Chapter 534: The Ghost from Jayden's Past

"Sometimes the most dangerous enemy is the one you thought you'd never see again."

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The luxurious ballroom of the Emerald Crown Hotel had already been reserved.

Theme: A Night of Gold and Secrets.

The prom committee, headed by Selina and Naomi, planned it like a royal coronation. Naomi suggested golden masks. Selina wanted red carpets lined with paparazzi. Ariana? She arranged for an underground afterparty in another city—Midnight Mirage, a new town that had just surfaced in conversations… and in danger.

Maggy was left out of the committee, replaced silently. Everyone said it was a "vote," but no one could prove it.

Tielen, however, wasn't fooled.

"She's coming," he warned Jayden that night. "Someone who knows your real past. Not the Ochieng name. The one before it."

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Jayden and his elite circle arrived in Midnight Mirage under cover of darkness. It was a city built for the powerful—neon lights, private billionaires-only banks, black helicopters buzzing through the sky like crows.

And that's where he saw her.

Standing beneath the glowing phoenix statue at the Mirage Plaza.

Elvira.

The girl he once saved when he had nothing. The one who knew him as Jayden Omondi, the poor boy from the slums before he ever knew he was Ochieng.

She smiled.

"I told you we'd meet again," she said. "But I didn't think it would be like this… with you pretending to be someone you're not."

Jayden froze. Behind her stood two men in scarlet suits, both carrying serpent pins.

The Serpent Society.

An underground network that thrived on information, blackmail… and revenge.

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Back at Emerald, Naomi launched a new competition—The Ultimatum.

Fifty top students.

Fifty secrets.

One throne: Campus Sovereign—a new role with the power to overrule even lecturers, created secretly through a deal Naomi made with the Chancellor's wife.

Students had to outsmart, betray, or seduce their way to the top.

Fake relationships bloomed overnight.

Cheating rumors spread like wildfire.

And suddenly, Maggy received a text:

> "He'll marry Selina. The Ochieng name demands it."

From an unknown number. No sender.

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At a private dinner in Silver Hills Estate, the Langata and Ochieng families met for the first time in years.

Jayden's aunt, Lady Miriam Ochieng, slammed her wine glass on the table.

"This marriage to Selina is not optional. It's strategic."

His uncle sneered. "And what is Maggy? A peasant girl? A muse for poetry?"

Jayden stood.

"She's the reason I survived."

Miriam smirked. "Then let's see if she survives us."

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The next morning, headlines exploded:

> "Jayden Ochieng Engaged to Selina Langata—Wedding Set After Prom!"

And no one denied it.

Not Selina.

Not the Ochiengs.

Not even Jayden.

Because the person who leaked the story wasn't any of them.

It was Elvira.

And beneath the announcement was a single quote:

> "Let's see how well you lie, Jayden Omondi."

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