LOOM OF THORNS のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 68

THIRD PERSON POV The morning air in the upscale Victoria Island restaurant was thick with the scent of roasted coffee, baked pastries and the cloying, Jasmine- vanilla notes of Ada’s perfume. They sat at a reserved corner table, the kind of spot designed for discreet lunches or meetings, but today it felt like an interrogation room draped in white linen.Ada sat perched on the edge of her velvet chair, her iPad open to a Pinterest board that looked like a fever dream of opulence. Across her sat Mrs. Coker, the event planner, a woman whose professional smile was so tight it looked painful. Josh was physically present, but his spirit was miles away, anchored in a hospital ward where the air smelled of antiseptic and broken promises, daydreaming of a curvy-petite, doe eyed girl,who always radiate an air of innocence.“Pink, Mrs. Coker. Not blush, not rose, but Williams Pink,” Ada said, her voice sharp and ringing with a frantic kind of authority. She tapped a finger rhythm

Josh’s POV The rain that had been threatening all day finally broke just as I tore through the gates of the Adeyemi Empire headquarters. I didn't even bother parking in my reserved spot. I slammed the brakes right at the entrance, leaving the engine idling and my car door wide open as I stormed past the security guards. They didn't dare lay a hand on me. They saw my face and knew better. I had a quiet, vibrating rage in my chest that could have leveled the entire six- storey building. I didn't take the private elevator. I took the stairs two at a time, my wet shoe soles squeaking violently against the polished granite, my chest heaving under an expensive custom made shirt that suddenly felt like a straightjacket. By the time I threw open the double oak doors of my father’s office, I was nearly hyperventilating. He didn't even look up from his tablet immediately. He sat behind his massive glass desk, the skyline of Lagos completely blurred by the downpour behind him, looking like th

BECCA'S POVTwo days of staring at the sterile white ceilings and hearing the mocking hum of the hospital generator had done nothing to dull the ache in my heart. When the two police officers walked into the ward, their heavy boots scuffing the linoleum, I braced myself for the handcuffs. I braced myself for going back into the the cell. I braced myself to set my face on the brutal policeman who had assaulted me. After everything—the scathing remarks from sister Mary, the Fellowship suspension, the old man's murder, the loss—jail felt like the natural next step in my ruin.Instead, the older officer just adjusted his belt, barely looking me in the eye. "Rebecca? You’ve been cleared. You are free to go."I stared at them, my throat dry. "Cleared? How? By who?""Investigation is concluded, you were clearly not at the crime scene at the time of the murder," the younger one muttered, already turning toward the door. "Case dismissed from above. Pack your things."They left without another

ADA'S POVThe dining room of my father’s house in Banana Island always felt like a fortress. Tonight, the heavy mahogany table was laden with Rice, plantain, stew cooked with assorted meat and offals, and grilled croaker fish, the scent of home cooking temporarily pushing out the humiliation that had been tracking me all week. I had come home for the weekend to heal my wounds and pretend, even for a second, that my life wasn't spinning completely out of control.Here, I was Ada Williams. The only daughter of a shipping tycoon. A prize, not a nuisance."You're barely touching your fish, Ada," my mother said, elegantly patting her lips with a linen napkin. She looked at me with that sharp, analytical gaze she used for everything from charity boards to business alliances. "Is Chief Adeyemi's family still pushing for that ridiculous butteryellow and emerald color palette? Because if they are, your father can make one phone call and—""It's fine, Mummy," I lied, my voice tight as I aggress