Osato's legs felt like jelly by the time she stepped out of the tube station near her tiny flat. The cold evening wind slapped her cheeks, but she barely felt it. Her mind was too full.
The job.
Hamilton's stare.
The system glitch.
Ebenezer's warning.
His breath on her neck when Hamilton almost caught him.
And then the last thing he said:
"Lock your door. From the inside."
Her heart thudded as she fumbled with her keys and finally stepped into her apartment. The silence felt heavy, like the flat itself knew she'd stepped into something bigger than herself.
She tossed her bag on the bed and collapsed face-first into her pillow.
Five seconds later—
Her phone rang.
JANNET.
Barney would surely be with her; those two were glued together like bad decisions and coconut rice.
Osato answered.
"Babe!" Jannet's shrill voice screamed through the speaker. "Talk fast! How was first day? Did they give you laptop? Are there fine boys? Did you embarrass us? Did you cry?"
Osato groaned. "Can I breathe—"
"NO," Barney cut in, his deep teasing voice filling the line. "Talk. We have been refreshing your chat for hours. Hours, Osato. Jannet even prayed for you. Imagine. Prayer."
Jannet hissed. "Will you shut up?"
Osato laughed despite her stress. "Okay, okay. I'll talk."
She sat up, pulling her blanket over her legs.
"It was… stressful."
"Normal," Barney said. "That's how jobs behave on first day. Continue."
"And the company is weird. Like… the energy is off. Everyone is tense. The CEO looks like he taxes people's souls."
"Ehn ehn," Jannet said dramatically. "We like am. Go on."
Osato hesitated. Her heart began beating faster.
"And… something else happened."
"Ah! I knew it." Barney clapped. "Spill."
"There's this guy…"
Two seconds of silence.
Then they both screamed through the phone loud enough for the neighbors to complain.
"OSATO EDEBIRI!"
"What did I just hear?!"
"There's WHAT?"
"A GUY? On day one? Efficiency queen!"
Osato covered her face. "Can you two behave?"
"No," they both replied in unison.
"Okay," she muttered. "But listen first. He's a chauffeur."
The line went so quiet she thought they disconnected.
Then—
Barney burst out laughing.
Jannet wheezed so loud she choked.
"A chauffeur?" Barney repeated, giggling uncontrollably. "Osato of London! Edo princess! Falling for man that drives steering!"
Jannet screamed, "Driver love story! Osato why?! London full of bankers and software boys but you picked Uber Pro Max?!"
"Oh my God," Osato muttered. "You two are insane."
"No but wait," Jannet gasped between laughs, "is he at least fine?"
Osato clenched her blanket. "He's… fine."
"How fine?"
She swallowed. "Like… annoyingly fine. Tall. Dark. Serious face. Quiet. Eyes that look like they're studying your soul."
Jannet squealed. "Ha! Osato has fallen."
"I have not fallen," she snapped.
Barney made kissing noises. "You have fallen inside gutter."
Osato hissed. "Will you people behave?"
"Never," Jannet said. "Anyway continue. What did he do?"
She exhaled slowly.
"He helped me with my work."
"Eh? Just like that?" Barney asked.
"No," she said quietly. "He knows… things. Things he's not supposed to know. He corrected the whole system. He said he BUILT the first draft. With his hands."
"That's not driver behaviour," Jannet muttered. "That one is undercover boss."
"And then he said he has a PhD."
"Who?" Barney choked. "Who has PhD? The driver?"
"Yes."
Silence.
Then Barney whispered dramatically, "What kind of Yoruba demon with extra certification is this?"
Osato couldn't help laughing, but the laughter faded quickly.
"He also… warned me."
Jannet's voice dropped. "Warned you how?"
"He told me to be careful who I trust there. That things are not what they look like."
"Hmm," Barney hummed darkly. "As in conspiracy vibes?"
"Yes. And… he told me to lock my door tonight. From the inside."
Both of them went silent.
Properly silent.
"Osato," Jannet said slowly. "This is not romantic again oh."
Barney added, voice serious now, "This one pass love story. Why will driver—sorry, PhD-driver—tell you that?"
"I don't know," she whispered. "And I'm scared to ask."
Jannet exhaled shakily. "Babe… be careful."
"I know."
"But also," Barney added softly, "don't lie… you like him."
Osato went quiet.
Her heart answered the question before her mouth did.
"…Yes," she whispered.
But it wasn't just liking.
It was curiosity.
Fear.
Attraction.
Obsession.
And something that felt like standing near a flame she couldn't pull away from.
Jannet's voice softened. "Osato… just be careful. And no matter what—call us. Anything funny, call."
"I will."
"Good girl," Barney said warmly. "Now go and eat. And lock your door. Two times."
Osato hung up and stared at her small bedroom ceiling.
She reached for the locks—
Click.
Click.
Two locks.
Just like he said.
But even as she settled into bed, heart hammering…
She had the distinct feeling—
Ebenezer knew something she didn't.
And whatever it was…
was already moving toward her.
Osato lay back on her mattress, blanket pulled up to her chin, the soft hum of her tiny heater filling the room. Her eyelids grew heavy. The day had drained her—mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Every muscle begged for sleep.
Her phone rested beside her on the pillow, the screen dark.
She exhaled deeply…
Her mind drifted…
The world began to fade…
Then—
RIIIIING.
Her phone vibrated violently against her pillow.
Osato jolted upright, heart slamming into her ribs.
Who the hell was calling her by this time of night?
She blinked at the screen.
INCOMING CALL:
MR. HAMILTON — CEO
Her blood froze.
For a second she wondered if she was dreaming. She rubbed her eyes.
No. It was real.
Why would the CEO call her? At night? On her first day?
Her heart pounded so loud she could hear it in her ears.
She cleared her throat, forcing stability into her voice, and swiped to answer.
"G-good evening, sir."
His deep, smooth British-Nigerian accent floated through the receiver like silk layered over steel.
"Osato."
He said her name as if he had been practicing it.
"As you must already know, I don't make late-night calls unless they are important."
Her stomach tightened. "Did I—did something happen, sir?"
"No," he replied calmly. "Quite the opposite."
There was a soft rustling sound in the background, as if he was pacing in an elegant office somewhere.
"I called," he continued, "because I reviewed your onboarding files."
Osato's breath hitched.
"And I must say…"
A pause.
"…you impressed me."
She blinked. Hard.
"Sir?"
"You impressed me," he repeated, voice warm but controlled. "Your work ethic. Your speed. Your confidence with the interface—even when the system glitched."
Her heart dropped into her stomach.
The glitch—
The one Ebenezer fixed—
The one Hamilton wasn't supposed to notice—
She swallowed. "Ah… thank you, sir."
"I mean it," he added, voice dipping slightly. "You handled yourself with remarkable composure. New employees usually crumble. Some cry in the restroom. Some quit before lunch."
He chuckled softly.
"You? You performed like someone who's been here months."
Osato hesitated. "I appreciate the kind words, sir."
"And one more thing," he said, tone subtly shifting—warmer, softer, almost… admiring.
"You're dedicated. I see that. I value that."
The room felt smaller.
Warmer.
Her skin tingled.
This was not normal CEO–employee conversation.
"You're the type of person we want to keep," he finished.
Osato couldn't breathe for a second.
"Thank you, sir. I'll keep doing my best."
"Hm."
His low hum rolled down her spine.
"Get some rest, Osato. Tomorrow will be a big day."
A bigger day? Why?
She wanted to ask, but the words stuck in her throat.
"Good night," he said softly.
By And then more quietly, almost whispered—
"Sleep well."
The line clicked.
Osato slowly lowered the phone onto her blanket.
Her heartbeat refused to calm.
She lay back down, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything—the praise, the tone of his voice, the way he said her name.
Admiration?
Interest?
Something else entirely?
And for a terrifying, confusing second…
She wondered:
Was the danger inside Hamilton & Rhodes coming from Ebenezer's warning—
or from the CEO who was now paying too much attention to her?
Her eyes fluttered closed again…
But sleep didn't come easily.
Not tonight.