Obanma's heart raced incessantly  when she finally discovered Onyedikachi's bleeding arm.

Her dress had been stained with blood, her eyes trailed the drops littered on the floor. She gasped in fear and quickly rushed to his side.

"Onyi what happened? Are you okay? Why is there blood everywhere?"

She had advised that they move into the house when the splatter of the rains became heavier . Both were stunned by what happened ,her sleepwalking on her brother's command. Onyedikachi hadn't told her of his own experience because he felt overwhelmed by her presence.

He knew he would have gone mad if something had happened to Mma. He could never bear such ,he wouldn't.

Onyedikachi's sight became hazy with the loss of blood and dizziness also threatened his frame.

Obanma led him to the living room where he sat ,his phone torchlight still the only source of illumination . She carefully helped him peel off the singlet he wore and then did she notice the deep gash which revealed parted skin and heavy blood clot. Obanma's stomach churned , she felt nauseated at the sight of his wound.

"Jesus! What happened to you ? Who did this ?"

Onyedikachi groaned as he tried to move the arm which was becoming heavier due to the loss off blood.

"Mma someone attacked me in the bedroom. I don't know who it was , I didn't get a chance to see his face properly but I did stab him back . He... He tried to kill you first . I thought I had lost you when he dove that blade into the side you lay.

We fought and he stabbed me and he also tried to kill me . My God what would I have done if you were on that bed ? I put in you in danger ! This is all my fault.

I could have lost you !"

"Some..someone wanted to kill me ? Why? "

"I don't know how Obinna's ghost did what he did but I'm grateful to him. Your side was stuffed with pillows , it's scary to think of but I think Obinna knew this was going to happen and he saved you "

Tears streamed out of her eyes as she saw in flash what her dream was all about and how Obinna insisted that she followed him immediately.

"I could have lost you too . He stabbed you and would have killed you "Obanma uttered with her quivering lips as Onyedikachi held her hand.

"It seems fate is still on our side Mma"

"My God..Onyi look at what ... We need to get you to the hospital immediately"

Obanma scrambled off the floor and quickly ran to get a piece of cloth with which she would tie his arm with to abate the bleeding.

Onyedikachi's muffled groans broke her heart as she did her best to get the knot tight to abate more bleeding.

"Mma ,how are we going to get there? I can't drive ..not like this and I feel quite dizzy. "

"I'll have to call Chijioke or uncle Nnamdi . Or even your brother whoever gets here first "

Onyedikachi knew they had no choice as Obanma couldn't drive . Obanma dialed her relatives while Onyedikachi dialed his brother .

Nnamdi was the first to answer with his grodgy voice and when Obanma explained everything he quietly left his hotel room and sought his way to their place . Having his own children have him more experience on being a light sleeper.

Obanma held Onyedikachi, his head resting on her little shoulder while she patted his back. Onyedikachi would hear her whimper and her tears would fall uncontrollably but he had become too weak to speak . All his body spoke of was sleep, how he needed to rest.

He had passed out by the time Nnamdi arrived the scene. Onyedikachi managed to walk to the car with much support from both Obanma and her uncle .

He was barely conscious and everything seemed cloudy . Nnamdi drove them straight to the hospital where Onyedikachi received treatments. Obanma was terrified and clung to her uncle till Onyedikachi was finally resting in the room assigned to him for recovery. The doctor had told them that he lost a lot of blood owing to his weakness and Obanma decided to wait by his bedside while her uncle drove back to the hotel.

A loud ring woke Obanma up as she had managed to drift off to sleep amidst watching Onyedikachi.

It had been Onyedikachi's phone and the caller was his mother. The phone rang for the third time before she mustered enough courage to answer.

"He..hello"

"Who is this ? Where is my son ?" The woman enquired impatiently. Obanma could hear the panic in her voice and assumed that she must have been at the house .

"He's at the community center , he is fine . There..there was an accident"

"Chi m oo! How is my son! What happened? I am coming there right away "

Obanma barely made any comments as Chidiogo hung up on her. How would the woman react when she figures out that she was the one with Onyedikachi.

The doctors hadn't come to check on Onyedikachi who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. This led Obanma to believe that there must have been sedatives in whatever treatment he received. She looked disheveled and dirty , the stench of blood still buried in her nostrils .

Onyedikachi's phone rang thirty minutes later and Obanma gave out the room number to Chidiogo.

The woman practically raced in leaving the door ajar.

She barely looked at Obanma before she ran to Onyedikachi's bedside.

"Onyedika nwa m.." She muttered clinging to his hand . Onyedikachi made no move his snores wafted across the room.

Obanma stood not certain of what to do ,she couldn't tell if it was right for her to explain to the woman about the incident or just sit put.

She noticed Chidiogo blinking tears away till her eyes descended on Obanma's.

"He..he was stabbed " Obanma managed to mutter to her hearing .
"He lost blood but not so much , the doctors said he can build it back"

Chidiogo remained reticent in speaking to Obanma as she watched her son.

"He is going to be fine...He will be"

This time the woman eyed her warily still hesitant to speak.

Obanma took her silence for reproval and sat quietly on the chair while she watched the pair.

After many minutes Chidiogo turned to her "Who brought him here ?"

Obanma's eyes lit up as the question didn't seem like it was targeted to her at first,owing to the woman's attitude earlier.

"My uncle and I "

"He was at that wedding wasn't he ? That's where you people stabbed him and brought him here"

"No! No that's not..."

"Onyedikachi is just as stubborn as his father . I told him not to go there , it was the same place I lost his father . You people have ganged up again to kill my son! What have I done to deserve all this ? It was because of your wretched mother that Chukwudozie lost his life and now you're here! Doing what exactly? You need to leave my son alone. You need to leave"

Tears clogged Obanma's eyes as she slowly got up . Why was Chidiogo being so unreasonable? She couldn't help but stare at the woman as she fumed ,her face hardening with every passing second.

"Mma sit down" A voice croaked . Even though he meant for his words to be authoritative it ended up sounding like grunts .

Chidiogo gasped as she saw Onyedikachi's eyes flutter . Obanma still glued at her position as Onyedikachi's mother hovered over her son.

"Mma you're not leaving,are you?" Onyedikachi enquired this time more coherent than he had been earlier.

Chidiogo couldn't help but stare anxiously at her son who paid her no heed.

"Mma sit down and tell my mother what happened" He beckoned and Obanma quietly went to his bedside where she stood holding his hand.

"Onyedikachi was stabbed in your house . Someone made an attempt on both of us and he fought back . I was.."

"Mma that's enough , I think my mother has quite understood how wrong she was " Onyedikachi knew mentioning Obanma's absence could fuel his mother's paranoia

Chidiogo barely looked at Obanma as she stood watching her son . The tears in her eyes couldn't be mistaken and she could notice her shiver.

"Uncle Nnamdi is waiting outside for me. I'll come visit you later "She hastily declared placing a kiss on his forehead.

Obanma left the room immediately leaving him with his mother who didn't seem petulant for her actions .

"Someone attacked us in our house ,not theirs and before you say anything mother remember that you once colluded with a stranger to beat Chijioke up . Isn't this karma?"

Chidiogo gently sat beside her son hesitant to hold his hand as his face only seemed to radiate disappointment .

"Onyedikachi I didn't mean for Chijioke to get stabbed and have you also thought of this to be a counter attack for what happened to him?"

"Did you hear me the first time ? The both of us, Mma and I were attacked . That monster wanted to kill her and he tried to kill me too.  Chijioke loves his sister too much, I have seen with my eyes , he wouldn't ever want any harm to befall her "

"I am so sorry nna m..."

"Mma is the one who truly deserves that apology , she has done nothing to deserve your hatred . "

"Onyedikachi I came to see you not have a fight with you ."

"Then you shouldn't have picked one with Mma in the first place."

"Did you see anything at all that we can use to discover this person?"

"Not at all, I stabbed him on the arm and that's all about it "

Chidiogo paced around the room reticent to link her son's attack to the man who had long been threatening her.  Was Osisioma after her family ? Or was it the thug he hired?

A confrontation she decided was needed and quite soon . The better of that day she spent with her son who was eager to get back to his lover and leave the village immediately.

Obanma never showed up until Chidiogo left and she came with food ,warmth and her family. His mother had made sure a family friend was stand by with him . The items she later bought also placed properly in his room.

Chijioke,Nnamdi , Agatha and Ngozi all visited him with Obanma before they journeyed back to Enugu.

It took only one week at the hospital for Onyedikachi to grow weary of the place. He got an early discharge but was eager to meet with Chijioke because of their pending results.

Chidiogo stared bleakly at Osisioma as he swore endlessly with his late mother's life of his innocence. They argued for minutes each hesitant to actually hear the other. Everyone knew Osisioma was in trouble ,he had sold lands belonging to his brother to another man while his brother still held ownership.

Attacking Obanma to scare his nephew wasn't far fetched . Chidiogo's angst was her son being caught in the cross fire. She had made a terrible mistake of joining forces with the dwarf of a man and regretted her actions immensely but his actions also proved to her that her family was in danger ,just as much as she was.

"Ekene's father , have you asked him? You're just pointing those accusatory fingers at me without considering all your enemies!"

"My enemies? Aru o di kwa gi? Are you okay? Why would he have anything against me? Am I owing him? You were the one who hired him?"

" Chidiogo that's the thing about double edged swords. They do not care for their owners when they slice deep. You were the one who came running to me not long ago that he had been lurking around your house to know if you had ratted him out ! He has an agenda against you maybe the children were caught in the crossfire"

"You told him to kill Çhijioke , I didn't. "

"And how many times will I tell you that the psychopath has his own agenda! I had nothing to do with it !"

"Osisioma I have been patient enough with you and your thugs but harming my son ...that is that straw...that final straw that broke the camel's back. Tell your stooge to stay away from my family and if he thinks he can scare me , he is dreaming!"

Chidiogo left angrily , certain that her life was in danger .

Osisioma could barely hide the contempt he felt for the woman as she walked away . The man he aided in his house slowly stepped out into the verandah where Osisioma sat.

His hand had stopped bleeding owing to the bandage wrapped heavily over the injury.

"We cannot vommit the money we ate Osisioma and time is running out "

Startled by the grodgy voice Osisioma turned to see his visitor helping himself out with the bottle of alcohol he purchased.

"Rowland has given me a year to pay back because of the king and you know very well that I can't provide that amount of money. Chijioke won't let me near the lands or the family"

"And yet you never wanted him dead "

"He is my nephew! And you shouldn't have done that . I would have been the key suspect if he had died!" Osisioma retorted angrily

"But our problems would have been over "

"I never should have listened to you about selling my brother's lands . I'm beginning to think I was merely a puppet in all your plans . What did Iheanyi ever do to you ? Why are you trying to kill his children?"

Osisioma could see the man's face harden in a matter of minutes . His glare more cynical than he had ever seen but no words came from his lips.

He hated the question Osisioma posed to him everytime because it made him remember vividly and relive the humiliation like it was yesterday. His broken nose and the scar above his brows were daily reminders that Iheanyi needed to suffer more . Iheanyi shouldn't have taken what was his in the first place. He had gone for Chidiogo but met strangers instead . How was he to know anything about a girl he didn't even see?

Osisioma left him to his thoughts as he pondered on a new plan to save their faces. He couldn't help but grin at what he considered to be the glaring truth. The sooner he eliminated everyone in their way, the better it would be for them . He wasn't going to let himself be humiliated like he was in the past ever again.

Chijioke and Onyedikachi arrived the hospital much earlier than anticipated each with the fear of being heavily disappointed. Chijioke had called Onyedikachi as soon as the news of the results came to him .

The pair waited for series of consultations by the doctor and his patients until it was their turn.

"Your test results arrived earlier this week. I was hoping you would have come earlier "

"Work has been hectic doctor . Do you mind of we go straight into it " Onyedikachi couldn't let the anxiety kill him further. All he wanted to know was if he was going to be able to marry  the woman he loves.

"The test results came from the analysis carried out on the three samples. "

Onyedikachi understood from Chijioke that he had also acquired a hair sample from his mother .

The pounding of Onyedikachi's heart barely let him hear words spoken by the doctor as it drowned them.

"Mr. Iheanyi is not the father of the child "

"Excuse me doctor, what did you say?" Onyedikachi enquired as he felt his whole world come crashing at his feet.

"He is not the father of the child"

Hello Everyone

How are we?

It's been a while

Hope we enjoyed the chapter. So there we have it ... Obanma is not Iheanyi's daughter . I wonder how he'll take that !

Ending this book has become quite a tedious task but we're slowly getting there . I know there are lots of questions which the coming chapters are for .

I'd really like to thank all of my readers for their patience with me so far. I'm grateful ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Who do you think is Obanma's father ?