going to pretend to Jade that I don’t know about them until I know my father’s angle and the extent he would go. I remain quiet for God knows how long with a bottle of whiskey. I’m angry and happy at the same time.

I’m angry Jade didn’t tell me about our children. I have missed so much of their lives. I’m happy she didn’t abort or give them away and instead showered them with love in the hideaway. How scared could she possibly be of my father that she’s still hiding them from me and wanting to marry another man? I know she’s not in love with him, now I know why she keeps using him as a front to push me away.

I need to start protecting her instead of getting angry at her, she was just twenty-one when my father dropped the option of disappearing with money or dying on her. She didn’t stand a chance. It’s time, I take the reins and start to protect her. Now it all makes sense, her sudden disappearance leaving that dumb note. Her constant request for a divorce lies about the children’s father. She was convincing as she weaved lies and truth. I almost bought it too.

I call Josh, “Hey Naseer, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, still in shock and upset as you can imagine.”