Chapter 2 THE CEO WHO NOTICED HER

Shedrack Nwokocha stepped out of the SUV the moment it rolled into the company compound. His security team moved quickly, opening doors, clearing space, and saluting him in quiet respect. To most people, this was normal. Expected. The life of a CEO with a name heavy enough to make people shift when he entered a room.

But Shedrack wasn't in his usual cold focus this morning.

He was thinking about her.

The girl at the junction.

That splash of muddy water.

The shock on her face.

And the way she still stood visibly embarrassed, but not broken.

Most people would have screamed.

Some would have insulted him.

Others would have used the opportunity to beg for money.

But she didn't.

She simply wiped her dress and rejected his offer with dignity.

Shedrack walked through the glass doors of his company, but his mind stayed behind at that junction. He didn't even see her properly, yet something about her pulled at him something he couldn't explain.

He reached his office, removed his glasses, and dropped into his chair.

His assistant entered.

"Sir, the board meeting will begin in thirty minutes."

He nodded without looking up.

"And, uh... you seem distracted, sir," the assistant added carefully.

Shedrack raised a brow. "Handle the meeting prep."

"Yes, sir."

When she left, he exhaled deeply.

He didn't like feeling distracted.

Not by anything and especially not by a woman whose name he didn't even know.

He pushed the thoughts aside and returned to work.

Meanwhile; Ema's day was falling apart...

Ema sat in the back of a keke, holding the muddy hem of her dress away from her legs. The driver kept turning back, giving her sympathetic looks.

"Madam, sorry o," he said. "Na that big man splash you?"

She smiled weakly. "It wasn't on purpose."

"Chai. You try sef. My wife no go gree."

Ema laughed lightly, but her chest felt tight.

She had a delivery to make, and now she looked like someone who rolled on the ground.

And worse... Chuka was coming to see her later.

She didn't want problems.

When she got to the customer's office, she apologized again and again. Luckily, the woman was understanding and even tipped her.

But Ema couldn't shake off the morning's strange encounter.

The voice.

The calm command.

The sharp but quiet presence.

She didn't know who he was, but something told her... he wasn't ordinary.

......

Shedrack couldn't let it go.

By afternoon, he had given up pretending the incident didn't affect him.

He called his driver.

"The girl we splashed today. Did you see her clearly?"

"Not very much, sir. Eemm...I think she is slim, fair and a fine girl. She looked like person wey dey struggle but still holding herself well."

Shedrack nodded slowly; that matched his memory.

"Find out if any CCTV caught the area where it happened. I want a clear picture."

His driver blinked. "Sir... CCTV? For ordinary splash?"

Shedrack gave him a look that ended the question.

The driver bowed. "Yes, sah"

When the man left, Shedrack leaned back in his chair, annoyed at himself.

Why do I care?

He didn't chase women. They chased him.

But this one... something in her eyes had stayed with him.

It was sharp but gentle.

............

By evening, Ema was back home, changing into a fresh outfit before Chuka arrived. She checked the mirror simple, natural, tidy.

Her phone buzzed.

Chuka:

I'm close. Come outside. And don't make me wait.

Ema swallowed.

Her stomach tightened with that familiar mix of fear and loyalty. She owed him, didn't she? After everything he had done for her?

She picked up her bag and stepped outside.

She had no idea her world was already shifting.

That somewhere across the city, a billionaire CEO was searching for her face.

That fate was drawing two lines closer... waiting for the moment they would cross again.