Novels by SUCCESS TALBOT

THE TRUTH ABOUT CLARA The hospital smelled like antiseptic and fear. Amara ran down the corridor of UPTH, her slippers slapping loudly. Evelyn was waiting outside Ward C. "He's inside. Minor fracture in his leg, some bruises. A truck brushed his car on his way back from Eleme site. He's awake." Amara pushed the door open. Daniel was lying on the bed, his leg in a cast, his forehead bandaged. He looked pale and tired. But when he saw her, his eyes lit up. "You came," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I was worried," she said, tears already falling. She sat beside him. And then she saw her. Standing by the window, holding a bag of fruits. Clara. Clara looked different without makeup. Smaller. Nervous. Amara's heart tightened. Her fists clenched. "What is she doing here? Clara stepped forward. "Amara, right? I think we need to talk. Outside? "I have nothing to say to you," Amara snapped. "Please. Five minutes. For him." Daniel looked at Amara. "Please listen

DOUBT Doubt is a quiet poison. After the photograph, everything changed. Amara started checking Clara's page every day. Clara posted every day. A new dress. A new angle with Daniel in the background. At work, Amara became distracted. Her boss asked if she was okay. Daniel tried. He really tried. He sent flowers to Lagos. He did video calls. But every call turned into an argument about Clara? "Why is she still around you?" "She works here, Amara! I can't fire her!" "You can tell her to stay away from you!" "I did!" But he hadn't. Not really. Because Clara was useful. She brought clients. Her father knew people. Daniel's boss liked her. One night, Amara was crying on the phone. "Maybe we're forcing something that isn't working," she whispered. Daniel froze. He was standing on his balcony, looking at the city. "Don't say that." "I'm tired, Daniel. I'm tired of fighting over a woman I have never met." "So am I. But I don't want to lose you. "Then don't," she cried.

CHAPTER 4: THE SECRET AND THE OPPORTUNITY* Two weeks later, everything was perfect again. Vanessa had gone quiet. Too quiet. Amara tried to forget about her. Then on a Tuesday morning, Amara got the email that would change everything. Subject: CONGRATULATIONS - LEAD CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST - LAGOS OFFICE. It was from her company's head office. They wanted her to lead a six-month project in Lagos. It was huge. Double her salary. Her own team. It was the exact opportunity she had prayed for - the first step toward her own agency. SIX MONTHS APART. Lagos was everything Amara dreamed of and everything she hated. Her new office in Victoria Island was glass and air-conditioning and deadlines that never ended. Her team respected her. Her salary alert made her mother cry on the phone. But her small service apartment in Yaba was cold. The first month was easy. Daniel called every night at 9pm. Sometimes video. He would show her his site, she would show him her campaign boards. T

CHAPTER 6: FALLING The next morning, Amara woke up to a voice note. Daniel's voice, low and sleepy: "Good morning, beautiful trouble. I kept thinking about last night. I think I should tell you... I'm not good at casual. If we do this, I want it to be real." Amara smiled into her pillow. She played it three times. Their relationship became official without any big announcement. It just... happened. He was there. She was there. They were together. Every morning brought a "Have you eaten?" text. Every evening brought a long call. One night, Amara fell asleep while they were on the phone. She was exhausted from a pitch presentation. When she woke up at 2am, the call was still connected. She could hear him breathing softly. "Daniel?" A sleepy mumble. "Hmm?" "You didn't hang up?"l "I wanted to make sure you slept well," he said, half-asleep. "Go back to sleep, love." Love. He had called her love. Her heart melted. She didn't say anything. She just smiled and closed he

AN UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP He called two days later. Amara stared at the unknown number on her phone screen for a long time before answering. She was at her desk, surrounded by campaign mockups "Hello?" "Hi. I was beginning to think you had blocked me before I even got a chance to annoy you." It was him. Amara couldn't help but smile. "I haven't." "Good. Because I found a café that doesn't require you to get soaked to enter. Dinner? Tomorrow?" She hesitated. Dinner felt like a date. And dates felt dangerous. "Just dinner?" she asked. "Just dinner. As friends. Friends eat dinner. "Friends don't usually look at each other like you looked at me." "You're right. This friend thinks you're incredibly beautiful and hasn't stopped thinking about you since Tuesday. But we can start with friendship." Amara laughed. No one had ever been that honest with her. "Okay. Just dinner." That "just dinner" turned into coffees, and walks along the Pleasure Park, and long phone ca

CHAPTER 1: THE RAINY AFTERNOON The rain in Port Harcourt did not fall. It descended like it had a personal grudge. Amara was already late. Her white shirt was sticking to her back, her handbag was now more of a bucket, and her low heels clicked angrily against the wet pavement as she ran toward the only open place on the street - Café Liora. She had passed it a hundred times. Small, blue sign, glass windows always fogged from the coffee machine inside. She never went in. Today, she had no choice. She pushed the door open. The bell jingled. Warm air and the smell of coffee and cinnamon hit her at once. She stood in the doorway, breathing hard, water dripping from her hair onto the wooden floor. At twenty-six, Amara Johnson was used to handling things alone. She was the senior associate at a small marketing firm, the daughter who paid half the rent for her mother, the woman who had watched her father leave and promised herself she would never depend on a man for anything. Love