The Unknown Secret

Chapter 1 The diary was never supposed to leave my aunt’s house. I found it three nights after her funeral, hidden under loose floorboards in her bedroom. The leather cover was cracked. The pages were yellow. On the first page, in her shaky handwriting, one sentence circled in red ink: “Mark Hale killed my brother.” My hands shook. Aunt Beatrice had no brother. Not that I knew. My phone buzzed. Unknown number: “Stop reading what isn’t yours, Ms. Lila. Some secrets bury people.” I dropped the diary. Aunt Beatrice died of a “heart attack” last Tuesday. At 52. In perfect health. The next morning, Detective Mark Hale stood at my door. Six feet of trouble in a tailored suit. Billionaire name. Eyes like storm clouds. “Ms. Lila Okoye?” His voice was low. “We need to talk about your aunt’s death.” I should have slammed the door. But the man who might be a killer... was the only one who could keep me alive. I let him in. He picked up Aunt Beatrice’s photo. His jaw tightened. “Your aunt came to me two weeks ago,” he said. “She said someone was following her. Said she found something that could destroy powerful people.” My blood went cold. The diary in my bag felt like a bomb. “Did she say what it was?” I asked. Mark turned. Those eyes locked on mine. “No. She died before she could tell me.” He stepped closer. “You’re in danger too, Ms. Okoye. Whoever killed her knows you have her things.” I didn’t. Not yet. But I would lie. Because the truth in that diary had his name on it. And I had no idea if Mark Hale was my protector. Or my next threat.