"Have you seen this?" someone whispered from the crowd as Esther passed the satirical mural wall on the second floor of campus.
The day had been anything but peaceful. Not because of lectures or assignments, but because of the odd buzz spreading through the halls. Whispers, chuckles, and murmurs followed her from class to class, all stemming from a single mysterious post.
"Hey babe!"
Esther turned at the familiar voice. Across the hallway stood Dija, waving like she had just stumbled on the juiciest gossip of the year.
"Have you seen the post? It's everywhere! I swear it broke the SaLeone internet," Dija exclaimed as she finally reached her.
Esther arched a brow, puzzled. "What post? I've been hearing people whispering but no one's told me anything."
Dija didn't wait another second. She whipped out her phone and tapped through her apps until she landed on Instagram. "This," she said, flipping the phone around dramatically. "This is the post everyone's talking about."
Esther sighed, assuming it was one of those celebrity scandals or another TikTok prank. But the second her eyes met the screen, her heart skipped. Her mouth parted.
"Wait, isn't that Mr. Lewis?" she asked, blinking rapidly like her eyes were playing tricks on her. "That's him, right?"
Daniel Lewis, in casual wear?
Her Daniel Lewis?
Gone were the fitted power suits and crisp collars. Replacing them was a laid-back street-style fit complete with sneakers and a bomber jacket, looking younger, trendier, and disturbingly hot.
"What… what happened to him?"
"Exactly!" Dija cried, eyes wide. "Even I couldn't believe it. Uncle D? Dripped out like he's auditioning for a K-drama? I'm convinced aliens must've abducted him and left us with a cooler, Gen-Z replicant."
Esther remained speechless, her gaze glued to the image.
"This has to be AI," she muttered, trying to wave the thought away. "It can't be him."
"Girl, I already ran it through three AI detectors," Dija said smugly. "And guess who posted it? Sankoh. You know, his best unwanted buddy"
Esther let out a breath, still dazed. "Why would he dress like that all of a sudden?"
Dija smirked. "Maybe he's trying to impress someone…"
Esther waved her off quickly. "Whatever it is, it's none of my business."
Dija shot her a knowing glance but didn't push it.
"Anyway… I heard about you and Bakarr," she said gently, her tone softening. "Are you okay?"
Esther forced a smile and rubbed the hem of her sleeve. "Yeah… I was going to tell you, but I guess Bakarr beat me to it."
"On his defense, he just wanted me to hear it from someone. He's hurt, sure, but I think he knew it was coming."
Esther nodded quietly, guilt tightening her chest.
"He really loved you," Dija added. "But I'm more concerned about you. What happened? Why the sudden breakup?"
Esther hesitated, her fingers fidgeting, a habit Dija immediately caught.
"You want to talk about it?"
"There was no real connection," Esther admitted softly. "It felt wrong pretending there was. It wasn't fair to him. He deserves someone who truly loves him."
Dija gave a slight nod, reading between the lines. "Is it… Uncle D?"
Esther bit her lip but didn't reply. Her silence spoke volumes.
"I knew it," Dija whispered with a grin. "Look, it's not a crime to still love him. He was your first love. That stuff doesn't just go away because someone else comes along."
She nudged her playfully. "If you want, I can draw up a whole mission plan on how to force him to marry you."
Esther finally laughed, shaking her head. "You're insane."
"Maybe. But I'd be insane for you."
They both laughed, the weight in Esther's chest lifting just a little.
And just like that, the new campus celebrity himself made an entrance.
The sudden eruption of gasps, squeals, and the high-pitched symphony of fangirl screams drew Esther and Dija's attention. They turned toward the commotion, and there he was.
Daniel Lewis.
Striding through the charmed crowd like a hero who had just defeated the final boss.
"What the hell…" Dija muttered, her jaw nearly hitting the floor as she stared at the man cutting through the students like a runway model.
Esther gasped, her hands clenched tightly at her sides as her heart thudded in disbelief. "No way…"
It was Mr. Lewis. But not her Mr. Lewis the buttoned-up, suit-clad, CEO version. This man wore a fitted black jean and a crisp white T-shirt that hugged his frame like it was tailored by destiny. Casual. Confident. Unreasonably attractive.
"Dija," Esther whispered, barely breathing. "Pinch me. I need to know I'm not dreaming."
Dija didn't hesitate.
"Ouch!" Esther yelped, glaring at her. "I said pinch me, not peel my skin off!"
"My bad," Dija grinned unapologetically, "but now you know it's real."
And it was. Daniel Lewis was on campus, dressed like a high paid model, and walking straight toward them.
"Esther," Professor Turay called, stepping away from Daniel. "We have a visitor today, and I'm sure you're acquainted with Mr. Lewis," he said, glancing toward Daniel, who stood a few feet away, his gaze fixed on Esther.
"I need you to give him a tour of the university. He's a generous donor," the professor added in a hushed tone, eyes flicking back to Daniel every few seconds.
"I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't," Esther replied softly. "I have a class in five minutes."
She tried her best to avoid any situation that would place her alone with Daniel. His sudden appearance at the university couldn't be a coincidence, and she knew better than to believe it was.
"Esther," the professor said again, this time more warmly, his voice calm and coaxing. "Mr. Lewis just donated ten million Leones to the university. His only request was for you to give him the tour. Child, I don't know what happened while you were at his house, but whatever it was, clearly left a good impression."
He gave her a knowing look before continuing, "Please, for your old professor's sake, just show the man around. It doesn't have to be long, just a quick walk-through. I'll personally speak to your lecturer and excuse you from class."
With little choice, and not wanting to disappoint the professor who had supported her through so much, Esther reluctantly nodded.
"Wonderful!" Professor Turay beamed, turning to Daniel. "Mr. Lewis, my brilliant student here will be your guide."
And with that, he vanished quickly, too quickly. Even he could sense that Daniel's donation had a deeper motive, and that motive was standing right beside him.
"Wow, Uncle D," Dija said with a teasing smile, "You're looking hot today."
Esther turned away, trying to ignore the heat creeping up her neck. But her eyes betrayed her, stealing glances at Daniel. His muscles were visible beneath the fitted T-shirt, a rare sight compared to his usual tailored suits. Even his neck, normally hidden behind collars and ties, was now exposed. Her gaze almost trailed lower until she caught herself.
Esther, control yourself, she snapped internally, willing her eyes to behave.
"Mr. Lewis, are you ready for the tour?" Esther asked, her voice polite but cool, her mind already set on making it as short and efficient as possible.
"I'm ready if you are," Daniel replied with a wide, cheesy grin, one of Sankoh's lessons fresh in mind. Girls love smiles, Sankoh had said. So here he was, flashing his best one.
"Um, can I tag along?" Dija chimed in hopefully.
"No," Daniel cut in immediately, not even allowing her to finish the sentence.
Dija blinked in surprise. "But"
"It's still a no. I'm sure you have classes to get to," Daniel said, his voice calm but firm.
Dija glanced over at Esther, who gave her a reassuring look that said, I'll be fine. Reluctantly, she nodded and stepped back as Esther turned, leading the way up a flight of stairs.
Their first stop was the laboratory. "This is the general science lab," Esther said, placing her hand on the door handle and pushing it open. Inside were rows of clean, well-lit workstations lined with equipment, beakers, and half-dismantled experiments from the morning's class.
Daniel stepped in and glanced around with mild curiosity. "Nice setup," he murmured. "But not as sophisticated as LewisTech's AI wing."
Esther rolled her eyes subtly, walking past him to hold the door open. "Well, not everyone has billions to throw into their labs."
He chuckled, taking the jab in stride. "Touché."
They continued down the corridor. "To the left is the student resource center," she said, pointing toward a glass-paneled room with shelves of academic journals, textbooks, and small study booths.
Daniel peeked inside, then turned to her. "You used to come here a lot, didn't you?"
She paused, a little caught off guard. "Yes, during my first and second year. I worked part-time as a study assistant in the evenings."
"That's beautiful," Daniel said, his voice dropping into a gentler register as his eyes lingered on her face. "I mean… your dedication," he added smoothly, realizing he'd been caught staring too long.
Esther ignored the warmth rising in her chest and pivoted forward, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor.
"And this," she said, gesturing toward a long hallway with doors on either side, "is the psychology department. Most of my Child Development and Behavioral courses happen here."
Daniel nodded, walking beside her, though his eyes seemed to study her more than the architecture or decor.
They stopped outside a spacious lecture room with chairs arranged in neat rows. She glanced inside.
"And here… this is just a normal classroom," she said, her voice trailing slightly. "I guess that's the end of the tour. We should.."
Before she could finish, she felt it.
A sudden shift.
His arm slid gently around her waist, not forceful, just enough to make her pause. Then his other hand came up to rest against the wall behind her, caging her in.
Her breath hitched.
His body wasn't pressed to hers, not yet, but the space between them had evaporated. His scent, clean, masculine, dangerously familiar, wrapped around her like a whisper.
"Mr. Lewis," she breathed, her heart thumping wildly as she fixed her gaze on the collar of his white shirt rather than his eyes. "I don't think this is… an appropriate position." Her voice was low, controlled. She slid out of his arms, putting a careful distance between them as she straightened her posture. Her breath, although shaky, slowly leveled out.
Daniel didn't move. He just stood there, looking at her like he was trying to piece together a puzzle he should've solved long ago.
"I came here purposely to see you," he admitted, his voice calm but edged with vulnerability. "Esther, I apologize if I'm being too direct… but I was a fool to let you go."
His words hung in the air, trembling on his lips like something long buried finally set free.
She didn't flinch, nor did she speak. The corners of her mouth didn't move, but her eyes, those eyes, held the kind of composure that comes from surviving something painful and deciding not to bleed over it again.
"I know what I said back then must've hurt you," Daniel continued, stepping closer, "but I didn't realize"
"Mr. Lewis," she cut in, calm but firm. "I was asked to give you a tour. If there's nothing more you need to see, I'll be on my way."
She turned to leave, already halfway across the room when his voice caught her mid-step.
"I'm sorry," Daniel said, desperation slipping through his tone. "I know you're in a relationship right now, but I'm willing to fight for you. I'll do everything I can to prove that I truly am sorry. That I need you."
She stood still for a moment, then slowly turned back to face him.
Their eyes met, and for a second, he might've seen something flicker in hers. But it wasn't softness. It wasn't invitation.
It was pain, quiet, stern, and heavy with memory.
"I don't need you to do anything," she said, voice low and precise. "Not change your wardrobe. Not change who you are. This isn't about you pleasing me."
She took a step back, her expression unreadable.
"I don't want to get entangled with you again, Mr. Lewis. I already felt the burn once. I won't go through it twice."
And with that, she turned and walked away, not fast, not dramatic, just done.
He was left in the room alone, her absence louder than her footsteps.
This was what she had once longed to hear from him. The apology. The fight. The honesty.
But now? It came too late.
And sometimes, healing meant walking away, even from the things you once wished would stay.