THE RETURN

**CHAPTER ONE

THE RETURN**

Eliana Adeyemi had mastered the art of avoiding memories.

It wasn’t intentional; it was simply survival. Memories were dangerous things—especially the ones that carried the scent of him. The ones shaped like Jamal’s laugh, or the warmth of his hand, or the way her name sounded when he said it, deep and careful, as if it mattered.

After five years of silence, Eliana had taught herself to breathe without thinking of him.

Or so she believed.

That illusion ended the moment she stepped out of the airport and the Lagos heat wrapped around her like a familiar, old embrace. She closed her eyes briefly, steadying herself. She had only come back to Nigeria because of work — three months, nothing more. She would handle the contract, keep her head down, and leave.

Simple.

Zero emotions involved.

But Lagos had a way of unearthing what you thought you buried.

Her phone buzzed.

Welcome home, Aunty Eliana!

Her little niece had sent the message, all emojis and excitement.

Eliana smiled despite herself. Family was the one thing she had truly missed. Family was safe. Family didn’t leave without explanation.

The car she requested pulled up — a black SUV with tinted windows. She opened the back door and slid in, adjusting her laptop bag.

“Good afternoon, ma,” the driver greeted.

“Good afternoon,” Eliana replied softly. “To Lekki Phase 1, please.”

As they drove onto the expressway, she let the city blur outside her window — hawkers weaving through traffic, the smell of roasted corn, the rhythmic horns, the lively chaos of Lagos that felt overwhelming and familiar all at once.

She had almost relaxed when her phone pinged again.

From: The Evercrest Group

Subject: Tomorrow’s Meeting Details

Eliana opened it — and froze.

Meeting with Evercrest CEO: Jamal Ibrahim

Time: 10:00 AM

Venue: Evercrest Towers (17th Floor)

Her heartbeat stuttered.

This had to be a mistake.

Surely there were many Jamals in Lagos. Many CEOs. Many men with confident smiles and deep, thoughtful eyes—

“Eliana, calm down,” she whispered to herself.

She scrolled again, reading carefully.

Evercrest. One of the biggest tech-logistics companies in West Africa.

CEO: Jamal Ibrahim.

The same Jamal she once loved with her whole heart.

The same Jamal she once planned a future with.

The same Jamal who vanished without a word five years ago.

Her breath caught painfully.

She rested her head back and closed her eyes, but the past flooded in anyway — nights when he drove her home after work, the way he used to tease her, the gentle way he touched her cheek.

She pressed a hand over her chest.

“I’m not ready for this.”

She wasn’t ready for him.

---

At that exact moment, across the city, Jamal Ibrahim stood in his glass-walled office staring at the calendar on his tablet.

“Eliana Adeyemi — Creative Consultant (UI/UX & Brand Development).”

He whispered her name like a prayer.

Five years had changed him — sharper jawline, broader shoulders, colder eyes. Running a multimillion-dollar company had carved ambition into his bones. But some things hadn’t changed; the sound of her name still hit him like a memory he’d never forgotten.

His assistant, Tola, stepped into the office.

“Sir, should I confirm tomorrow’s meeting?”

Jamal swallowed.

His heartbeat was steady — too steady for a man who had once had his heart broken beyond repair. He wasn’t the boy she left. He wasn’t the boy who left her.

He was a CEO. A man. A man who knew exactly what he wanted.

But still… he hesitated.

“Confirm it,” he said finally, his voice low.

Tola nodded and left.

Jamal stood by the window, watching Lagos glitter below.

He hadn’t seen Eliana in five long years.

Five years of wondering.

Five years of regret he never admitted aloud.

Tomorrow, whether she liked it or not, they would meet again.

And this time, he wouldn’t run.

He wouldn’t let her run.

Not again.

---

Eliana didn’t sleep that night.

She lay awake in her hotel room, staring at the ceiling, heart restless. She tried to convince herself it would be fine.

It was just a business meeting. Nothing more.

People from the past met all the time.

But she knew better.

Jamal wasn’t just “someone from the past.”

He was the past.

The chapter she never closed properly.

By 5:30 AM, she gave up on sleep and got ready.

Her outfit was simple — a soft lavender blouse and straight black trousers. Clean, professional, not too serious, not too casual.

As she applied a light touch of lip gloss, she caught her reflection.

“You’re not going there to impress him,” she reminded herself.

But still — her hands shook.

---

By 10:00 AM, she was in the elevator of Evercrest Towers, rising floor by floor. The building smelled of polished marble, new money, and ambition.

The doors opened on the 17th floor.

She stepped out.

The receptionist smiled. “Good morning. You’re Ms Adeyemi? Mr Jamal is expecting you.”

Her stomach flipped.

“Thank you.”

She walked toward the office at the end of the corridor — its glass walls reflecting the skyline.

She raised her hand to knock.

But the door opened first.

And there he stood.

Jamal.

Broader. Taller. Sharper.

In a navy suit that looked like it was crafted just for him.

His eyes — the same deep, steady brown she used to drown in.

Their gazes collided.

Time paused.

The world stilled.

“Eliana,” he said, voice deep, warm, and devastating.

Her breath hitched.

“Hello, Jamal.”

Five years dissolved between them.

Five years of silence shattered in one heartbeat.

He stepped aside.

“Come in.”

She walked into his office.

Into her past.

Into the storm she thought she escaped.

And Jamal watched her — not like a CEO meeting a consultant.

But like a man seeing the woman he lost…

…and silently deciding he would not lose her again.

---