CRACKS AND CODE

A GAME OR NOT

Curtis tilted his head. “So you're just playing games and Kaitu happens to be the pawn?”

The word hit like a strike. Maxwell’s jaw clenched; his hand curled into a fist against the armrest before he forced it flat again. His gaze snapped to Curtis, sharp enough to cut. “Don’t call her that.”

Curtis held up his hands, backing off. “It’s you who implied it, Max.” His tone softened. “But if you want my two cents… she doesn’t strike me as someone you play games with.”

Maxwell exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face. His voice was quieter now, almost reluctant. “Look, Kaitu and I can’t be official. She’s not from my world, Curt. And in this city, it’s hard to fully trust anyone’s intentions. You know how girls can be.”

Curtis’s gaze sharpened. “I hear you, but honestly? Kaitu isn’t like that. She works harder than most people in this building, she’s brilliant, and she’s got a lot of potential. If you asked me, she’s earned every inch of where she is.”

Maxwell’s jaw tightened. “Isabella is better fitted for my world. She understands the expectations, the image, the… weight of it all.”

Curtis gave a small smirk. “So you and Kaitu, what’s that? And don’t say ‘nothing.’”

Maxwell hesitated, his jaw ticking. “There’s a mutual attraction. That’s it. The only way about it is for us to keep the distance between us. Anytime we are too close, we start crossing boundaries we shouldn't.”

Curtis straightened from the desk, voice lowering, his tone threading between warning and weary insight.
“Then you better stick to that and stop giving her hope. Let me tell you something you might not see. I talk to Kaitu more than you do. And as much as she plays tough, on the inside she’s emotional, Max. Very emotional. You’d better tread carefully. Don’t hurt her while you’re figuring out your games.”

He paused, watching Maxwell in silence for a beat before adding, “And another thing… that tension between her and Isabella? Don’t kid yourself it’s just about the presentation. You’re right in the middle of it, whether you like it or not.”

Maxwell’s jaw tensed. “That’s not true.”

Curtis gave a small, knowing smirk. “If you say so.” He pushed off the desk and headed for the door. “Just remember, when personal lines blur, business gets bloody.”

He walked out, leaving the silence thick behind him.

Max sat motionless for a long moment, the word pawn still echoing in his head like a taunt. That wasn’t what Kaitu was to him. If anything, she was the one person who managed to get under his skin without even trying.

He leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting to the photograph in the paper, Kaitu beside Anisa, radiant and self-assured, the headline screaming about fashion as the new gold mine. A surge of pride rose in him, sharp and unexpected. He wanted to be near her… not for strategy, not for revenge, but because she made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Alive. Curious.

His throat worked as he muttered under his breath, “Damn it, Kaitu.”

Outside his office window, the Nairobi skyline glimmered in the morning light, but Maxwell's gaze stayed fixed on that photograph, on her smile, and on the gnawing fear that Curtis might not be entirely wrong.

Dear Codebreakers,

In this chapter, we got to sit inside Maxwell’s head for once; the man who is quietly unraveling under the weight of want, duty and betrayal.

If you weren’t sure before, I hope this chapter makes it clear: Curtis Mwamba doesn’t just see things… he studies them. He is a loyal man with sharp instincts and inconvenient honesty. He’s the friend who will drag you out of the fire while shouting that you’re the idiot who walked into it.
And he’s the one person who sees both Maxwell and Kaitu more clearly than they see themselves.

Anisa is quietly reshaping Curtis more than he wants to admit.
And Maxwell is definitely afraid of what Kaitu makes him feel.

🔍 Some Questions For You Codebreakers:

1. Do you think Maxwell is being honest with himself about why he’s keeping his distance from Kaitu?

2. Is Curtis right; is Maxwell giving Kaitu hope without realizing it?

3. How do you interpret Maxwell’s reaction to seeing her in the newspaper?

4. And finally… who do you think understands Maxwell better at this point: Curtis or Maxwell himself?

Buckle in codebreakers.
The political minefield is widening.
The emotional one is too.

See you in the next chapter