Chapter 8 Between Duty and Desire

(Ethan's POV)

Work had always been my sanctuary - the one place where life made sense. Numbers didn't lie. Contracts didn't change their minds. People... well, they were predictable when money was involved.

But lately, even the steady rhythm of my work couldn't quiet the noise in my head.

Every time I tried to focus on a quarterly report or the next acquisition meeting, my mind drifted back to her - to Amara's eyes in that hospital room, her quiet defiance, her trembling voice when she said, "You don't even know me."

She was right. I didn't know her. But for reasons I couldn't explain, I wanted to.

Sade noticed before anyone else.

"Sir," she said one morning, standing by my desk with her ever-present tablet, "you've rescheduled the same meeting three times."

I looked up, distracted. "Which one?"

"The RMD investment call," she said, her brow raised just slightly - the kind of subtle reproach only she could pull off.

I sighed. "Reschedule it again. Tomorrow."

She hesitated. "If I may speak freely, sir... you've never postponed a deal before."

I gave a half-smile. "There's a first time for everything, Sade."

She studied me for a moment, then said gently, "I take it Miss Obi is doing well?"

I froze. "Excuse me?"

Sade didn't flinch. "I'm not prying, sir. I just... noticed you've been quieter lately. Different."

I leaned back in my chair, watching her. "You've been with me five years, haven't you?"

"Six in February," she said, a hint of pride in her tone.

"Then you know I don't usually mix my personal life with work."

"True," she said, smiling faintly. "Which is why this is new."

I chuckled under my breath. "You're too observant for your own good."

"It's part of my job description." She gave a small bow and walked out before I could say more.

But she wasn't wrong. I was different.

That evening, after the last meeting, I sat alone in my office while the city's lights bled into the glass walls. Lagos after dark always had this hum - impatient, alive, full of ambition and chaos. I'd built my empire inside that hum, learning its language, mastering its rhythm.

And yet now, I felt strangely disconnected from it.

My success suddenly felt... hollow. Like applause after a play you no longer believed in.

I opened my laptop, intending to review an investor proposal, but my email caught my eye instead. A new message.

'From: Amara Obi

Subject: Thank you

Message: I just wanted to say thank you again for your help. I'm doing better now. Please don't worry about me. Take care.'

Short. Polite. Distant.

But I could almost hear her voice in those few words - careful, humble, proud.

I hovered over the keyboard before typing back.

'You don't have to thank me, Amara. Just take care of yourself. I'm glad you're better.'

I didn't expect a reply, but it came within minutes.

'I'm trying. Some days are easier than others.'

I smiled. My fingers hovered again.

'That's how life works. One day at a time.'

Then I hesitated before typing again.

'If you ever want to talk - not about the baby, just... anything - I'll listen.'

I hit send before I could second-guess myself.

---

Over the next few days, our messages became a quiet rhythm of their own. Short, respectful exchanges - nothing dramatic, nothing romantic. But each one left a warmth that lingered longer than it should.

She'd tell me about her classes, her mother's recovery, the noise from her neighbor's generator. I'd tell her about traffic on the bridge, how my coffee always went cold before I finished it, how I sometimes missed Ibadan's quiet.

Somehow, the simplicity of it grounded me.

Then one afternoon, while I was preparing for a meeting with our investors, Sade knocked softly. "Sir, there's someone here to see you."

I frowned. "At this hour?"

"She said her name is Amara."

My pen froze midair. "Amara?"

"Yes, sir. Should I send her in?"

I stood immediately. "Yes. Please."

When she entered, she looked different - more composed, but there was a quiet uncertainty in her eyes. She wore a simple white blouse and jeans, her hair pulled back neatly.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm. "This is unexpected."

"I know. I hope it's okay that I came."

"Of course," I said, motioning for her to sit. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "I just... needed to talk. In person."

I sat across from her, waiting.

She took a deep breath. "I didn't come to ask for anything. I just wanted to thank you properly. For helping me when you didn't have to. For... not judging me."

Her voice wavered at the end, and something in me tightened.

"You don't owe me thanks, Amara," I said quietly. "You didn't take advantage of me. That night was... both of us."

She gave a small, broken laugh. "Maybe. But your world is so different from mine. I keep wondering why you're still here."

I hesitated, searching for the truth. "Because I want to be."

Her eyes widened slightly, like she hadn't expected that answer. "You barely know me."

"Then give me the chance to change that," I said.

She looked down, twisting her fingers. "It's not that easy."

"I know," I said softly. "Nothing worth having ever is."

The silence that followed was heavy but not uncomfortable. The kind of silence that holds more words than speech ever could.

Finally, she stood. "I should go. I didn't mean to interrupt your work."

"You didn't." I walked her to the door. "Let me at least have Sade drive you home."

She shook her head. "No, I'll manage."

I wanted to insist, but her tone left no room.

Before leaving, she turned and said quietly, "You really are different from what I expected."

I smiled faintly. "So are you."

Then she was gone.

---

That night, I couldn't focus on anything. Not on the pending reports, not on the investor dinner, not even on the music playing softly in the background.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her - the way she looked when she said "Why are you still here?"

The truth was simple, even if I couldn't admit it aloud.

Because I wanted to be.

Because I cared.

Because somewhere between duty and desire, something real had begun to grow.

And that terrified me.

A few days later, I was in a board meeting when my phone buzzed quietly on the table. I ignored it at first - until I saw the name flash across the screen. Amara.

I excused myself and stepped into the corridor.

"Amara? What's wrong?"

There was a pause, then her trembling voice. "Ethan... Mama fainted again. They took her to General Hospital."

My heart clenched. "I'm on my way."

"You don't have to-"

"I do," I said firmly. "Stay with her. I'll meet you there."

When I hung up, Sade was already outside, concern etched on her face.

"Sir?"

"Call the driver. We're going to General Hospital, Yaba."

She nodded immediately, no questions asked.

As the car wove through Lagos traffic, I stared out the window, the city blurring past. I wasn't sure what waited for me at that hospital - but I knew this much: I couldn't stay detached anymore.

This wasn't just about responsibility or guilt. It wasn't even about doing the right thing.

It was about her.

Somewhere between boardrooms and balance sheets, Amara had become something I hadn't expected - a reminder that even in a world built on power, the heart still had a voice.

And for the first time in years, I was ready to listen.