"Sometimes love doesn't whisper. It watches."
The house was too quiet....
Not peaceful quiet...the kind that hugs you but the kind that feels like it's holding its breath.
The driver had dropped us off at Darian's mansion in Ikoyi. Big white gates. Walls too tall. Security men everywhere. I'd seen pictures before, but standing in front of it now, I felt small. Like a guest, not a wife.
Darian held my hand as we walked inside. "Welcome home, Mrs. Adeoye."
His voice was soft, smooth, practiced. He smiled as if nothing about today had gone wrong. As if no strange woman had shown up to warn me.
I smiled back. Because that's what I do — I survive with smiles.
---
The living room was spotless.....too spotless.
White marble floors. Grey couches. Everything arranged perfectly, like no one had ever lived there....No framed photos.... No warmth.... Just perfection.
I dropped my bouquet on the table. My fingers were still shaking.
Darian walked toward the bar and poured wine into two glasses. "You're trembling," he said, handing one to me.
"I'm fine," I said. "Just tired."
He raised his glass. "To us."
I hesitated, then clinked mine against his. The sound echoed too loud in the silence.
"To us," I whispered.
He drank deeply, eyes on me the whole time.
After a few minutes, he stepped closer and touched my chin, lifting my face to his. "You look beautiful," he said again. "Even more than you did at the altar."
I smiled faintly. "Thank you."
He brushed a strand of hair from my face. "You're mine now, Adanna. No one can take you from me."
Something in his tone... calm, low, almost affectionate made my chest tighten.
I told myself it was just the wine, the nerves. But it wasn't.
I felt owned....Not loved....
He led me upstairs to the bedroom.
The hallway lights glowed warm gold. Every step echoed softly against the polished floor.
When we reached the door, he paused. "Wait," he said, almost too quickly.
He slipped inside alone, leaving me standing there for a few seconds before calling, "You can come in now."
I entered. The room was large, beautiful, scented with vanilla candles.
But something about it felt… new. Like it had been prepared recently.
I turned slowly. "Did you redecorate?"
He smiled. "Just wanted it perfect for tonight."
The word perfect again. He used it too easily.
We sat on the edge of the bed.
He took my hand again, tracing my ring finger with his thumb.
"You've been quiet since morning," he said softly. "Tell me what's on your mind."
I hesitated. "It's just been… a long day."
He studied my face. "Was it that woman at the reception?"
My heart skipped. "What woman?"
"The one in blue," he said. His eyes were still soft, but his tone had lost its warmth. "You talked to her for a while. Who was she?"
I forced a smile. "I don't even know her name. She just congratulated me."
His gaze didn't move.
For a full ten seconds, he said nothing...just watched me, like he could hear my heartbeat.
Then he smiled again. "Alright. I believe you."
But I could tell he didn't.
Later, when he went to shower, I stood by the window, staring down at the quiet compound.
The walls looked taller from up here. The gate closed tight. Guards moving like shadows.
I reached for my phone to check the message again, but it wasn't there.
My inbox was empty.
The messages from "Unknown" were gone.
My pulse quickened....
I checked the call logs... nothing....
It was like they never existed....
Did he delete them? How would he even...
The bathroom door opened.
I dropped the phone quickly, pretending to fix my dress.
He walked out, towel around his waist, steam following him. His body glistened under the light... strong, confident, perfect.
He smiled. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," I lied.
He stepped closer, lifted my chin again. "Don't hide things from me, Adanna."
My throat tightened. "I'm not."
He smiled faintly. "Good. Because secrets ruin love."
The same words he used last night. No more lies, Adanna.
He kissed me then.... slow, deep, steady.
I tried to melt into it, to feel something like safety. But my mind kept flashing back to the woman's eyes, her voice saying, He tried to kill me.
When he pulled back, his expression had softened.
"Let's rest," he said, pulling me close against his chest. "Tomorrow will be the first day of forever."
He switched off the lamp. Darkness filled the room.
But long after his breathing slowed beside me, I stayed awake... eyes open, heart pounding, listening to every sound.
Then I heard it.
A faint click from the other side of the room.
I turned slowly. The door wasn't fully closed anymore. It had moved slightly, as if someone had pushed it from outside.
I froze.
"Darian?" I whispered.
He didn't move. Still breathing evenly.
Another click.
This time, softer. Like the sound of a camera shutter.
"The truth doesn't always scream. Sometimes, it just clicks."
The sound came again....
Click....
Soft... Precise...
I sat up, heart pounding. The curtains swayed slightly though the windows were closed.
My first thought was the guards, maybe one of them walked past the door. But this was inside the house. Closer.
"Darian?" I whispered again.
He didn't move. His breathing stayed even, calm. Too calm.
I reached for the lamp and switched it on. Light filled the room, golden and warm but nothing had changed. The door stood slightly open.
I slipped out of bed, bare feet quiet on the floor. The air felt cooler near the door.
When I pulled it open, the hallway was dark. Empty.
Still, that click had sounded like it came from nearby...deliberate, not accidental.
I stepped out.
The corridor stretched long, lined with framed paintings ..all women. All with their faces turned away.
I'd seen them earlier but hadn't noticed how eerie they looked at night.
The light from the room spilled onto the floor behind me. I walked quietly, holding my breath.
Halfway down the hall, I heard it again.
Click....
This time it came from the far end, near a smaller door I hadn't paid attention to before.
I reached it slowly, hand trembling on the knob. It was locked...
I tried again. Still locked....
Then I noticed something strange, a faint red light blinking near the top corner of the doorframe....
A camera....
I stepped back quickly, heart racing. Was that what I heard? A hidden camera clicking in the dark?
A hand touched my shoulder....
I gasped and spun around....
Darian stood behind me, wearing a robe, eyes calm but sharp.
"What are you doing?" he asked softly.
"I… I thought I heard something," I stammered.
He looked at the locked door, then back at me. "There's nothing there."
"What's inside?" I asked before I could stop myself.
His jaw tightened. "Storage."
"For what?"
He smiled faintly. "Old things. You don't need to worry about it."
I nodded quickly, forcing a laugh. "Sorry. Guess I'm just nervous."
He studied me for a long second. Then his smile returned. "Come back to bed."
I followed him, pretending calm. But inside, my thoughts were loud.
A locked door. Cameras. The messages gone.
And that woman's words still in my head....He uses people, then erases them.
When we got back to the bedroom, he turned off the lamp again and lay down.
"Try to sleep," he murmured.
I nodded. But my eyes stayed open in the dark.
I must have dozed off at some point, because when I woke, the room was brighter.... faint dawn light bleeding through the curtains.
Darian was gone.
The bathroom door was open. Empty.
His phone was on the bedside table, screen glowing faintly with a notification.
I hesitated, then picked it up.
No password. Strange.
One message showed on the screen.
From Unknown....
Unknown: "She looks like the others. You sure this one will last?"
My stomach dropped.
I scrolled up..... The chat was full of similar messages....
Different dates....
Different names....
Unknown: "You deleted the last one too late."
Unknown: "Don't forget the new video feed."
Unknown: "The police asked about her again."
My throat went dry.
Before I could read more, the sound of footsteps came from the hallway.
I dropped the phone back on the table and slid under the covers, pretending to sleep.
Darian entered quietly.
He sat on the edge of the bed, brushing his fingers through my hair.
"Good morning," he whispered.
"Morning," I murmured, eyes still half closed.
"Sleep well?"
"Yeah."
He smiled faintly. "Good. Because today, you'll see the rest of the house."
My heart thudded. "The rest?"
He nodded. "There are things you should know. Things only my wife can see."
When he left again, I sat up slowly.
Sunlight filled the room, but it felt colder now.
I looked at his phone again. The screen was dark.
My reflection stared back...pale, scared, awake.
I didn't know what he meant by things only my wife can see, but I knew one thing for sure...
Whatever waited behind that locked door wasn't "storage."
And if I wanted to survive this marriage, I'd have to find out the truth before he showed it to me.