Chapter Three — The CEO
757 Words
I didn’t sleep well.
The diary stayed on my table all night, staring back at me like it knew something I didn’t.
Every time I tried to convince myself that I was overthinking, I remembered Daniel’s face.
The way he looked at the diary.
Not like he had seen it before.
Like he was afraid of it.
And that bothered me.
People don’t get scared of ordinary things.
So the next morning, I made a decision.
I was going to find answers myself.
I searched Daniel Hayes online.
The first thing that appeared made me sit up.
Daniel Hayes — CEO of Hayes Holdings.
I blinked.
The man who had warned me in a small bookshop wasn’t just some stranger.
He was one of the most talked-about businessmen in the city.
Articles described him as intelligent, private, and impossible to read.
Some people called him cold.
Others called him a genius.
I looked at his picture.
Same serious expression.
Same eyes.
The kind that made you feel like he knew more than he said.
I hated that I was curious.
But I was.
By afternoon, I found myself standing in front of Hayes Holdings.
The building was huge.
The kind of place that reminded you there were people in the world who lived completely different lives.
I walked inside.
The receptionist smiled.
“Good afternoon. How may I help you?”
“I’m here to see Daniel Hayes.”
Her fingers paused over the keyboard.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
She gave me an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Hayes doesn’t see visitors without one.”
I nodded.
I expected that.
Men like Daniel Hayes probably had their whole day planned down to the last minute.
I turned to leave.
“Amara.”
I stopped.
My heart dropped.
Slowly, I turned around.
Daniel was standing near the elevator.
How did he know my name?
He looked exactly the same as yesterday.
Perfect suit.
Calm face.
Like he didn’t make me question my entire life.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
I folded my arms.
“Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’m at my office.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You know what I mean.”
A small silence passed.
Then he looked at the receptionist.
“She’s coming up.”
The receptionist immediately nodded.
I followed him into the elevator.
The doors closed.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.
“And you keep saying that like you’re my boss.”
“You don’t know what you’re involved in.”
I looked at him.
“And you do?”
His jaw tightened.
“I know enough.”
The elevator opened.
His office was everything I expected.
Expensive.
Quiet.
Perfect.
Too perfect.
Daniel walked to his desk.
I stayed standing.
“Why did you tell me to stay away from the diary?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looked out the window.
Finally, he said,
“Because some things from the past are better left buried.”
My fingers tightened around my bag.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
I laughed.
“You’re unbelievable.”
His eyes moved back to me.
“You walked into my office demanding answers from a stranger.”
“And you’re acting like you’re not hiding something.”
For the first time, his expression changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
I saw it.
I knew I was right.
“What is your connection to that diary?”
Silence.
Then he said,
“Leave it alone, Amara.”
I hated how serious he sounded.
Not angry.
Not threatening.
Worried.
That was worse.
“Why?”
His eyes met mine.
And for a second, the cold CEO disappeared.
“I don’t want to see you become another person who gets hurt because of it.”
Before I could ask what he meant, his phone rang.
He answered.
His expression turned serious.
“Where?”
A pause.
Then:
“No. Don’t touch anything.”
He ended the call.
“What happened?” I asked.
He looked at me.
Then at the diary in my hand.
Someone else was interested in it.
I could tell.
But Daniel only said one thing.
“Go home, Amara.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
His voice was low.
“Because now I know I wasn’t the only person looking for that diary.”
- Writer
