Who Knew.

CHAPTER 4: The Woman Who Knew Too Much

(Daniel’s POV)

The moment Victoria saw Amara, I knew this situation was about to become complicated.

Very complicated.

Victoria rarely lost her composure. In the five years she had worked with me, I had seen her handle billion-naira negotiations, hostile investors, and corporate scandals without blinking.

But now?

She looked like someone who had just seen a ghost.

“You didn’t tell me it was her,” she repeated slowly.

Amara glanced between us, clearly confused.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Should I know what’s going on?”

Victoria stepped fully into the office, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.

“You really don’t remember me?” she asked Amara.

Amara frowned.

“I don’t think so.”

Victoria studied her face for a long moment, as if searching for something.

Then she turned toward me.

“We need to talk. Alone.”

“No,” I said calmly.

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

“No?”

“This meeting concerns Amara. Whatever you have to say can be said here.”

Victoria’s gaze hardened.

For a moment, I thought she might argue.

Instead, she sighed.

“Fine.”

She folded her arms and looked back at Amara.

“You went to the University of Lagos, didn’t you?”

Amara blinked.

“Yes.”

“Three years ago.”

“Yes…”

“And before that, you lived in Abuja.”

Now Amara looked genuinely uncomfortable.

“How do you know that?”

Victoria tilted her head slightly.

“Because I’ve seen your name before.”

The air in the room seemed to grow heavier.

Amara’s fingers slowly closed around the edge of her laptop.

“Where?”

Victoria opened her mouth—

“Victoria.”

My voice stopped her immediately.

She turned toward me.

“What?”

“Not now.”

Her eyes flashed with irritation.

“You can’t keep hiding things forever, Daniel.”

“This is neither the time nor the place.”

A tense silence stretched between us.

Finally, Victoria shook her head in frustration.

“Fine.”

She looked at Amara one last time.

“But trust me… we will talk again.”

Then she turned and walked out of the office.

The door closed softly behind her.

And suddenly the room felt much quieter.

Amara slowly turned toward me.

“Okay.”

I could already hear the suspicion in her voice.

“What exactly was that?”

I walked back to my desk and sat down.

“Victoria tends to be… dramatic.”

“That wasn’t dramatic,” Amara said.

“That was weird.”

She closed her laptop halfway.

“She clearly knows something about me.”

I met her gaze calmly.

“She researches people.”

“For what reason?”

“To protect the company.”

Amara didn’t look convinced.

“So she just randomly researches event planners?”

“Sometimes.”

That answer was weak.

And we both knew it.

She leaned back in her chair, studying me carefully.

“You’re hiding something.”

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

A small smile tugged at my lips.

“You’re very direct.”

“I run a business. I don’t have time for mysteries.”

Fair.

I tapped my fingers lightly on the desk.

“You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“I research every person who works with me.”

Amara frowned.

“That seems excessive.”

“Not in my industry.”

She considered that.

Then slowly nodded.

“Fine. That makes sense.”

But the suspicion in her eyes hadn’t completely disappeared.

Good.

A cautious person was harder to manipulate.

And yet…

The more time I spent with her, the less this felt like manipulation.

Which was dangerous.

Very dangerous.

“So,” she said after a moment. “Back to the event.”

I nodded.

“Three weeks isn’t a lot of time.”

“I work fast.”

“I noticed.”

She opened her laptop again.

“Tell me about the purpose of the gala.”

“It’s a charity fundraiser.”

“For what organization?”

“Children’s medical care.”

Her expression softened slightly.

“That’s actually really nice.”

I didn’t respond.

Because the charity gala wasn’t the real reason behind the event.

But she didn’t need to know that yet.

“How involved do you want to be in the planning process?” she asked.

“Very.”

“That’s unusual.”

“Why?”

“Most wealthy clients just write the check and disappear.”

“I’m not most clients.”

That much was obvious.

Amara typed a few more notes.

Then she paused.

“I’ll need to visit the venue.”

“I’ll take you there tomorrow.”

Her eyebrows lifted.

“You personally?”

“Yes.”

“You’re a very hands-on billionaire.”

“I like control.”

She gave me a strange look.

“That sounds slightly intimidating.”

“It should.”

She laughed.

And once again, that sound did something strange to my chest.

This was getting complicated.

Far more complicated than I expected.

Amara closed her laptop.

“Well… if everything checks out, I think we can create something amazing.”

“I’m counting on it.”

She stood up.

“I should probably get back to work.”

As she walked toward the door, she suddenly stopped.

“Daniel?”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

She turned around slowly.

“Why did you really choose me?”

The directness of that question caught me off guard.

Most people wouldn’t ask.

Most people would simply accept the opportunity.

But Amara wasn’t most people.

For a moment, I considered lying.

Instead, I said something dangerously close to the truth.

“Because you’re different.”

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

“Different how?”

“Most people try to impress me.”

“And I didn’t?”

“No.”

“What did I do instead?”

“You challenged me.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly.

“That wasn’t intentional.”

“I know.”

We held each other’s gaze for a moment longer than necessary.

Then she smiled softly.

“Well… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

She opened the office door.

But just before stepping out, she paused.

“Oh… and Daniel?”

“Yes?”

“If Victoria decides to interrogate me again, I’d appreciate a warning.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

She left.

The door closed quietly behind her.

And suddenly my office felt much larger.

Too quiet.

Too empty.

I walked slowly back to my desk and opened my laptop.

The investigation file appeared on the screen again.

Amara’s photograph stared back at me.

Young.

Carefree.

Completely unaware of the storm connected to her name.

My phone buzzed.

Victoria.

I answered.

“You shouldn’t have brought her into this,” she said immediately.

“She’s already part of it.”

“You know what her family did.”

“I know what the reports say.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“Not necessarily.”

Victoria went silent for a moment.

Then she said something that made my jaw tighten.

“You’re getting too close to her.”

“I’m gathering information.”

“No,” she replied quietly.

“You’re starting to like her.”

I didn’t respond.

Because the worst part was…

She might be right.

And if she was—

Then this entire situation was about to become far more dangerous than I had planned.