CHAPTER ONE: The Wedding Night

Aisha stood in front of the mirror, still in her wedding dress.

Not moving. Not breathing. Just staring.

The white lace hugged her body like a second skin, flawless and delicate. But it was the red lily pinned to her chest—gifted by her new mother-in-law—that made her skin crawl. It didn’t match her bouquet. It wasn’t part of the plan.

She reached for it, then stopped.

Let it be. Just tonight. Survive tonight.

But deep down, she knew…

And that knowledge was what made her afraid, trembling in ways she could not name. Her nervousness and fear traveled down her stomach like a bitter root—too hard to swallow, bitter enough to leave her unsettled, and strong enough to twist her insides with discomfort.

Only a few hours ago, the hum of music had floated through the air—guests laughing, glasses clinking, Afrobeat bleeding into the Lagos night. She had joined the celebration, indulged in it, even let herself smile once or twice. After all, it was her and Kunle’s night. Their party.

But now… now there was silence.

A silence so heavy it pressed against the walls.

The Adediran mansion was vast, with wings of polished wood, marble floors, and rooms older than she could imagine. Yet no place within it felt as quiet as the bridal suite. The quiet wasn’t comforting—it was suffocating.

Too still.

Too watchful.

Aisha looked at herself one last time in the mirror.

You did it, she told herself.

The daughter of nobody had just married into one of the most powerful families in Nigeria. A family with land, legacy, and secrets carved into every corner of this ancestral home.

Many would call her lucky. Blessed, even. But only she knew that she felt none of those things in this moment. Not luck. Not blessing. Just a creeping unease she couldn’t shake.

She turned away from the mirror, set down the tube of red lipstick, and sat on the edge of the bed. Her fingers brushed the ivory bedsheet. Soft. Cool. Expensive cotton. Imported, probably. The kind of fabric she never thought she’d touch, let alone sleep in.

Reaching beneath the pillow, she searched for her diary—her secret keeper, her only constant companion. A habit she had never outgrown.

Gone.

Her heart skipped. She checked again, patting the mattress, flipping the pillow, even pulling back the sheet. Nothing. No journal. No pen. No sign it had ever been there.

Her throat tightened. Someone had been here.

A knock came. Sharp. Two taps.

Her breath caught. “Kunle?” she called softly.

No answer.

She rose slowly, willing her body to stay steady even as her knees threatened to give way. Shaking her head, she tried to summon rationality. It was late, she told herself. Maybe just the wind. Maybe the old wood settling. Maybe—

Another knock. Louder now. Firmer.

Her pulse raced. She reached for the handle, fingers trembling. T

he metal was cold beneath her skin.

She turned it—