The tension snapped as the purple-haired woman and her team burst in, dragging two of Anthony's men. She tossed them to the floor and said, 'Caught these idiots trying to blow up your G-Wagen

Chief's eyes moved from the newcomers to Anthony, whose fearful yet defiant gaze met his. Chief chuckled, clearly amused. "Agaba, I'm impressed. If you hadn't pulled this stunt, I'd be disappointed."

Chief's amusement quickly gave way to confusion as he surveyed the scene. "Well, this is very interesting now. Isn't it?" he guffawed again, "Bravo! I am extremely entertained!"

The tension in the room was abruptly broken by the shrill ring of a phone. The purple-haired woman pulled Chief's phone from her pocket, glancing at the screen.

"It's your daughter, sir," she said, her tone neutral.

Chief waved dismissively. "Tell her I'm busy."

The woman began to relay the message, but her eyebrows raised slightly. "Sir, she says it's urgent. She's quite insistent."

With a sigh of irritation, Chief took the phone. "Daddy's Chocolate, this isn't a good time—"

"Daddy, please put me on speaker," Funi's voice came through, tinged with an unfamiliar urgency.

"Excuse me?"

"Pleasee!"

"Why should I—"

"Just do it, daddy!" The plea in her voice was unmistakable.

Puzzled and slightly concerned, Chief complied, holding the phone out so everyone could hear.

Funi's voice filled the room, clear and resolute. "Let Presence go. I am the Afefe you're looking for - Ikuku na ekugali n'abali - The wind that whispers in the dark.

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Chief's face drained of color as Funi continued, her voice taking on a hint of sardonic amusement.

"Turns out, daddy, the best place to hide from a shark is right under its fin. You've been chasing your own tail this whole time, and I've been enjoying the view."

The revelation hit like a thunderbolt. Anthony's mouth fell open in disbelief. "What? F-funi?"

Presence, still on the floor, looked up at the phone in Chief's hand, her eyes wide with shock. Snake and the other guards shifted uneasily, exchanging confused glances.

And Kel ...poor Kel, unseen by all, reeled from this latest bombshell. If spirits could feel faint, he was on the verge of spectral collapse. The web of lies, betrayals, and hidden identities had become so tangled that even in death, he struggled to make sense of it all.

Chief stood frozen, the phone in his outstretched hand suddenly feeling like it weighed a ton. His carefully orchestrated plan, years in the making, had just been shattered by the one person he never suspected.

The unfinished room, moments ago a stage for Chief's final triumph, now felt like a trap closing in on him. As the implications of Funi's words sank in, one thing became crystal clear – in this deadly game of deception, the most dangerous player had been right under his nose all along.

The tension in the room ratcheted up another notch as Chief's awkward laughter faded into stunned silence. "What is this joke you're on about, darling?"

His daughter's voice, cool and collected, continued to flow from the phone's speaker. "Think about it. How would I know where you are right now, and who you are with if I didn't have my eyes on you, Daddy Dearest?"

Chief's eyes darted around wildly, finally settling on the watch Funi had gifted him for his birthday. The realization that his own daughter had been spying on him hit like a physical blow.

Funi's voice cut through his shock. "Don't worry, daddy, it isn't just the watch... but that's by the way."

"Ifunanyachukwu! What is the meaning of this..." Chief's voice wavered between anger and disbelief.

"Oh come off it, daddy," Funi interrupted, her tone hardening. "Release the girl you're holding hostage right now, or your dirty secrets hit the world like a Netflix special. You've got three minutes."

The room held its breath as Chief glanced at Presence, still prone on the floor. His voice, when he spoke, was dangerously low. "And if I refuse?"

"Well, your life is over anyway..." The line went dead, leaving Chief staring at the phone in disbelief.

As if on cue, the wail of police sirens suddenly filled the air, growing louder as they encircled the unfinished building. The sound seemed to snap everyone out of their shocked stupor.

Snake and the other guards tensed, hands tightening on their weapons. Anthony and his remaining gang members exchanged panicked looks, realizing they were now caught between Chief's wrath and the approaching law enforcement.

Presence, despite her precarious position, couldn't suppress a small, triumphant smile. The tables had turned so dramatically that even she couldn't have predicted this outcome.

Chief's face cycled through a range of emotions – shock, anger, fear, and finally, a grim determination. He had built his empire on cunning and ruthlessness, always staying one step ahead. But now, outmaneuvered by his own daughter and with the law closing in, he faced the most crucial decision of his life.

The revelations of the night had been overwhelming for Kel, but this final twist – Funi as the mastermind behind it all – was almost too much to comprehend.

As the sirens grew louder and the three-minute deadline ticked away, the tension in the room became almost unbearable as Chief's survival instincts kicked into high gear. His voice, now razor-sharp with urgency, cut through the chaos.

"How long can Joe get here?" he demanded of the purple-haired woman.

She shook her head, frustration evident in her voice. "We're way out on the outskirts. The helicopter won't get here for another 30 minutes. I don't think we have that much time."

"Then make time!" Chief snarled through gritted teeth.

With a curt nod to the purple-haired woman, Chief set his escape plan in motion. She understood instantly, already dialing as she led all the men except Snake towards the stairs. The sound of gunfire erupted from below as they engaged the approaching police force.

Chief's eyes locked onto Presence on the ground, a cold calculation replacing his earlier shock. "You, my dear, may not be Afefe, but you're definitely worth a lot to me right now. You're my ticket out of here."

He jerked his head towards Snake, who immediately moved to grab Presence.

Kel, moving with a speed only desperation could fuel, positioned himself between Snake and Presence. But as a ghost, he was invisible and intangible, and Snake walked right through him without a glance. Kel yelled in frustration, his voice unheard, as Snake scooped Presence up with one hand and, without warning, opened fire.

In a shocking burst of violence, Presence yelped as Anthony's companions crumpled to the ground, their bodies hitting the concrete with dull thuds. Anthony, wide-eyed and pale, backed away until he hit the wall, his hands raised in a futile gesture of surrender.

The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air, mixing with the dust of the unfinished building. Presence, now firmly in Snake's grasp, struggled to maintain her composure in the face of such sudden brutality. Her eyes darted between Chief, the bodies on the floor, and the terrified Anthony. And...Kel?

Kel was gone.

Chief, standing amidst the carnage he had orchestrated, exuded an aura of dangerous desperation. The carefully constructed facade of the respected businessman had crumbled, revealing the ruthless survivor beneath. His eyes, cold and determined, swept the room as he mentally calculated his next move.

Outside, the sound of gunfire intensified as Chief's men engaged with the police. The clock was ticking, each second bringing them closer to either escape or capture.

The tension in the room reached a fever pitch as Anthony, backed against the wall with his hands raised, broke the silence. "So what now? Are you going to kill me or what?" His voice trembled slightly, a mix of fear and defiance.

Chief remained eerily silent, lost in his own thoughts, his mind racing through potential scenarios. Anthony's repeated attempts to gain Chief's attention were abruptly cut short as Snake, with lightning speed, delivered a devastating blow to the young man's face. Anthony crumpled to the floor, unconscious, as Presence let out another startled yelp.

In that moment of distraction, chaos erupted. A tear gas canister sailed through the air, exploding in a cloud of acrid smoke. It became clear that some of Anthony's men, previously unaccounted for, had been lying in wait for a signal that never came.

As the gas began to choke them, Snake's voice cut through the confusion. "Sir, we need to move, now!" he growled, already maneuvering to guide Chief out of the room.

They stumbled into the long corridor, only to be met with a hail of gunfire. Snake reacted instantly, shoving Chief back into the relative safety of the room they'd just left. The shooters, hidden in the shadows of one of the rooms, emptied their magazines in a deafening barrage.

In the momentary lull that followed, Snake made his move. With Presence still slung over his shoulder, he emerged from cover. His movements were fluid, almost graceful, as he took aim. Each shot found its mark with deadly precision, the bodies of their assailants falling in quick succession.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Snake ushered Chief back into the corridor. "We need to get to the roof," he said, his voice low and urgent. "The chopper's our only way out now."

They moved swiftly through the maze-like structure, the sounds of the ongoing firefight below growing more distant. Chief's breath came in ragged gasps, the adrenaline and tear gas taking their toll. Presence, still captive and draped over Snake's massive shoulder, could only watch helplessly as they ascended through the unfinished levels of the building.

Every corner, every shadowy alcove, could hide another threat. Snake led the way, his gun at the ready, eyes constantly scanning for danger. Chief followed close behind, his earlier composure now completely shattered, reduced to a man running for his life.

As they climbed higher, the cool night air began to cut through the lingering effects of the tear gas. The distant thump of helicopter blades grew louder, a beacon of hope for Chief and his dwindling entourage.

But even as they neared their potential escape, questions hung in the air as heavy as the smoke from the gunfire below. How had it all gone so wrong? And more importantly, even if they made it to the helicopter, where could they possibly go that Funi's seemingly far-reaching influence couldn't touch?

The roof access door loomed ahead, promising either salvation or a last stand against the encroaching forces of justice. As Snake reached for the handle, the future of all involved hung in the balance, poised on the edge of a knife.

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