CHAPTER 5: A Dangerous Gift
408 Words
By Wednesday, Amara had almost convinced herself she could handle this—that she could pretend Darius Obinna didn’t exist, that he wasn’t a looming presence behind every staff meeting, every subtle nod from a superior.
She kept her head down, focused on her patients, and avoided his floor entirely. If she ran into him again, it would be too soon.
But the man didn’t play by her rules.
After her shift ended, she stepped into the locker room and found a small, elegant black box sitting on the bench beside her bag. No note. No name.
She looked around, heart thudding. The room was empty.
With hesitation, she opened the box.
Inside, nestled in velvet, was a gold bracelet—thin, delicate, and expensive-looking. Her name, Amara, was engraved in cursive on a tiny charm that dangled from the chain.
Her chest tightened.
What. The. Hell.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. A message. Unknown number.
> “You forgot your thank-you again.”
She stared at the screen, pulse racing.
No.
No, no, no.
This was too much.
She typed quickly:
> “Stop sending me things. I’m not one of your toys.”
His reply was instant.
> “You’re right. You’re not a toy. You’re something rare. And I don’t play with what I value.”
She shut her phone off.
---
That night, Amara sat in her small apartment with the box on her table, untouched.
Tolu called. “How’s the new job? Tell me the juicy details.”
Amara hesitated. “It’s… complicated.”
Tolu laughed. “Ah! Complicated how? Office drama? Cute doctors? Spill!”
Amara ran a hand through her hair. “There’s someone. The owner. He—he’s too involved.”
“Too involved how?”
“He got me transferred here. He watches me. Sends things. Says things.” Her voice cracked a little.
Tolu went quiet. “Do you feel unsafe?”
Amara thought about it. “No… I feel… cornered. Like he’s trying to get under my skin.”
“Do you want to leave?”
Amara looked at the bracelet again, heart pounding. “No. Not yet.”
Tolu’s voice softened. “Then be careful, Ama. Men like that? They don’t stop until they get what they want.”
And for the first time since she met Darius, Amara realized something even more dangerous than his obsession:
Part of her didn’t want him to stop.
- Writer
