<h4>Chapter 621: You Killed Him, Didn’t You?</h4>


    Murmurs rose again, hushed and uneasy. Somto had note with them.


    And at the center of it all sat Nnenna, upright in her chair, her expression unreadable as she met their stares head on.


    Obinna broke the silence. He straightened his shoulders and moved forward, it fell on him to greet them, since Somto... hadn’te.


    "Wee to Lionara, Prince Carl, Prince Arthur, Dr. Darius." His voice was steady, respectful.


    The three gave him brief nods, acknowledgment without ceremony.


    Then his eyes found Nnenna.


    A soft smile touched his face, not betraying his surprise at sight of the wheelchair. "Wee home, Nnenna. We missed you."


    Her chest pinched. For a second, she froze. But then she remembered, Obinna had already begun treating her differently before she left for Lionara. Kinder. Gentler. She never understood why.


    Still, respect deserved respect. She dipped her head slightly. "It’s good to be home."


    "Wee back!" Ebere stepped forward and bent down to wrap her in a hug, warmth cutting through the heavy air.


    Abuchi grinned and gave her shoulder a light pat. yful as always, but careful, aware of where they were.


    Nnenna’s lips curved, her voice slipping out before she could stop it. "I missed you guys."


    "Where’s Somto?" Queen Chioma cut in sharply, her tone almost rude. Her eyes narrowed on Nnenna, the disdain in her voice barely hidden. She had never been a fan of the girl.


    Carl stepped forward, answering before Nnenna could even open her mouth. "I think we should go inside first," he said gently, though the tightness in his jaw betrayed his irritation at Chioma’s attitude.


    Recognizing who had spoken, Queen Chioma lowered her gaze, the edge in her voice softening.


    Obinna, however, felt the tension spreading. He quickly dismissed the remaining members of the court, ending the formal wee.


    The absence of their king’s return already weighed heavily on them, Somto’s closest friends were here, but Somto himself was nowhere to be seen.


    A sharp unease coiled in Obinna’s chest. Somto had promised him he would help guide the kingdom, even from afar. But for more than six months now, his phone had remained switched off.


    Worry had gnawed at the family daily. Still, it wasn’t the first time. Sometimes, Somto disappeared for years. Yet one thing had always been true: whenever they truly needed him, he always returned.


    The family led Nnenna, Arthur, Carl, and Darius into the dining hall, insisting they must be hungry after the long journey. But when they arrived, no one took their seats. The food remained untouched.


    "There’s something I need to tell you all," Nnenna said atst, her voice low, her hands gripping the arms of her wheelchair as if drawing strength from them. She had braced herself for this moment, but as silence wrapped around the room, her throat closed. The words refused toe.


    Minutes stretched.


    Finally, Carl ced a steady hand on her shoulder and stepped forward. "I’ll say it," he murmured, taking the weight from her trembling voice.


    "Let’s sit first." he guessed at the dinning table and walked forward. Everyone else followed suit.


    The dining hall was unusually still. Even the faint clink of cutlery had been muted, as if the family themselves knew what wasing. Carl drew in a breath, his tone steady, though his eyes carried the weight of memory.


    "Seven months ago..." he began, deliberately leaving out the parts no one outside their circle should know. "He was one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met. He fought when others would have run. And though he’s gone, Somto will never be forgotten."


    The words fell heavy.


    Arthur’s gaze, usually sharp, dropped to the table. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles pale, though his face remained unreadable. The discipline in him wouldn’t allow his grief to show, not here, not yet.


    Ebere pressed a hand to her mouth, a small choked sound escaping despite her effort to stayposed. Tears blurred her eyes as she reached for Nnenna’s shoulder, holding on tightly, as if she could anchor herself from crumbling.


    Abuchi leaned back in his chair suddenly, like the words had knocked the air out of his chest. His lips parted, but no sound came. He gave a brokenugh that wasn’tughter at all, more disbelief than anything, then covered his face with both hands.


    Obinna sat stiff, shoulders rigid. His eyes darted from Carl to the floor, searching for something solid to hold onto. Somto had been his adviser in almost allvthings, his promised support for the kingdom.


    Hearing it confirmed, even in Carl’s careful tone, was like the ground giving way beneath him. His lips pressed together hard, but his trembling hands betrayed him.


    Chidera, the youngest, didn’t react at first. He just stared nkly at Carl, his expression lost, like the words hadn’t made sense yet.


    Then his chest rose sharply, and the chair screeched as he pushed back, stumbling to his feet. "No," he whispered, voice shaking. "No, you’re lying. He alwayses back. Always." His denial echoed against the silent walls, fragile and raw.


    The air in the hall grew heavier with every passing second. Each person’s grief spilled in its own way, anger, silence, denial, tears, but together, it painted one thing clearly: Somto’s absence had finally be real.


    And at the center of it all, Nnenna sat frozen, her throat burning. She had thought she was ready to face this moment. But seeing them break one after the other made the truth cut deeper than she imagined.


    "You killed him, didn’t you?" Queen Chioma’s voice sliced through the silence like a de.


    "What?" Nnenna’s head snapped up, eyes wide in disbelief. The words felt unreal, like they belonged to a nightmare.


    "She had nothing to do with this," Carl shot back, his voice firm. But Chioma’s eyes burned with a certainty only grief could twist into something cruel.


    <fn6d85> Th?s chapter is updated by find(?)ovel</fn6d85>


    "No!" Queen Chioma shouted, shaking her head violently. "He suddenly says he’s taking her somewhere, refuses to tell us where. And now this?"


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