Novels by Lilian Chikaodili

The nurse hesitated briefly before answering honestly. “It’s difficult to say for certain. It depends entirely on how her body responds to both the surgery and the trauma.”Daniel’s gaze returned to Alicia.Even while unconscious, exhaustion was written all over her pale face. She looked like someone who had been carrying burdens far heavier than her body had been built to endure long before the accident ever happened.“Please, sir,” the nurse added respectfully, “keep an eye on the air conditioner and adjust it if the temperature becomes too cold.”Daniel offered no response. His silence was default acknowledgement. With that, the nurses quietly excused themselves and left the room one after another, allowing silence to settle heavily around him.Daniel remained standing beside the bed for several moments.He simply stared at her without moving, his expression unreadable.Then slowly, almost unconsciously, his eyes drifted toward her hand resting weakly against the sheets.There it

The doctor gave a small nod in acknowledgment, visibly relieved by Daniel’s response. The tension that had been sitting heavily on his shoulders seemed to ease slightly after hearing Daniel agree without further arguments.“I’ll have her moved to the ward,” the doctor said promptly.“Make it a private ward,” Daniel cut in swiftly as he slid his hand into his pockets, his tone calm but firm enough to leave no room for objections.No matter how complicated or inconvenient this situation was becoming, he was not prepared to babysit a sick woman in the middle of a crowded general ward where curious eyes and wandering tongues would never rest.And more importantly, he had absolutely no intention of giving the media something new to feast on. The press had already spent years circling around his family like vultures, waiting for even the smallest scandal tied to the King household.It was already a miracle that the condition attached to securing his inheritance had only required him to secu

Moments later, Daniel made his way back into the hallway. His cold gaze swept briefly over the tightly shut door before dropping to his wristwatch, where the slow passage of time seemed to mock his patience. A flicker of irritation crossed his face, subtle but unmistakable.Out of everything he had expected for the day, nothing had prepared him for this standing outside an emergency unit, waiting for the resuscitation of a woman he did not even know.And yet, calling her a stranger did not sit entirely right with him.There was something about her face, something disturbingly familiar that lingered at the edge of his memory. No matter how hard he tried to place it, the connection refused to surface, slipping away each time he reached for it.With a quiet exhale, Daniel pulled out his phone and dialed a number.The call was answered almost immediately.“Arrived?” a cold, steady voice asked from the other end.“Stuck,” Daniel replied curtly, offering no further explanation.A brief s

The road at that time of the night had always been quiet and less busy.For Alicia, it felt like the perfect moment to take a walk and lose herself in the beauty of Cortland City under the soft glow of streetlights. The calm of the night should have brought her a strange sense of comfort after the betrayal, making it a rare opportunity she seldom had.However, nothing had prepared her for what was about to happen.She had only intended to cross to the other side of the road. She remembered glancing to her right and then to her left before stepping forward.That was the last clear memory she had.Everything after that moment disappeared into darkness.******Daniel sat at the back seat of his car, staring down at the unconscious woman who had been placed beside him.A faint and unfamiliar emotion passed through his mind, but his face remained completely expressionless.His sharp eyes moved across her body, carefully assessing every wound and scratch visible on her skin. From his quic

Evelyn's knee buckled, and she lost her balance. Instinctively, she reached out and held the edge of the couch to steady herself. Stanley, unaware of her condition, kept his gaze fixed on Alicia as she walked out of the room, her head held high and her back straight. It seemed that whatever she had seen and heard had not affected her in any visible way. Others might have broken down, cried, and pleaded for a chance, and maybe even accused him of cheating with her best friend, but she had done none of it. Rather, she had been calm, too calm to even take a good video, unfiltered and raw. ‘She really had some nerve. Why didn't I notice that? She had always loved me, and I am sure she wouldn't be disclosing that video…it’s just a temporary measure.’ ‘Yes…it should be, otherwise…’ Stanley slowly curled his fist, his brow furrowed. He had always known Alicia to be stubborn and proud even before their marriage. But, funny enough, after they got married, even though she never

“I think you’re not worthy.” The words stabbed hard into Alicia's chest like a sharpened sword drawing blood. For a moment, Alicia didn't move, she couldn't breath and didn't even blink. It was as if her entire body had forgotten how to function. The words reechoed a few times in her head while she carefully analyzed each one. “Not worthy?” “Did Stanley just say she wasn't worthy…not worthy to carry his baby. Oh! Wait, he said not worthy of being their surrogate. Would she even want to be their surrogate? She wasn't out of her mind. Then she slowly almost mechanically shifted her gaze toward Evelyn’s stomach.The subtle way her hand rested there, protectively, possessive and proud. Alicia’s fingers curled against the floor.Her nails pressed into her palm, hard enough that hurts but she welcomed the pain. At this moment, it reminded her she wasn't in the dreamland and that every pain she felt was a reality that couldn't be erased. Moreso, she was alive. Even as everything she