A Dangerous Attention
534 Words
Ijeoma tried her best to focus on her work, but her mind refused to stay calm.
Ever since that brief conversation with the CEO, something felt… different.
She shook her head slightly.
“Stop thinking about him. He is your boss,” she whispered under her breath.
Still, she couldn’t deny the way his presence made her uneasy.
The office was busier than usual.
Workers moved in and out, typing, discussing, laughing. It was a world far from the quiet life Ijeoma used to know.
She carefully pushed her cleaning cart along the hallway, making sure she didn’t get in anyone’s way.
Suddenly—
She collided with someone.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” she said quickly, lowering her head.
“It’s fine,” a soft female voice replied.
Ijeoma looked up.
The woman standing in front of her was beautiful, elegant, and dressed in expensive clothes. Everything about her screamed wealth and confidence.
“I’m Chelsea,” the woman said with a faint smile.
Ijeoma froze slightly.
Chelsea?
The name sounded familiar…
Before she could think further, another voice interrupted.
“Chelsea.”
Ijeoma’s heart skipped.
She turned.
Akachukwu was standing a few steps away, his expression unreadable.
Chelsea walked toward him casually.
“You didn’t answer my calls,” she said, folding her arms.
“I’ve been busy,” he replied coldly.
The air between them felt tense.
Ijeoma quickly stepped aside, pretending to focus on her work, but she couldn’t stop herself from listening.
“You’re always busy,” Chelsea said, her tone slightly annoyed. “Or is there something else keeping you occupied now?”
Akachukwu didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, his gaze shifted.
For a brief second—
He looked at Ijeoma.
Their eyes met again.
And just like before, something passed between them.
Unspoken. Unexpected.
Dangerous.
Chelsea noticed.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Who is she?” she asked, her voice no longer soft.
Akachukwu looked away from Ijeoma.
“A cleaner,” he said simply.
The word hit harder than Ijeoma expected.
She lowered her head immediately, focusing on her work.
Just a cleaner.
That was all she was.
The hallway felt colder after they walked away.
Ijeoma stood still for a moment, gripping her cleaning cloth tightly.
Why did that hurt?
She didn’t understand.
“He’s right,” she muttered quietly. “I am just a cleaner.”
But deep inside, something disagreed.
Something restless.
Akachukwu stood by the window in his office, staring outside.
But his mind wasn’t on work.
It was on her.
The quiet girl with careful eyes.
The one who didn’t speak much, yet somehow stood out.
He frowned slightly.
“This is unnecessary,” he told himself.
But no matter how much he tried—
He couldn’t push her out of his thoughts.
Downstairs, Ijeoma picked up a file that had accidentally fallen from a desk.
She was about to place it back—
When something inside caught her attention.
Her eyes widened.
“This… this is…”
Before she could process it fully—
A voice came from behind her.
“What are you doing with that file?”
She froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
And saw him.
Akachukwu.
Watching her.
- Writer
