Plan to Take Him Down.

The meeting was set at the telecom branch of the Bendilani Group, a sprawling facility located on the outskirts of town. It was the perfect location—remote enough to avoid prying eyes, yet secure enough to ensure privacy. Dad and Grandpa arrived early, their expressions grim as they prepared for the confrontation ahead. The boardroom was quiet, the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioning and the occasional shuffle of papers as they reviewed the notes they'd prepared.

When Otim finally arrived, he was almost unrecognizable. He wore a nondescript hoodie and sunglasses, his face partially obscured by a scarf. He slipped into the boardroom quietly, closing the door behind him. The moment Dad saw him, his composure shattered.

"You!" Dad roared, lunging across the table before Otim could even speak. He grabbed Otim by the collar, slamming him against the wall with a force that made the room shake. "Why did you kill my Alice? Why?!"

Otim didn't fight back. He didn't even raise his hands to defend himself. He simply stood there, his expression resigned, as Dad's hands tightened around his throat. "I deserve this," Otim choked out, his voice strained but steady. "I deserve all of it."

Grandpa was on his feet in an instant, he rushed to pull Dad away. "Enough!" he barked, his voice sharp with authority. "Let him go, John. This isn't the way."

For a moment, Dad didn't budge, his hands still clenched around Otim's collar, his chest heaving with rage. But then, slowly, he released his grip, stepping back with a look of pure anguish. "You took her from me," he said, his voice breaking. "You took her from all of us."

Otim slumped against the wall, rubbing his throat as he caught his breath. "I know," he said quietly. "And I'll carry that guilt for the rest of my life."

Grandpa placed a hand on Dad's shoulder, his tone firm but calming. "Sit down. Both of you. We're here to talk, not to brawl."

The tension in the room was palpable as the three men took their seats. Dad's hands were clenched into fists on the table, his jaw tight, while Grandpa sat with his usual stoic demeanor, though his eyes burned with intensity. Otim sat across from them, his shoulders slumped, his face a mask of regret.

After a long, heavy silence, Grandpa spoke. "Start from the beginning, Otim. And don't leave anything out."

Otim nodded, his gaze dropping to the table. "It's not an excuse, but I want you to know… I never wanted to hurt Alice. I was deceived. Thomas Pezi came to me with a plan, a way to… to fix things. He said it was for the greater good, that it would protect the people I cared about. I didn't know the full extent of what he was planning. By the time I realized the truth, it was too late. I was already in too deep."

Dad's fists tightened, but he remained silent, his eyes fixed on Otim with a mixture of hatred and pain.

Otim continued, his voice trembling. "Thomas is a master manipulator. He knew how to play on my fears, and my weaknesses. He made me believe that Alice was a threat, and that her death was necessary to protect others. I didn't want to believe it, but he… he had evidence. Fake evidence, I know that now, but at the time, it seemed real. And once I was involved, there was no way out. He had me trapped."

Grandpa's expression darkened, but he remained calm. "So you went through with it. You killed her."

Otim flinched, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "Yes," he whispered. "And I've regretted it every single day since. I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't deserve it. But I'm here because I want to make things right. I want to help you bring Thomas down, no matter what it takes. Even if it costs me my life."

Dad let out a bitter laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think that makes up for what you did? You think helping us now erases the past?"

"No," Otim said firmly, his eyes meeting Dad's. "Nothing can erase what I've done. But I can't live with myself knowing Thomas is still out there, still manipulating people, still destroying lives. If I can help stop him, then maybe… maybe some good can come out of all this."

Grandpa leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "What do you know about Thomas? Where is he? What's his plan?"

Otim took a deep breath, his hands trembling as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notebook. "I've been gathering information on him for months. He's careful, but he's not infallible. He has a compound in the northern region, near the border. It's heavily guarded, but I know the layout. I know his routines, his weaknesses."

He opened the notebook, flipping through pages filled with notes, diagrams, and photographs. "Thomas has been building a network of operatives, people he's blackmailed or manipulated into working for him. He's planning something big—something that could destabilize the entire region. But he's vulnerable. He's paranoid, and that makes him reckless. If we move quickly, we can take him down."

Dad's eyes narrowed as he studied the notebook. "And why should we trust you? How do we know this isn't another one of Thomas's traps?"

Otim met his gaze, his expression unwavering. "You don't have to trust me. But you can trust that I want Thomas gone as much as you do. I've already lost everything—my career, my reputation, my peace of mind. The only thing I have left is the chance to make things right. And I'm willing to die trying."

The room fell silent, the weight of Otim's words hanging in the air. Grandpa leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "If we're going to do this, we need a plan. A solid one. No room for mistakes."

Otim nodded, his relief evident. "I've already started working on one. But we'll need resources, manpower, and most importantly, secrecy. If Thomas catches wind of what we're doing, it's over."

Dad's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned to Grandpa, his voice low. "What do you think?"

Grandpa's eyes narrowed as he studied Otim. "I think we don't have a choice. If what he's saying is true, we need to act fast. But we do it on our terms."

Otim nodded, his expression resolute. "I'll follow your lead. Whatever it takes."