Kain didn't sleep.
Even after Naya was declared stable and discharged, even after Tami clung to her like a magnet, even after the villa had grown quiet again—he couldn't rest.
The image of her—tied, weak, bruised—haunted him.
He couldn't forget the dry blood on her lip.
Or how her eyes, usually so full of light, had dimmed.
He stood by the window of his penthouse, arms crossed, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Downstairs, Naya was asleep on the couch, covered in a soft blanket, Tami snuggled close beside her. Her parents were in the guest room. Zara had gone back to her boyfriend's apartment, but she checked in every hour.
Everyone insisted they move in with Kain. His estate had round-the-clock armed guards, reinforced gates, surveillance on every corner. There was no safer place in the city.
But safety didn't settle Kain.
Justice did.
The police had launched their own investigation, but Kain didn't trust their pace. He wanted answers—fast. He needed to know who did this, who dared to touch what was his.
So he hired his own team.
A private investigator, discreet and highly recommended.
He gave him twenty-four hours.
Kain didn't care about the cost. He would burn money to the ground if it meant Naya could breathe easy again.
He had stayed up for two nights combing through details himself—routes, local CCTV footage, suspicious phone calls. Every lead was handed off to his investigator, who coordinated a team of surveillance analysts and cyber specialists.
By the second night, Kain was wired. He hadn't touched food, had only managed a few sips of water, and even those tasted like dust.
Every time he looked at Naya, something inside him cracked.
She had been strong. Unbelievably strong. But the trauma was fresh, sitting just beneath her skin. Sometimes she shivered out of nowhere. Sometimes she stared off like she was somewhere else entirely.
Kain knew what that meant.
He'd seen it in people before. That silent kind of suffering that swelled when you thought no one was watching.
He wouldn't let her carry it alone.
Not after everything she'd endured.
Not after he almost lost her.
---
The call came at 2:47 p.m. the next day.
Kain was in his home office, nursing a cold cup of black coffee when his second line buzzed.
He answered immediately.
"Mr. Adeyemi," the investigator said. "We found her."
Kain stood straight. "Her?"
"Sending you a picture now. Check your phone."
Kain opened the message. His phone buzzed again.
The photo appeared.
Clarissa.
Wearing sunglasses and a blazer, exiting a black SUV—the same one used in the abduction.
Kain's heart dropped. Then it burned.
Clarissa.
He'd known she was bitter. He'd known she was impulsive. But to stoop to kidnapping? To lay hands on Naya?
He couldn't believe it.
No. He could. And that made it worse.
"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked, his voice quiet but razor sharp.
"We confirmed the license plate. Witness statements match. The SUV is registered to her assistant, but Clarissa has been driving it. We also found footage of her visiting the abandoned estate two days before the kidnapping. She's the one."
Kain hung up.
For a moment, he stood still.
Then he punched the wall.
The sound startled Naya downstairs. She stirred, but didn't wake. He inhaled, exhaled, walked in circles until the red in his eyes calmed.
He wouldn't tell her. Not yet.
She had been through enough.
But Clarissa? She was finished.
---
Kain didn't go to the police yet. He needed to think. Strategize.
Clarissa was powerful, connected. She'd find a way to slip through legal cracks. She always had.
But not this time.
This time, he had proof. Witnesses. Footage. Motive.
He returned downstairs. Naya was now awake, sipping warm tea. Her eyes lifted when she saw him.
"Hey," she whispered.
"Hey," he said, kneeling beside her.
She looked pale. But she was present.
"I had a dream you didn't come," she murmured. "That you never found me."
He reached for her hand. "I'll always come."
She nodded, tears in her eyes. "I don't feel like myself."
"You don't have to right now," he said. "You're healing."
She nodded again, and he kissed her knuckles.
But inside him, the storm brewed stronger.
Clarissa was walking freely.
And that was unacceptable.
---
Later that evening, Zara came by with food. She kept things light—talking about wedding décor, showing Tami new glitter sandals.
But when Kain pulled her aside in the hallway, his tone changed.
"I know who did it."
Zara's expression froze. "Who?"
He showed her the picture.
Zara gasped. "Clarissa?"
He nodded. "I hired a private investigator. We have surveillance, timestamps, matching plates. It's airtight."
Zara paced. "Have you told Naya?"
"No. Not yet. She's not strong enough to deal with this. Not yet."
"She'll want to know."
"I know. And I'll tell her. But not now."
Zara nodded reluctantly. "What are you going to do?"
Kain looked past her, his jaw tightening. "Everything I need to."
---
He filed a private petition through a legal contact he trusted. A team of bodyguards was assigned to Naya 24/7. Even within his estate, she had two trained security officers following her discreetly. Tami's school pickup was doubled with surveillance. Kain doubled every layer of security.
But still, that wasn't enough for him.
He wanted Clarissa to feel what they had felt.
To be watched.
To know someone was coming for her.
He spent nights gathering every record, every voice note, every legal document that could help build a public case. If he couldn't ruin her in private, he'd do it publicly.
Her reputation? Done.
Her business contracts? Revoked.
He started making calls to international firms she was working with. Quiet, respectful warnings about the character of their "partner."
The message spread fast.
Clarissa began to feel the heat.
And that was just the beginning.
---
Meanwhile, Naya's recovery was slow.
She had nightmares. Woke up drenched in sweat. Sometimes screaming.
Kain never left her side.
One night, she cried in his arms for almost an hour. No words. Just tears. He held her until they stopped.
"You're safe," he whispered over and over. "You're safe now."
Her voice, cracked and quiet, replied, "I know. But I still feel broken."
"You're not," he said. "You're surviving. That's not broken."
She nodded, burying her face in his chest.
In the days that followed, she started walking through the garden again. She started eating more. Smiling sometimes.
But she hadn't asked about the case.
And Kain didn't push it.
Until she did.
---
It was on a Wednesday.
Tami was at school. Zara had dropped by briefly, then left. Kain and Naya sat in the living room, sipping herbal tea.
"Kain," she said softly.
He looked up.
"Who did it?"
He froze.
She stared at him. "I know already, It's Clarissa."
He swallowed. Then nodded.
He fetched his phone, scrolled to the video, and handed it to her.
She looked.
Clarissa.
Naya didn't blink.
Her lips pressed into a tight line. Her fingers gripped the phone.
"She was always capable of cruelty," she whispered. "But this…"
Kain sat beside her. "I didn't want to show you earlier. I wanted you to rest."
"I'm glad you waited," she said. "But I'm not surprised."
"What do you want to do?" he asked gently.
She was quiet for a long time.
Then she looked at him.
"I want her to pay."
And he nodded.
"So do I."