Chapter Two — The Arrogant Stranger
1812 Words
Daniel looked down at the coffee stain on his shirt.
For twelve years, he had tried not to think about the Mensah family.
His father had forbidden anyone in the family from mentioning them.
But some names never really disappeared.
They simply waited.
Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
"Hello?"
His mother's voice came through.
"Daniel, where are you?"
"At the office."
"I need you to come home tonight."
"Why?"
There was silence.
Then she said quietly:
"Your father's old case has resurfaced."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"What case?"
Another silence.
"The Mensah case."
Daniel looked toward the café entrance.
The woman who had just walked away from him suddenly seemed very different.
"Mom..."
"I don't want you asking questions over the phone."
"Who brought it back?"
His mother lowered her voice.
"I don't know."
Daniel's fingers tightened around his phone.
"Then find out."
"I've already started."
He ended the call.
For several seconds, he stood completely still.
Then his eyes returned to the door.
Amara Mensah.
He didn't know why she had appeared in his life now.
He didn't know what she wanted.
But one thing suddenly felt certain.
Her arrival was not a coincidence.
And neither was the feeling in his chest when she walked away.
Because for the first time in twelve years, Daniel Asare was looking at a woman who carried the surname of the family he had been taught to hate.
And somehow...
He already wanted to know everything about her.
Meanwhile, outside the café, Amara walked toward the roadside and let out a long breath.
She pulled out her phone.
A message from Patricia had already arrived.
Congratulations, Amara. We'd like to offer you the position.
Amara stopped walking.
Her eyes widened.
She had gotten the job.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
Then another message appeared.
Your start date is Monday. Please report directly to Mr. Daniel Asare.
Her smile disappeared.
"You're kidding me."
She looked up at the sky.
"Of all the men in Accra..."
She had no idea that by accepting that job, she had just stepped into a family secret that had been buried for twelve years.
And she certainly had no idea that the man she had promised herself she would never like...
would eventually become the man she would struggle hardest to live without.
By Monday morning, Amara had convinced herself that Daniel Asare was irrelevant.
Completely irrelevant.
He was her boss.
That was all.
She repeated the thought while standing in front of her bedroom mirror, adjusting the collar of her blouse.
"He's your boss," she whispered.
Not a man she found attractive.
Not a man she was curious about.
Not a man whose dark eyes had stayed in her thoughts far longer than she wanted to admit.
Just her boss.
She picked up her handbag.
"And bosses don't matter."
Her reflection seemed unconvinced.
Amara sighed.
"Don't start."
She left her apartment before she could argue with herself again.
By the time she arrived at Asare Holdings, the morning traffic had already begun its usual assault on Accra.
She entered the enormous glass building and immediately felt out of place.
The reception area was beautiful.
Marble floors.
Modern furniture.
Huge windows overlooking the city.
Employees moved quickly through the lobby, most of them dressed in perfectly tailored clothes.
Amara looked down at herself.
Her navy skirt.
Cream blouse.
Simple black heels.
Professional.
Simple.
Exactly how she liked it.
She approached reception.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
"I'm Amara Mensah. I'm starting today."
The receptionist smiled.
"Yes. We've been expecting you."
She picked up a visitor's badge.
"You'll need this."
"Thank you."
The receptionist hesitated.
"Mr. Asare is expecting you."
Amara's stomach tightened.
Of course he was.
"Where is his office?"
"Forty-second floor."
Amara looked toward the elevators.
"Forty-second?"
"Yes."
She stepped inside.
The doors closed.
For the first time that morning, she allowed herself to breathe.
She stared at the numbers above the elevator doors.
The doors opened.
A woman was waiting.
"Miss Mensah?"
"Yes."
"I'm Lydia, Mr. Asare's executive assistant."
Amara smiled.
"Nice to meet you."
"You too."
Lydia studied her for a moment.
Then smiled.
"He's been waiting."
Amara raised an eyebrow.
"I assumed he would be."
Lydia laughed softly.
"You're going to have to forgive him."
"Forgive him for what?"
"Being Daniel."
Amara blinked.
"Is that a personality disorder?"
Lydia laughed again.
"I like you already."
She led Amara through a corridor lined with photographs of Daniel's father, the company's founder.
Amara slowed down.
The man in the photographs looked stern.
Powerful.
Untouchable.
Something about his face felt strangely familiar.
"That's Mr. Asare's father," Lydia explained.
Amara nodded.
"Beautiful family."
Lydia's smile faded slightly.
"Complicated family."
Before Amara could ask what she meant, they reached a large wooden door.
Lydia knocked.
"Come in."
Daniel's voice.
Amara immediately recognized it.
Lydia opened the door.
Daniel stood behind his desk, dressed in a dark suit.
No coffee stain this time.
He looked annoyingly perfect.
His eyes lifted.
They landed on Amara.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Daniel said,
"You're late."
Amara glanced at the clock.
8:58 a.m.
"My working hours begin at nine."
"It's 8:58."
"Exactly."
Lydia looked down, hiding a smile.
Daniel's expression remained serious.
"Sit."
Amara sat.
Daniel picked up a file.
"I've reviewed your résumé."
"Good."
"You have experience."
"Yes."
"But this position requires discretion."
"I understand."
"Long hours."
"I understand."
"Pressure."
"I understand."
"Working directly with me."
Amara paused.
Then smiled.
"That may be the most challenging part."
Lydia coughed.
Daniel looked at her.
"Is that supposed to be funny?"
"No."
"It sounded like it."
"Maybe you should improve your sense of humor."
Silence.
Lydia stared at the floor.
Daniel leaned back in his chair.
For a moment, Amara thought he might fire her before she had even officially started.
Instead, he smiled.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
It was a warning.
"I see we're going to have problems."
Amara smiled back.
"Only if you create them."
Daniel's eyes remained on hers.
Something changed in his expression.
Not anger.
Interest.
A dangerous kind of interest.
He closed the file.
"Your first assignment."
He pushed a folder across the desk.
Amara opened it.
"What's this?"
"A project we're launching next month."
She scanned the documents.
"This is the community healthcare initiative."
"Yes."
"I've heard about it."
"Good."
"I thought the medical division was handling it."
"They were."
"Then why am I involved?"
"Because I need someone outside the medical division."
Amara looked up.
"Why?"
"Because I need someone who won't tell me what I want to hear."
She studied him.
"And you think that's me?"
"I already know it."
The answer caught her off guard.
Daniel stood.
"Your job is to review the project proposal and identify weaknesses."
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
Amara's eyes widened.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"That's a two-hundred-page document."
"I know."
"You expect me to read two hundred pages in one day?"
"No."
He walked around the desk.
"I expect you to read it tonight."
Amara stared at him.
"You're serious."
"Very."
She closed the folder.
"Do you make a habit of giving new employees impossible assignments?"
"Only the promising ones."
The words hung between them.
Amara felt an unexpected warmth rise to her cheeks.
She hated that.
She stood.
"I'll have it tomorrow."
"I know."
She turned toward the door.
"Miss Mensah."
She looked back.
Daniel was watching her again.
"Yes?"
"Don't disappoint me."
Amara smiled.
"Don't give me a reason to."
She walked out.
The moment the door closed behind her, Lydia looked at Daniel.
"You like her."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"I don't."
"You do."
"I've known her for three days."
"And you've been smiling more in three days than you have in three months."
Daniel picked up his phone.
"Get back to work."
Lydia grinned.
"Yes, sir."
By six-thirty that evening, the office was nearly empty.
Amara was still working.
She had finished reading the first hundred pages.
Her eyes were tired.
Her coffee was cold.
Her patience was gone.
She looked at the folder.
"Two hundred pages," she muttered.
"Ridiculous man."
She continued reading.
At seven-thirty, she heard footsteps.
She looked up.
Daniel was standing outside her office.
His jacket was gone.
His sleeves were rolled to his forearms.
Amara's eyes lingered for half a second too long.
She quickly looked back at the documents.
"Still here?"
His voice was quieter than usual.
"You told me to finish this."
"I didn't tell you to stay until midnight."
"It's not midnight."
He glanced at the clock.
"Almost eight."
"Exactly."
Daniel walked closer.
"You should go home."
"I'll leave when I'm done."
"You'll make mistakes when you're tired."
Amara looked up.
"I thought you wanted results."
"I do."
"Then let me work."
He stared at her.
Then, unexpectedly, he placed a cup on her desk.
Amara looked at it.
Coffee.
She looked at him.
"What's this?"
"Coffee."
"I can see that."
"Then why ask?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"Is this poisoned?"
His lips curved.
"No."
"Trying to apologize for the other day?"
"No."
"Then why?"
Daniel shrugged.
"You looked like you needed it."
For the first time since she had met him, Amara didn't have an immediate response.
She picked up the cup.
"Thank you."
He nodded.
Then turned to leave.
"Daniel?"
He stopped.
It was the first time she had used his first name.
He looked back.
"Yes?"
Amara hesitated.
"Your father..."
Daniel's expression changed immediately.
"What about him?"
"I saw the photographs."
"And?"
"I was just wondering..."
She stopped.
He waited.
"Never mind."
Daniel's eyes remained fixed on her.
"Good."
He walked away.
Amara watched him disappear down the corridor.
Something was wrong.
She didn't know what.
But she had noticed the change in his face.
The moment she mentioned his father, Daniel had become a completely different man.
Cold.
Guarded.
Almost frightened.
Amara looked at the coffee in her hand.
Then back at the empty corridor.
She had come to Asare Holdings for a job.
Nothing more.
But she was beginning to suspect that getting close to Daniel Asare meant getting close to secrets she had never intended to uncover.
And somewhere across the building, Daniel stood alone in his office, staring through the glass window at the city.
His phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
She has started working for you.
Daniel's face hardened.
Another message arrived.
You should have stopped her.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
Then a final message appeared.
Because if Amara discovers what your father did to her family, she will never forgive you.
Daniel stared at the words.
For the first time since meeting Amara, the arrogant confidence disappeared from his face.
He whispered to himself,
"She can't find out."
But somewhere deep inside, he already knew the truth.
He wasn't afraid of Amara discovering the secret.
He was afraid of what would happen when she discovered he had known all along.
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