CHAPTER 19: THE WRONG PLACE, THE WRONG TIME.

A few grotesque moments later, the scream stopped cold. At Gbenga’s feet, thick red blood began snaking its way beneath the front door. His eyes widened. The blood was still warm, steaming slightly from where he froze for a second—then chuckled nervously, scoffing as if to brush off the dread crawling up his spine.

He knelt and opened the briefcase. Inside: ten neatly wrapped mini sacks. Diamonds. Real ones. He opened one, took out a shimmering gem, and held it to the light, grinning like a man who’d finally beaten the system.

But the room felt off. Too still. Too silent.

Gbenga glanced up—and froze.

In the large, dust-coated mirror wedged among the furniture blocking the door, he saw only himself.

At first.

But something was wrong. He blinked.

The briefcase in his hand—he could’ve sworn it had been locked. Now it was easily hung open by him.

That creeping feeling of being watched crawled up his spine. Slowly, he turned back to the mirror—and gasped.