In the living room, Bonita and Maria breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yoh, Mom—that was too close," Bonita said, flopping onto the couch.
"Way too close. I was sweating bullets. Thank God we didn't get caught," Maria replied, glancing at the hallway with lingering paranoia.
"But why'd they come back so early today? Mandume should be in his practicals right now... unless they skipped?" Bonita mused, puzzled.
"I wonder. Either way, it's behind us now," Maria said, brushing it off. "We seriously need to find a day to work at the office instead. No one barges in there."
"Yep, solid plan," Bonita agreed and reached for the remote to turn on the TV.
Meanwhile, Star had changed into her home clothes and quietly slipped into Mandume's room. He was engrossed in his laptop, headphones on, head bopping to loud music, completely unaware of his surroundings.
She knocked. No response.
A mischievous smirk crept across her face. She crouched low and crawled toward his bed, reaching for the socket where the laptop was plugged. She unplugged it—no reaction. The device was fully charged.
Then, she crawled closer, directly beneath his dangling leg. She tickled his foot lightly. He twitched. She did it again—harder.
Startled, Mandume jolted, trapping her leg by accident. Star tried not to laugh, but the moment grew chaotic.
Mandume's panic peaked; he jumped, nearly screamed, but Star sprang up and covered his mouth just in time. They both tumbled onto the bed.
He froze as her breath brushed his face and her fingers grazed his skin.
"Easy there, Mama's boy. Scared much?" Star teased once he calmed down.
"You scared the life out of me! What the hell—how did you even get in here?" he asked, heart still racing.
"I flew in through the window," she said with a wink.
"Ag! Yoh, Star! I nearly passed out," he huffed.
"That's what you get for blasting music. I knocked, by the way. You didn't hear a thing."
"You knocked?" he blinked.
"Mhm. Anyway, why'd you leave the living room like that?" Star asked, sitting beside him.
"Is Kefas still there?" Mandume asked, voice tinged with discomfort.
"Nope. He left. Honestly, I think I made him uncomfortable," she replied.
"What did you say to him?"
"Nothing much. Your mom introduced us, I sat next to him and asked a few questions—mostly about how he's related to you guys—but he got irritated and walked out."
"Hmm. Typical. That man's apology earlier? Totally fake. He's just ashamed and trying to worm his way back into the family."
"What exactly did he do?"
"He betrayed my father. Back when Dad was still around, Kefas was his Deputy Executive Officer. He had access to everything—projects, contracts, blueprints. Then he secretly started his own company, copied all our services, and undercut us. Even switched files during the airport tender auction and won the contract meant for my dad. Days later, he resigned."
"Whoa. And now he's back trying to play family?" Star frowned.
"Yeah. And honestly, I've made peace with it. What's the point of holding onto grudges from five years ago? Dad's missing. I've got more important things to worry about—like keeping my family together."
"You're right. You sound like a true Davids," she said warmly.
Mandume smiled weakly. "Still… our plan flopped, Star."
"No, Mendu. It hasn't. We just need time. Let's stay patient."
"I miss Dad so much."
"We'll find him. I know he's out there… alive."
A silence hung in the room, thoughtful and heavy.
"By the way," Star said casually, "what's your dad's full name?"
"David Davids. Why?"
"And your company… it's called Davids Architectures, right?"
"Yeah. How'd you know that? What are you getting at?"
Star held up a folded slip of paper. "I found this on the table in the living room—must've fallen out of those files. Look."
Mandume took it. "A cheque? Wait, this is expired."
"Yeah, but look at the amount—N$5,000 paid to Paola Asylum. And that's your mom's signature."
"Why would she use company funds for that clinic? I've never even heard of it," Mandume muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"The date says August last year," Star noted.
"We always use private hospitals—Rhino, Medi-clinic. I don't recall Mom being treated elsewhere. And even if she was, why use company money? We don't pay medical bills with cheques. And besides, Mom's in the Demo Department. She doesn't sign off on finances."
"Maybe she was sick and didn't want to worry you," Star suggested.
"No. Something's off," he said, pacing. "And why were they all huddled with those files? Mom, Bonita, and Kefas? What if he's manipulating her… trying to take over the company while Dad's gone?"
"They wouldn't," Star said cautiously.
"No. I have to protect my father's legacy. He trusted me to keep it safe," Mandume said with resolve.
He dashed to his desk and retrieved a stack of documents.
"These are the papers Dad gave me before he disappeared. Property ownership—everything. I'm keeping them safe until he returns."
He turned to show Star, but she raised a hand.
"Don't. Your father didn't say show them to anyone, did he? Maybe I'm that 'anyone.'"
"You're Star. I trust you—"
"Trust has limits. Don't be careless. Your father had a reason for choosing you, not your mother."
Mandume paused, stunned.
"I'm not trying to scare you, Mendu. But think about it: Why didn't he give those papers to his wife, his life partner?"
"…You're right," he said slowly. "It's strange. These are ownership papers for the house, company, cars. Why me?"
"Exactly. There's more going on here than you realize. You need to find your father."
Mandume nodded. "Star… I think God is speaking to me through you."
"I'm not divine, Mendu. I just have common sense," she said with a playful smirk.
"So you're saying I don't?" he teased.
"You don't. Otherwise, you wouldn't be flashing those secret documents at me."
"Okay, okay, lesson learned," he said and tucked the papers into a safer place.
"That's more like you," she said—just as his phone rang.
Rudra.
"Hey, dude. Hope I'm not interrupting?" Rudra said on the other end.
"Nah, I'm home. What's up?"
"Can I get Star's number?"
Mandume raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Oh—uh—it's about her dad. Nothing weird, I swear. Just pass the phone, I'll talk to her directly."
Mandume put the call on speaker. "Star, it's Rudra."
"Star speaking," she said.
"Hey! How are you?" Rudra greeted.
"I'm good! What's up?"
"We found Tomas."
Star froze. Her heart skipped.
"Wow… you never cease to amaze me. How is he?"
"He's right here. On the phone."
Star hesitated. Was Tomas going to threaten her again? But she chose to stay calm.
A quiet moment passed before the voice on the line said, "Star?"
"Dad… how are you doing?" she asked, her voice bright.
Tomas fell silent, overcome by emotion.
"You still call me Dad?" he whispered.
"You are my father."
A heavy breath. Tomas's guilt pierced through the phone.
"You kept your promise," he said, stunned.
"I don't break my word, Dad. How are you? How's work? Aunty Frieda? Mom told me you live there now."
"She did?" His voice cracked. "Star… I thought I could fix things, but I've only ruined them. I miss you so much. But…"
He trailed off, choking back tears.
"…But I don't deserve you. Or your mom. I'm sorry for everything."
"Dad," Star said softly. "You do deserve us. You're still ours. But it's not about us—it's about what God is teaching you. Maybe He saw something missing in your life. Let's move forward, okay? Don't live in shame. Everything's going to be alright."