Chapter 286: He Had Been Tricked Chapter 286: He Had Been Tricked Nnenna did not flinch.
She did not blink.
She did not bite back.
She just let Karen’s words pass by like breeze.
She closed her eyes as well, but not to sleep.
No.
Her mind was already ten steps ahead, diving into escape routes, forged IDs, checkpoint scans, possible disguises.
The moment that ne touched the ground, the hunt would continue.
Around her, the others were quiet.
Abuchi stared nkly out the window, his fingers tapping lightly against his knee.
Ekene and John exchanged a quick nce, but stayed silent.
This moment of peace, of soft, humming engines and calmness, might be thest they’d ever get for the next one month.
Meanwhile… Ruby Airport A cool fog rolled across the sleek tarmac like a silent whisper of doom.
Ruby’s airport was modestpared to Lionara’s grand terminals, but modern and efficient.
The pale moon light cut through the mist like ghost des, casting eerie shadows against the ss walls of the building.
It was quiet… too quiet.
Obinna’s assistant stepped onto the pavement, nked by elite guards dressed in ck, their eyes sharp and scanning.
He wasted no time.
“They’llnd any moment,” he barked, voice clipped and tense.
“Positions!
Entry gates, customs, baggage im.
I want every possible exit covered.
If they step foot on this ground, I want eyes on them before they blink.” “Yes, sir!” Within seconds, the guards fanned out, melting into the mist like wolves on the hunt.
Then it came.
The ne, sleek and silent, descended from the clouds, wheels striking the runway with a hiss of steam.
The stairs rolled out, and passengers began to disembark.
The assistant moved fast, boarding with two guards, cutting past flight attendants and curious stares.
He stood tall in the aisle, eyes scanning, heart pounding.
“Your Highness, the Third Prince!
Your Highness, Second Princess!
You are ordered to return to the kingdom immediately!” Confusion.
Murmurs.
Heads turned, but none of them wore the faces they were expecting.
The assistant’s stomach sank.
He pushed forward, searching row by row… until he reached their booked seats.
Empty.
“They’re not… here,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
The guards stiffened.
The passengers looked around, now murmuring in hushed curiosity.
The assistant straightened slowly, heart dropping like a stone into icy water.
He had been tricked.
yed.
He strode down the narrow walkway, his eyes scanning each seat.
Row after row… until he stopped.
Empty.
The third prince and second princess were nowhere to be found.
His breath caught in his throat.
They were not on this ne.
He quickly turned to the guards he came with, eyes wide in disbelief.
“They’re gone,” he whispered, almost to himself.
At Marka Airport, far from themotion in Ruby, a different story was ying out 30 minutes earlier.
The terminal was older, quieter, surrounded by tall trees and rugged hills.
The kind of ce where secrets could slip through unnoticed.
After a short wave of passengers exited, five more walked out with practiced calm.
Abuchi.
Nnenna.
John.
Karen.
Ekene.
They carried themselves like ordinary travelers, not like run aways of a royal house.
What they didn’t know was that Little Sweetie was close behind, just three steps away, her identity hidden beneath arge scarf and sunsses.
She had watched everything and followed without being seen.
John let out augh the moment they stepped out onto the open sidewalk.
“They’re probably still waiting at Ruby, pacing around like confused men!” Nnenna cracked a small smile.
Her brother’s n had worked.
The n was simple but brilliant.
They had boarded the ne to Ruby, yes.
But Ekene, who worked at that airport, who was in charge of final checks, had ensured the aircraft didn’t have enough fuel to reach Ruby.
He had quietly coordinated with a trusted staff member to make sure the ne would be forced tond for refueling at Marka.
When the ne touched down, the five of them slipped off quietly, no extra flights, no extra bookings.
Just one clean exit during an unscheduled fuel stop.
A ssic diversion.
They had predicted Obinna would try to catch them at Ruby.
So they let him.
Meanwhile, they were already steps ahead, changing the game before he even realized there was one being yed.
Now, with their decoy in motion and Obinna left chasing ghosts, their mission could continue.
“Nice work Ekene,” Karen finally said between bursts ofughter.
“King Obinna’s face must be melting right about now.” Abuchi chuckled, but his expression quickly turned serious.
“They’ll soon figure out we never made it to Ruby.
We need to move.
Fast.” “But it’s the middle of the night,” Nnenna said, ncing around the quiet streets.
“Where are we even supposed to find someone to help us change our identities?” “I already have someone,” Abuchi replied, lowering his voice.
“I’ve been nning this for a long time.
There’s a guy I contacted through a secret channel.
He’s known for helping people disappear… but I’ve never met him before, and no one really knows what he looks like.” A chill swept through the group.
Uncertainty.
Risk.
Shadows creeping into their minds.
“Just… remember what you promised me,” Abuchi said, locking eyes with Nnenna.
His tone was firm, protective.
Nnenna gave a small nod.
“I remember.” They stepped to the side of the road and with a disposable phone, they called a local 24 hour taxipany that imed to specialize in fast pickups no matter the time.
To their relief, thepany lived up to its promise, barely ten minutester, an old yellow cab with a flickering headlight pulled up.
The driver squinted at them.
“Middle of the night?
Five of you?
No luggage?” He looked like he wanted to ask more questions but decided against it.
He muttered under his breath, “Spoiled rich kids… always up to something,” before jerking his head toward the back seat.
“Get in.” They didn’t exin.
Just climbed in and gave an address.