ADANNA P.O.V (point of view)
The morning air bit at my skin, sharp and cold, carrying the scent of wet asphalt and smoke from distant traffic. Lagos was waking up, but the city felt different....quieter, like it was holding its breath with me. My bag swung heavily at my side, the laptop and flash drive a constant reminder of the truth I still didn't fully understand.
I couldn't ignore the feeling again, eyes on me, shadows brushing the edge of my vision. My instincts, honed over years of trusting myself first, screamed danger but my heart, stubborn and reckless, demanded one thing..... find him.
Darian..... alive and I needed answers.
I turned a corner, the streets deserted at this early hour, save for the stray street vendor packing up his wares. The echoes of my shoes against the pavement were deafening in the emptiness. Every sound heightened my senses, a dog barking, a car door slamming, even the distant chatter of a morning jogger.
And then I saw him..... a silhouette at the end of the street, moving quickly but deliberately. My chest seized and part of me wanted to run, part of me wanted to call his name, part of me wanted to throw myself into his arms and demand the truth right there, but I didn't, I only followed silently, careful not to make a sound.
DARIAN P.O.V.
I couldn't stop watching her. She was beautiful, terrifying, defiant.... everything I'd feared and everything I loved rolled into one fragile, dangerous package.
Her determination was her strength, but it was also her vulnerability and every step she took toward the unknown put her life at risk. And yet… I couldn't step out, not yet.
If they found her before I did, there would be no saving her.
I forced my body to move with stealth, keeping just enough distance so she wouldn't know I was near. Every muscle in me ached to reach her, to pull her close, to tell her everything I'd kept hidden but duty, fear, and my own stubborn pride chained me back.
ADANNA P.O.V ( point of view)
The alley I had been following him toward narrowed. I paused, crouching behind a dumpster, trying to steady my breath. My hands were sweaty, my stomach twisted with anxiety and desire...the mix of feelings I'd never thought I'd experience while chasing someone who might be my enemy.
A movement to my left made me freeze, I pressed my back against the cold brick wall, holding my breath.
"Adanna…"
The whisper wasn't loud, but it was enough. My heart jumped, hope and fear colliding.
"Darian?" My voice cracked, betraying the strength I'd tried to hold onto.
No answer..... silence, but I could feel him..... I knew he was close.
My legs moved on their own, chasing him down the alley. My mind raced with questions.... why was he running? What was he hiding? Why couldn't he tell me the truth?
DARIAN P.O.V(point of view)
She was close.... too close and every step she took toward me twisted my chest with longing and fear.
I wanted to stop her, i wanted to step into her path and take her into my arms,but doing so would put her in immediate danger. My hand brushed against the sidearm hidden under my jacket, a reminder that the world outside these shadows didn't care about love.
She wasn't just following me. She was chasing the truth, and it terrified me.
I made a snap decision, ducking into a narrow side street, shadows swallowing me as I tried to lose her without being noticed.
ADANNA P.O.V.
He disappeared....my breath caught and my chest tightened, but I couldn't stop. My legs pumped harder, every ounce of energy fueled by fear, love, and frustration.
The streets twisted and turned, narrow alleys opening to busy roads, and still I followed. Every instinct screamed caution, but I ignored it and then… I saw him again.
A figure standing on a rooftop, partially hidden by shadows. His coat flapped in the wind, hair damp from the morning mist. My heart soared and sank simultaneously.
He was here..... he was real..... alive...watching,and unreachable.
"Darian!" I shouted this time, louder, desperation finally breaking through my restraint.
The figure flinched but didn't move. My chest ached with longing, frustration, and rage. He was so close, yet so far.
DARIAN P.O.V.
She called my name. The sound of it was like a blade cutting through the fog of my exhaustion and fear. I could hear the trembling under her voice, the way she demanded answers without even realizing it.
My body ached to move to her, to scoop her up and hold her until the world made sense again,but I couldn't...not yet.
The organization had eyes everywhere. One wrong move, and she would be gone.
I scanned the rooftops and alleys, calculating, planning. She was fast, clever… determined and dangerous in her own way, but that determination made my chest tighten in ways I couldn't explain.
Love had made me reckless once. I couldn't let it do that again.
ADANNA P.O.V.
I didn't care.... I couldn't..... i had to see him. Had to know he was alive, had to know the truth.
I climbed the fire escape of the nearest building, muscles burning, fingers raw from gripping the metal rungs. When I reached the rooftop, the wind whipped my hair into my face, but I barely noticed.
And there he was..... Darian!, Standing a few feet away, watching me.....alive, real,dangerous,everything.
I took a cautious step toward him. My legs shook, my hands trembled, but my eyes never left his.
"I… I need the truth," I whispered. He didn't move,didn't speak. Just watched, every inch of his posture tense, every movement deliberate.
"Darian," I pressed, voice shaking. "I can't… I can't keep living like this. Tell me… everything."
DARIAN P.O.V.
Her words hit me like a storm. Everything I'd kept buried, every secret, every mission, every lie… all of it was laid bare in that single sentence.
I wanted to speak.... I wanted to tell her everything... The truth about the mission, the organization, the files she'd seen… and why I couldn't let her know it until now.
But I couldn't risk it, not yet.... instead, I took a slow, deliberate step closer, keeping my eyes locked on hers. "Adanna…" I said softly, voice raw, almost breaking. "You don't understand what's out there. You shouldn't be here. Not like this."
"I don't care!" she spat, anger and fear flaring in her chest. "I'm done hiding from it… from you. I want the truth..... All of it, or don't bother coming back."
Her courage made my chest ache, my heart pound, and my resolve falter.
I swallowed hard.... She had no idea how much I loved her..... How much I'd hurt, how much I'd tried to protect her without her knowing. How close I'd come to losing her… and not just emotionally.
But for the first time in months, I realized something.... she didn't need me to protect her from the world, she needed me to tell her the truth, and I couldn't hide it any longer.
I took another step forward, slowly, carefully, until I was just a few feet away. My eyes searched hers, desperate and pleading. "Adanna… I swear, I've never stopped loving you.... never."
Her chest heaved.... Her eyes glistened....Her lips trembled. She wanted to believe me, but the hurt was etched too deeply into her features.
"I should hate you," she whispered, voice breaking. "But I… I can't. Tell me why, Darian. Please."
I took the final step, closing the distance between us, and for the first time in months, our hands touched. My thumb brushed her cheek, wiping away a stray tear.
"I'll tell you everything," I said, voice low, raw, desperate. "But you have to trust me. You have to believe me… or none of this matters."
Her eyes searched mine. The storm in her gaze mirrored the one in my heart. She nodded slowly, the barest hint of a smile breaking through the hurt.
And in that moment, with the city stretching beneath us and danger lurking in every shadow, we both knew..... the war wasn't over. The truth wasn't fully revealed. But the love… that was still alive, and maybe, just maybe, that was enough to face whatever came next.
To be continued...