Writers 
We finally arrived in front of my house.
Adrian looked around, and his expression changed.
“Is this where you live?”
“Yes,” I answered, almost embarrassed.
He stared at the house for a moment before looking back at me. There was irritation in his eyes, but I couldn't tell whether he was angry with me or simply unhappy about what he had seen.
We remained in the car for a while.
I told him everything that has happened since my father has disappeared. I told him about Mama's condition, how hard she had worked, how she could no longer support me, and how I had been struggling to survive university. I told him about the internship and why I had left.
He listened quietly. When I finished, he sighed.
“I feel sorry for you, Amara.”
I looked down.
I eventually stepped out of the car and walked into the compound.
Mama was lying on the bed. I helped her clean up, gave her what she needed, and stayed beside her for some time.
About an hour later, I heard a knock.
I opened the door.
It was Adrian.
He was carrying several bags filled with provisions, food stuffs and other things.
I was shocked.
“Sir…”
He simply dropped everything at the entrance.
“Take care of your mother.”
“Please, come inside.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
Before I could say anything else, he turned around and walked away.
I watched him disappear.
Then I looked at the provisions.
I wanted to open everything immediately, but something stopped me.
I hadn't properly thanked him.
So I ran outside.
I found him beside his car.
Without thinking, I walked straight to him and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he smiled.
“Do you still remember my house?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“How about we meet there tomorrow night?”
I looked at him.
My heart began racing.
I knew I shouldn't.
I knew there were too many reasons why I shouldn't.
But I also knew I was already becoming attached to the man standing in front of me.
The next night, I went to his house quietly.
Nobody knew where I was going.
Nobody knew about Adrian.
And that was how our secret began.
He didn't treat me like an employee that night.
He asked about Mama.
He asked whether she had eaten.
He wanted to know if I had eaten too.
For the first time, I saw a softer side of him.
He listened when I spoke.
Sometimes, he simply watched me with a quiet smile.
“You don't always have to be strong, Amara,” he told me.
Those words stayed with me.
After that, the meetings became occasional and secret.
Sometimes, he would send money without explaining where it came from.
Sometimes, bags of food would appear at home.
Sometimes, he would call just to ask about Mama.
And sometimes, we met at his house, away from the eyes of everyone who knew us.
We talked.
We laughed.
We shared our fears.
Slowly, something changed between us.
I began waiting for his calls.
He began asking when he would see me again.
There were moments when he looked at me as though I was the only person in the room.
And despite what had brought us together, I began to wonder whether what existed between us was becoming something more.
Something dangerous.
Something I could not tell Daniel.
Something I could not tell Mama.
Something nobody could know.
Because while Adrian was helping me survive, I was slowly falling into a secret life that could destroy everything I had worked so hard to build.
