Chapter 2 The CEO

Cole Harrington adjusted his cufflinks as his driver pulled up to the entrance of the Lagos Oriental Hotel. He was a man used to power-CEO of Harrington Global, a multinational with deep ties in energy and infrastructure. Yet despite his billions, he carried himself with a quiet gravity that set him apart from the boastful tycoons that often crowded his world.

That evening, the hotel buzzed with wealth. Executives mingled in tailored suits, champagne glasses clinking, deals being whispered into existence. Cole, though polite, kept his distance. He wasn't here for shallow networking; he was here to observe, to consider which partnerships truly aligned with his vision.

And then he saw her.

Amara stood near the back of the room, wearing a simple but elegant blue dress she had borrowed from a friend. She looked slightly out of place among the diamonds and designer labels, but there was a quiet dignity about her that drew his eyes. She was speaking to a mid-level manager he knew, her gestures calm yet passionate, her eyes burning with a strength that no setback could dim.

Cole was intrigued. He found himself moving toward her, not even aware he had decided to.

"Evening," he said when the moment allowed. "Cole Harrington."

Amara blinked, startled. She knew that name-everyone in Lagos' energy sector did. He extended his hand, and when she took it, something passed between them. Not sparks in the ordinary sense, but something deeper, as though heaven itself had arranged the encounter.

Her heart skipped. She didn't have space in her life for this-not after everything. Yet the way he looked at her, steady and sincere, made her wonder if maybe, just maybe, something new was about to begin.