<p>He began thinking to himself, questioning in his mind,</p><p><i>"Could it be that this girl is a lesbian?"</i> he asked himself, noticing that her entire demeanor resembled that of worldly women, but he couldn't find a definite answer to his question.</p><p>"Take these things outside," she said softly to Blessing.</p><p>She picked up her laptop and continued working as if she had forgotten that someone was standing there waiting for her.</p><p>"Daughter, aren't you done getting ready?" her father asked, noticing that Shaddad had been standing there for too long.</p><p>"I'm done, Dad," she replied, frowning slightly.</p><p>"Then get up and go already."</p><p>Reluctantly, she stood up, adjusting the scarf covering her head. She walked slowly, her high heels making it difficult to take each step gracefully.</p><p>Shaddad followed behind her, watching how she struggled to lift each foot before placing it down, taking each step with unnecessary effort. Being a soldier, he immediately realized he couldn't match her sluggish pace—it would only make his legs ache. The moment she stepped out of the living room, he quickly moved past her, walking ahead.</p><p>She glanced at him as he passed, catching a whiff of his rich, pleasant cologne. Her eyes lingered on his back as he walked with firm, quick steps, as if he were about to break the ground beneath him.</p><p>She looked away and returned her focus to her phone. Seeing Dr. Naz's name on the screen made her scoff slightly.</p><p>"Dr. Naz, what's up?" she asked in a low tone.</p><p>"Are you ready? Should I come to pick you up?"</p><p>"What happened?" she asked again.</p><p>"Nothing much. I was just passing by your street, so I thought I could take you along."</p><p>"No need, I'm coming now."</p><p>"Alright then, see you soon," he said playfully.</p><p>She only smiled before ending the call. By the time she stepped outside, she found Blessing standing with her belongings, waiting for her.</p><p>Her face darkened when she saw Shaddad sitting on a large, well-maintained military-grade bike. She stopped and stared at him.</p><p><i>"Is this guy serious? Does he expect me to ride on this bike to the office?"</i></p><p>Before she could finish processing her thoughts, a loud honk pierced the air, ringing painfully in her ears.</p><p>She turned to look at him, only to find that his face was expressionless. He wasn't even looking at her; instead, he faced forward, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. But the honk was clearly his way of signaling that he was done waiting for her.</p><p>"What is this nonsense? Go and bring me a car from the garage. I'm tired of standing here," she snapped at him in frustration.</p><p>"I don't know how to drive a car. You can either get on or forget it," he replied without sparing her a glance.</p><p>She was stunned by his blatant disregard.</p><p>Annoyed, she dialed her father, her face contorting as if she was about to cry.</p><p>"Father, can you believe he refuses to take me in a car? He insists on the bike!"</p><p>She listened to her father’s response before saying, "Okay, Dad."</p><p>Ending the call, she walked over to a large rock nearby and sat down, refusing to stand any longer.</p><p>A few minutes later, her father came out, holding a metal walking stick.</p><p>"Shaddad, why haven’t you left yet?"</p><p>"Sir, I brought the motorcycle, but she refuses to ride it," Shaddad explained.</p><p>"Shaddad, she can’t ride a motorcycle to work. Please, take her in a car instead."</p><p>"Alright, sir," Shaddad replied before expertly revving the bike and parking it properly. He then returned to where they were standing.</p><p>"Where are the car keys?" he asked, acting as if he didn’t already know the answer.</p><p>Maryama shot him a glare, understanding that he was deliberately trying to frustrate her.</p><p>Her father handed him the keys to his black Croutoure car.</p><p>"Take my car and drop her off. You can use yours when you return," he instructed.</p><p>Shaddad bowed slightly, accepting the keys before heading to fetch the car. Maryama’s father returned inside without waiting for him.</p><p>Shaddad parked the car near her and waited.</p><p>With difficulty, she got up and walked toward the car while instructing Blessing, "Put my things in the front seat."</p><p>She opened the owner's side door, intending to sit in the backseat.</p><p>He let her get in and waited for Blessing to place her things in the front seat. After Blessing left, he finally spoke, "Get out and move your things. Sit in the front—I’m not your driver."</p><p>She ignored him, pretending not to hear.</p><p>After a moment of silence, she realized he wasn't starting the car. Frustrated, she got out, walked around to the front seat, and moved her things before sitting down. Her face remained expressionless, mirroring his.</p><p>Without a word, he started the car aggressively, causing her to nearly jolt forward. He sped through the streets as if he were being chased.</p><p>"What’s the name of the hospital?" he finally asked, still not looking at her.</p><p>She placed one of her compliment cards on the small pillow beside him without saying a word.</p><p>He didn’t bother looking at it and continued driving.</p><p>Realizing they were about to pass the turn they needed to take, she forced herself to speak, telling him the hospital's name. But he had already ruined her mood. Her anger was boiling inside her.</p><p>When they finally arrived at the hospital, Dr. Sameer was also just arriving. Shaddad parked and waited for her to get out.</p><p>Dr. Sameer walked over, smiling.</p><p>"Maryama, my queen. Welcome," he greeted playfully.</p><p>She returned his smile. "Good morning, doctor."</p><p>"You’re not too late today. Looks like we arrived at the same time."</p><p>"Dr., from now on, I’ll be arriving earlier. My dad got me a driver," she said, deliberately emphasizing the last part.</p><p>Hearing this, a wave of irritation surged through Shaddad. He knew she had said it just to belittle him.</p><p>She handed her handbag to Dr. Sameer as she stepped out of the car. A staff member, Joseph Massinger, rushed over to help her with her belongings.</p><p>She didn’t even glance at Shaddad as she walked off with Dr. Sameer, each holding one of her handbags.</p><p>With a sharp rev of the engine, Shaddad sped out of the hospital premises.</p><p>As he drove, he finally glanced at the compliment card she had placed beside him.</p><p><i>"Dr. Maryama Faruk Bello."</i></p><p>He read the name written in bold letters on the card.</p><p><i>"Maryama Faruk Bello…"</i> he repeated, staring at the card again.</p><p>He began to wonder.</p><p><i>Who exactly is this girl? Why does she live alone with just her father? Where is her mother?</i></p><p>These questions flooded his mind, but he had no answers.</p><p>One thing he knew for sure—deep in his veins, he felt an unexplainable disdain for her.</p><p>Everything about her demeanor irritated him.</p><p>To him, she was nothing more than a spoiled, arrogant girl with no proper upbringing.</p>
