Chapter 273: Loss of Control   Chapter 273: Loss of Control                              “Grow a spine and start thinking for yourself, maybe even be better… or have me destroy your carefully painted image with one message?”               Obinna’s fists clenched.


    He wanted to bark back.


    Shout.


    Threaten.


    But Nnenna wasn’t done.


    “And don’t think you can stop me,” she added with a smirk that didn’t quite reach her eyes.


    “Even if you take away all my gadgets, even if you lock me up in a dungeon or send me off to some forgotten corner of the kingdom, I still have someone.”               Her voice dropped to a deadly whisper.


    “Someone who’s watching.


    Someone who wille expose you the moment they don’t hear from me for more than a week.”               That shut him up.


    For the first time, Obinna looked… unsure.


    Not defeated, but definitely shaken.


    He could no longer bluff his way out with dominance or threats.


    She wasn’t just a pawn anymore.


    She was a whole new yer on the board.


    And she had just dered war.


    He stared at her, trying to read her face, see if she was bluffing.


    But Nnenna’s expression was pure steel.


    This time, she meant every word.


    “Fine,” Obinna muttered atst, his pride clearly fighting his words.


    “But you must do as you promised.


    Don’t tell anyone that you were the one doing all the work for me in the past.”               Nnenna raised an eyebrow, arms crossed, facepletely unreadable.


    “Well… I can’t make any promises just yet.”               His eyes narrowed instantly.


    “You’ll have to lift the ban on me and Ebere first.


    No more restrictions on our movements.


    No more cutting off allowances and resources.


    Then, maybe, I’ll be satisfied enough to keep your little secret.”               His temper red.


    “Are you threatening me now?!


    Do you forget who you’re talking to?”               But Nnenna didn’t even flinch.


    “No,” she said smoothly.


    “I haven’t forgotten.


    Not at all.”               She took a slow step forward, her eyes locked on his like a challenge.


    “I just happen to know something else, that your precious business empire is everything to you.


    And that’s why, Obinna, that’s exactly how I’ll get what I want.”               A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, sharp and wicked.


    Not because she enjoyed threatening him, but because it felt good to finally have control.


    Obinna clenched his jaw, his pride clearly bruised, but he didn’t push further.


    “Fine,” he muttered again, quieter this time.


    “Just keep up your end of the bargain.”               Then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he added, “Where’s myputer?


    I still need to go back and figure out how to finish the work.”               Nnenna turned around to look for it, her smile widening with satisfaction.


    He still thinks the work is a priority.


    Good.


    She scanned the room for theptop.


    In truth, she didn’t know where it was, and honestly, she didn’t care.


    Thest time she had seen it, she had thrown it across her bed in a moment of frustration.


    Maybe it was still there.


    Maybe not.


    It didn’t matter.


    Because she had already won.


    She had this trump card ready a long time ago, tucked in her pocket, waiting.


    But she hadn’t yed it.


    Not yet.


    She had been patient, waiting for him toe to her.


    And now… finally… he had.


    The restrictions would be lifted.


    No more suffocating rules, no more punishments disguised as “discipline.” No more watching Ebere being treated like a prisoner.


    Nnenna’s chest rose with a deep breath of freedom she hadn’t felt in months.


    For the first time in a long while, she was quietly, powerfully… happy.


    Seeing her looking around for theptop, actually taking her time, searching from shelf to shelf without urgency, was all the confirmation Obinna needed.


    She had been ready to reject him from the very moment he brought thatptop into her room.


    Back then, when she had just returned from the hospital, quiet and watchful, he assumed she was weakened still… fragile.


    But now he could see it clearly.


    That wasn’t weakness, it was preparation.


    She had been nning this since then.


    Nnenna finally found theptop, tucked halfway behind some old books on the top shelf.


    She reached up, carefully pulling it out.


    The screen was still intact, but there was a thinyer of dust coating the keyboard.


    The servants had been cleaning the room as usual, but clearly, none of them had dared touch theptop.


    Not with how personal it was.


    Nnenna stared at the dust for a moment, lips curling into a quiet, thoughtful smile.


    Even the dust respects this drama, she thought with a huff.


    She grabbed a soft tissue and gently wiped the dust from the keyboard, her movements slow, calm, and deliberate, almost ceremonial.


    Then she closed theptop with a soft click, held it in both hands, and turned to her brother.


    “Here you go,” she said, offering it to him like she was handing over a forgotten toy.


    Her tone was almost too calm.


    Obinna took theputer from her, but his jaw was set tight.


    His fingers twitched slightly around the edges of the machine.


    He was furious.


    She let dust settle on it.


    She actually abandoned it.


    This wasn’t just some careless act.


    It was disrespect.


    It was a message.


    She had treated his work, his work, like it meant nothing.


    His mind reeled.


    When did she start acting like this?


    Where did this attitudee from?


    But he already knew the answer.


    It started when she came back from the hospital.


    He had assumed she had return more broken.


    Quiet.


    Easy to handle.


    But instead… she came back grown.


    Not grown like a girl bing a woman.


    No.


    She came back like a lion who had been watching the cage from the inside, and now had the key.


    This wasn’t the little sister who used to shrink back when he raised his voice.


    This was someone else.


    Someone stronger.


    Someone he couldn’t control anymore.


    ————————————-               I’m so sorry for the additional coins you had to spend on this chapter.


    I mistakenly duplicated it and ording to NovelFire rules, I can’t delete more than 100 words from a premium chapter.


    Please forgive me guys ?? I’ll be more careful from now on.


    In other news, we rose up the ranks in the past month!


    You guys are the best ??                Riding in like knights in shining armors with powerstones upon powerstones, golden tickets upon golden tickets, gifts upon gifts, multiple privilege purchases, subscriptions, chapter unlockings and of course, publicising the novel.


    Many new people joined our family because of your publicity.


    A warm wee to everyone who joinedst month and a big thank you to you all for responding so positively ??               As promised, I’m bringing out my stockpiled chapters from now till the next few days.


    Happy Reading!


    ——————————————————–               Please ignore from here down.


    “Grow a spine and start thinking for yourself, maybe even be better… or have me destroy your carefully painted image with one message?”               Obinna’s fists clenched.


    He wanted to bark back.


    Shout.


    Threaten.


    But Nnenna wasn’t done.


    “And don’t think you can stop me,” she added with a smirk that didn’t quite reach her eyes.


    “Even if you take away all my gadgets, even if you lock me up in a dungeon or send me off to some forgotten corner of the kingdom, I still have someone.”               Her voice dropped to a deadly whisper.


    “Someone who’s watching.


    Someone who wille expose you the moment they don’t hear from me for more than a week.”               That shut him up.


    For the first time, Obinna looked… unsure.


    Not defeated, but definitely shaken.


    He could no longer bluff his way out with dominance or threats.


    She wasn’t just a pawn anymore.


    She was a whole new yer on the board.


    And she had just dered war.


    He stared at her, trying to read her face, see if she was bluffing.


    But Nnenna’s expression was pure steel.


    This time, she meant every word.


    “Fine,” Obinna muttered atst, his pride clearly fighting his words.


    “But you must do as you promised.


    Don’t tell anyone that you were the one doing all the work for me in the past.”               Nnenna raised an eyebrow, arms crossed, facepletely unreadable.


    “Well… I can’t make any promises just yet.”               His eyes narrowed instantly.


    “You’ll have to lift the ban on me and Ebere first.


    No more restrictions on our movements.


    No more cutting off allowances and resources.


    Then, maybe, I’ll be satisfied enough to keep your little secret.”               His temper red.


    “Are you threatening me now?!


    Do you forget who you’re talking to?”               But Nnenna didn’t even flinch.


    “No,” she said smoothly.


    “I haven’t forgotten.


    Not at all.”               She took a slow step forward, her eyes locked on his like a challenge.


    “I just happen to know something else, that your precious business empire is everything to you.


    And that’s why, Obinna, that’s exactly how I’ll get what I want.”               A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, sharp and wicked.


    Not because she enjoyed threatening him, but because it felt good to finally have control.


    Obinna clenched his jaw, his pride clearly bruised, but he didn’t push further.


    “Fine,” he muttered again, quieter this time.


    “Just keep up your end of the bargain.”               Then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he added, “Where’s myputer?


    I still need to go back and figure out how to finish the work.”               Nnenna turned around to look for it, her smile widening with satisfaction.


    He still thinks the work is a priority.


    Good.


    She scanned the room for theptop.


    In truth, she didn’t know where it was, and honestly, she didn’t care.


    Thest time she had seen it, she had thrown it across her bed in a moment of frustration.


    Maybe it was still there.


    Maybe not.


    It didn’t matter.


    Because she had already won.


    She had this trump card ready a long time ago, tucked in her pocket, waiting.


    But she hadn’t yed it.


    Not yet.


    She had been patient, waiting for him toe to her.


    And now… finally… he had.


    The restrictions would be lifted.


    No more suffocating rules, no more punishments disguised as “discipline.” No more watching Ebere being treated like a prisoner.


    Nnenna’s chest rose with a deep breath of freedom she hadn’t felt in months.


    For the first time in a long while, she was quietly, powerfully… happy.


    Seeing her looking around for theptop, actually taking her time, searching from shelf to shelf without urgency, was all the confirmation Obinna needed.


    She had been ready to reject him from the very moment he brought thatptop into her room.


    Back then, when she had just returned from the hospital, quiet and watchful, he assumed she was weakened still… fragile.


    But now he could see it clearly.


    That wasn’t weakness, it was preparation.


    She had been nning this since then.


    Nnenna finally found theptop, tucked halfway behind some old books on the top shelf.


    She reached up, carefully pulling it out.


    The screen was still intact, but there was a thinyer of dust coating the keyboard.


    The servants had been cleaning the room as usual, but clearly, none of them had dared touch theptop.


    Not with how personal it was.


    Nnenna stared at the dust for a moment, lips curling into a quiet, thoughtful smile.


    Even the dust respects this drama, she thought with a huff.


    She grabbed a soft tissue and gently wiped the dust from the keyboard, her movements slow, calm, and deliberate, almost ceremonial.


    Then she closed theptop with a soft click, held it in both hands, and turned to her brother.


    “Here you go,” she said, offering it to him like she was handing over a forgotten toy.


    Her tone was almost too calm.


    Obinna took theputer from her, but his jaw was set tight.


    His fingers twitched slightly around the edges of the machine.


    He was furious.


    She let dust settle on it.


    She actually abandoned it.


    This wasn’t just some careless act.


    It was disrespect.


    It was a message.


    She had treated his work, his work, like it meant nothing.


    His mind reeled.


    When did she start acting like this?


    Where did this attitudee from?


    But he already knew the answer.


    It started when she came back from the hospital.


    He had assumed she had return more broken.


    Quiet.


    Easy to handle.


    But instead… she came back grown.