Once Upon A Sultan ✅

Chapter 26.

-ZAINAB SHAMAKI'S POV-

Maroudi, Nigeria.

I can tell they are all hiding something from me.

They were doing well to hide but perks of being a journalist is, I can pick up on these kind of stuff well. I know it's not about Sultan Sunusi, since they talk about him when I ask and from what they've been telling me, he's doing okay.

He's not in the perfect condition, but for someone in his state, he's doing alright. Of course, there's no sign of him getting better so if anything, everyone is prepared for the worst.

My only wish is to be able to speak to him again, but that's proven to be hard since I'm still locked up.

It has been a few days, and things weren't looking in my favor. The hearing is set to happen soon, but all evidence already points to me as the culprit and I doubt I'll be able to get out of it, even with Amna's help.

The only choice I have is to say I did it out of self-defense, but even as I brought up the idea, there was something about Amna expression that told me it won't work—not that I planned to use it anyway.

Using that would be lying, and I don't lie.

At the same time, I can tell the truth but it'll be pointless—that's why I haven't told Amna or the others what truly happened, and they didn't press me for answers even though I'm certain they can only guess.

See, the thing is whether I tell them or not, it's all the same. The man who truly did it is my Uncle's right hand man, and let's face it, I am not stupid. I know my Uncle and Azeez are behind this whole arrest of mine so justice won't ever be on my side.

Especially not with the evidence in hand.

Is it alright to say I've given up? It might not seem like the best thing to do, but after being here for days with no bright side to anything, I'm starting to lose hope.

Amna says not to. She says that they will all find a way to get me out but I'm finding that hard to believe especially knowing they are hiding something. If she and Adnan weren't acting suspicious enough, then Hakeem's absence confirmed it.

I haven't seen him since that day he visited, and that is so unlike him. It's obvious there is something they don't want me to find out.

And it is as if the universe wanted me to find out because I heard footsteps approaching the cell I'm still being held in. Even without the person making an appearance, I already have a bad feeling about it. I understood why when she reached the cell, and behold, the last person I would want to see in this state.

I stopped pacing in the small space, fixating my narrowed eyes at her. "What are you doing here?" I questioned, not bothering to hide the bitterness in my tone. Why should I? She knows what she's in for when she decided to make an appearance here.

Her eyes moved from me, to the space of the cell as if she's interrogating it. Her face then scrunched up, lips curled upwards in disgust. "This place is disgusting" Nadine commented, scoffing lightly. Nodding her head slowly, her eyes met mine. "It fits you well"

Believe me when I tell you it's taking everything in me to not march up to her and give her a piece of my mind. She's obviously trying to get under my skin, and she is succeeding without doing much.

It has to do with having being in this cooped up space for hours with little to no one to talk to. Unless Amna or Adnan comes to visit, I have no one else to talk to. And even when they visit, I don't get the time of the world with them before I'm forced to return to this cramped up space.