Chapter 72: Caught Between Them
319 Words
Maria barely had time to breathe after lunch before she was cornered again—this time not by Daniel, but by Emeka.
“You’ve been acting weird,” he said, falling into step beside her as they walked down the corridor. “What’s going on between you and Mr. Tall, Dark, and Cocky?”
“Nothing,” she replied too quickly.
Emeka raised a brow. “Uh-huh. And I’m the president of Nigeria. Maria, you’re terrible at lying. You used to blush when I teased you, now you just… panic. Who’s got you this flustered?”
Before she could fire back, Daniel appeared from nowhere, sliding into place on her other side like it was the most natural thing in the world. The hallway suddenly felt narrower. His hand brushed hers—just a faint touch, but enough to make her pulse jump.
“What are you two whispering about?” Daniel asked casually, though his gaze flicked between them like he already knew.
“Homework,” Maria said, crossing her arms.
Emeka snorted. “Homework, my foot. Since when does homework make people look like they’re hiding state secrets?”
Daniel’s smirk was slow and deliberate, like he’d just won a game she didn’t even know they were playing. “I hope you’re giving her the right answers, Emeka. Wouldn’t want Maria… distracted.”
Maria’s heartbeat roared in her ears. Daniel’s voice carried that dangerous softness that always made her feel like she was teetering on the edge of something she shouldn’t want.
Emeka stopped walking, clearly annoyed. “Distracted from what, exactly?”
Daniel leaned in, his lips curling into a smile meant for Maria alone. “She knows.”
Maria’s breath caught. Trapped between Daniel’s intense stare on her left and Emeka’s suspicious frown on her right, she felt like she was standing on a tightrope—and one wrong move would send her crashing down.
- Writer
