h4Chapter 512: No Way I’m Letting This Go/h4

    How could he look his best friend in the eye, knowing he stood in the way of a love Arthur never even got the chance to reim?

    Both paths hurt.

    Both led to heartbreak.

    Somto looked down, voice low and cracked.

    "What do I do?" he whispered.

    He wasn’t asking Arthur. Or Carl. He was just... asking.

    To Arthur, watching quietly from the side, that whisper only added to the weight he felt in his chest.

    He’s furious, Arthur thought. He probably thinks I crossed a line I swore I wouldn’t. That I betrayed our brotherhood.

    Carl, on the other hand, had gonepletely silent. But he was observing. Reading. Thinking.

    His eyes moved between them, quietly forming theories, piecing together half told stories and unsaid truths.

    He didn’t fully understand it yet, but one thing was bing clearer by the second:

    Somto wasn’t just protective of Nnenna.

    He was attached.

    And in Carl’s mind, that attachment might be the reason Somto couldn’t imagine anyone, not even Arthur, being worthy of her.

    But one thing was certain now.

    Carl finally broke the silence, his voice steady and firm.

    "Since you can’t give her your whole heart," he said, looking straight at Arthur, "then yeah, it’s better to let those feelings go. I won’t let Nnenna get hurt. Not even by you."

    His tone carried no anger, only absolute seriousness.

    Arthur didn’t hesitate.

    "I would never hurt her," he replied immediately, his voice filled with quiet conviction. "I already made that choice, the same one you’re talking about. I let it go."

    Carl held his gaze for a few more seconds... then nodded.

    "Good."

    And just like that, the tension broke.

    Carl leaned back, stretching with a dramatic sigh. "It’ste. I need my beauty sleep before I start looking as rugged as Arthur."

    Arthur let out a breath ofughter, shaking his head.

    Carl stood first, brushing off his trousers. He reached out a hand to help Arthur up, not that Arthur needed it, but he epted it anyway.

    Then Carl turned to Somto, who still hadn’t said a word. His expression remained unreadable, though his eyes burned with something unresolved.

    "Come on," Carl said, stretching a hand toward him.

    Somto hesitated... then took it.

    Carl pulled him up in one smooth motion.

    "Let it go, Somto," Carl said quietly. "The man already said he’s given up."

    Somto didn’t reply, but his eyes flicked toward Arthur briefly.

    Carl pped a hand on his shoulder.

    "It’s a shame, honestly. I don’t know where we’ll find someone better for Nnenna than Arthur..." he said with a small, bittersweet smile. "But I’m sure, somewhere out there, someone wille along who’ll treasure our girl like we do."

    There was a quiet beat. A fragile pause.

    He had expected Somto’s face to finally rx, and it did.

    But then, Carl caught something else. A look. A subtle, loaded look Somto gave him right when he mentioned someone out there who would treasure Nnenna.

    And just like that, one of Carl’s old theories, the one he had buried deep and tossed aside, suddenly roared back to life.

    Does Somto... like Nnenna?

    He couldn’t shake the thought as the three of them walked back in silence.

    That call on the night of Somto’s coronation...

    The girl he mentioned had been a minor, close in age to his younger sisters.

    And he had clearly said... she didn’t like him back.

    Carl had teased him then, listing all the girls they knew in that age range, but Somto hadn’t responded. Not even once. Just brushed it off.

    Now that he thought about it... Nnenna’s recent fondness toward Somto had grown too noticeable to ignore.

    Like that moment a few days ago, when she described all three of them with casual yfulness... but something shifted when she got to Somto. A different vibe entirely.

    Then there was that opening dance at Somto’s coronation. Carl had watched it, casually at the time, but now... looking back... something had felt off. An unspoken tension. A quiet intimacy. He had dismissed it then.

    Not to mention, when those rumors spread and some of Somto’s family dared to pin their father’s death on Nnenna, it had been Somto who stepped forward.

    Without hesitation. He didn’t just clear her name... he yed that footage in front of an entire continent, and beyond. He made it impossible for anyone to doubt her again.

    And then just a few minutes ago, Arthur had given Somto a specific look. Right after confessing his feelings and hearing Carl tell him to go for it. That look hadn’t been random. It had been weighed, uncertain... almost apologetic.

    Carl’s eyes widened slightly, the realization hitting him like a silent thunderp.

    Have I really been missing something this big? he thought, half shocked, half in disbelief.

    He turned slightly, sneaking a quick nce at Somto, who was walking a little ahead, expression unreadable again.

    Carl narrowed his eyes, determination settling in.

    No way I’m letting this go. I need answers.

    I must investigate this.

    ------------‐

    Some hours passed. The sun had already risen when Nnenna finally opened her eyes, drawing a deep sigh of relief from everyone in the pce.

    Queen White had cancelled the birthday ball that was meant to hold that Sunday night. Her daughter’s health came first. With exams starting the next day, she wanted Nnenna to rest as much as possible.

    Carl, ever the protector, had suggested asking the school board to shift the exams. But Nnenna shook her head.

    "I just want to get it over with," she said firmly.

    Still, she wasn’t reckless. For the rest of Sunday, she took things seriously, eating properly, taking all her medications, and sleeping as much as her body demanded. She wanted to bounce back quickly, not just for the exams, but for herself.

    Luckily, the exam schedule favored her. They were starting with the main courses, written papers and practicals, before moving on to the second major and the two talent based assessments.