Secrets Under the City Lights

Secrets Under the City Lights

Author: Corey Villarreal MD

Chapter 10: Truth or Death

I was so scared I nearly jumped out the window.

My heart thudded in my chest. I glanced at the windows, wondering if I could make it to the car before he caught me.

He’d brought me to this secluded mansion—was he planning to silence me?

I pictured myself tied up in the trunk, just like Marissa. The thought made me sick.

Just then, I heard the sound of knives being sharpened in the next room.

The metallic screech echoed down the hallway—like nails on a chalkboard, sending a shiver up my spine. I tried to convince myself it was just a chef prepping dinner, but I wasn’t so sure.

“Screech. Screech. Screech!”

Each sound made me flinch. I stared at the door, half-expecting a group of goons to burst in.

I stared at the door, terrified that a group of thugs would burst in, drag me to the bathroom, lay down a plastic sheet, and chop me up.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans, praying for a miracle.

The look on his face wasn’t a bluff—he had proof. Maybe he’d used some high-tech way to monitor me.

He watched me, unblinking. I realized he’d probably set a trap from the start.

I regretted meddling. If only I’d taken the gold bar and pretended to know nothing, life would be so much easier.

I promised myself that if I got out of this alive, I’d never cross him again.

I’m not cut out to be a hero.

I thought about my mom, my friends, all the things I’d never get to do. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

He smoked in silence. I couldn’t read his thoughts, but I knew I was finished.

The room felt colder, the shadows deeper. I wondered if anyone would hear me scream.

Lying wouldn’t help now. I looked him in the eye and admitted, "Yeah, I looked. I saw everything."

My voice barely trembled. I figured honesty was my only shot.

He asked, "What do you think?"

I answered, "You’re a real creep."

The words hung in the air, heavy and final. I waited for his reaction, heart pounding, hoping I hadn’t just signed my own death warrant.

This chapter is VIP-only. Activate membership to continue.

You may also like

The Guide’s Secret: Sold to the Night Crew

The Guide’s Secret: Sold to the Night Crew

Ten city strangers, one wild mountain, and a local guide who sells more than adventure. When a secret trade turns the camp into a web of desire and lies, I’m forced to choose between loyalty to my cousin and the truth about what really happens after dark. In the wild, everyone’s hiding something—and some secrets burn hotter than the campfire.

Haunted by the Midnight Maestro

Haunted by the Midnight Maestro

Derek came to Chicago chasing stardom, but found himself learning forbidden secrets from a phantom voice haunting the theater’s midnight shadows. As his talent grew, so did the chilling suspicion that the price of his gift was more than just sleepless nights—especially when his confession brought the city’s secret ghost-catchers to the stage. Now, with the truth threatening to destroy him, Derek must choose: expose the supernatural bargain or risk becoming the next legend whispered about in the dark.

Ousted Guardian: Betrayed by My Own City

Ousted Guardian: Betrayed by My Own City

After twenty-four years defending humanity’s last city, Marcus is publicly disgraced when a viral livestream exposes a single mistake. His rivals seize the moment, stripping him of power just as a true demon invasion looms—and the woman he once trusted most reveals she’s risen to take his place. As betrayal closes in and old friends turn enemies, Marcus must decide: fight for the city that cast him out, or let it burn.

Betrayed by the Town, Branded by the Phoenix

Betrayed by the Town, Branded by the Phoenix

Every night, Aubrey endures unspeakable torment—and every morning, her broken memory erases the pain, leaving her innocent and trusting in a town that profits from her suffering. When she tattoos a phoenix on her back, desperate to hold onto hope, her only ally risks everything to help her expose the truth. But as the townsfolk close in, driven by shame and fear, Aubrey must decide: can she finally break the cycle, or will the town bury its darkest secret forever?

Don't Tell Them You Can See

Don't Tell Them You Can See

Every time I reveal my secret—my sight returns, and my parents celebrate—I die, waking up trapped in the same nightmare again. The world outside my door is twisted, my family’s smiles too wide, and every neighbor watches with empty, lifeless eyes. If I slip up, they’ll know I’m not blind anymore—and this time, I might not come back.

The Winter Code: Secrets Beneath the Ice

The Winter Code: Secrets Beneath the Ice

Detective Daniel McAllister races against time as a cryptic message links a children’s song to a global plot threatening humanity’s survival. Caught between duty and doubt, Daniel must unravel the truth behind the mysterious Tristar organization—before the world is plunged into irreversible darkness. Every clue could save or doom them all.

Secrets Buried in the Dorm Room

Secrets Buried in the Dorm Room

Haunted by a friend's mysterious death, the protagonist digs through school bureaucracy and hidden motives, desperate to uncover what really happened. With every question, suspicion grows—will the truth ever come to light, or will secrets remain buried forever?

My Neighbor’s Wife, My Secret Sin

My Neighbor’s Wife, My Secret Sin

Through a peephole in my shabby apartment, I watched the beautiful Natalie play the perfect wife by night—and sell her love by day. When I stole her hidden cash to buy my own bride, I set off a chain of betrayal, violence, and murder just a wall away. Years later, with a family of my own, I come face-to-face with the woman whose secrets—and body—were once closer to me than anyone ever knew.

Ghosts of Maple Heights

Ghosts of Maple Heights

A haunted crime reporter is thrust back into the darkness when a viral murder in Maple Heights unearths buried guilt, lost hope, and a city’s deepest secrets. As he and Detective Marcus Reed dig deeper, they confront a labyrinth of betrayal, a hidden organ trafficking ring, and the shattered lives left in its wake. With every revelation, the protagonist must choose between justice and mercy, knowing that some truths leave scars that never fade.

Falling for 25: The Club Girl's Dare

Falling for 25: The Club Girl's Dare

He’s a broke college grad, she’s the mysterious club girl called 25—her real name a secret, her world full of danger and midnight bargains. When he risks everything to retrieve her stolen keepsake from Cleveland’s most feared criminal, he’s forced to choose: walk away, or dive headfirst into her world of quick tricks and broken rules. But the closer he gets, the more he realizes—she’s not the only one with something to lose.

Ten Grand to Betray Him Warm

Ten Grand to Betray Him Warm

He’s the city’s coldest rich kid. I’m the farm boy paid to warm his hands—and maybe his broken heart. The job was supposed to be simple: mop floors, keep secrets, and never ask questions about the mansion’s golden son, Julian. But one midnight meltdown, a forbidden kiss, and a ten-thousand-dollar betrayal later, I’m tangled in a web of family power games, dangerous brothers, and a pop star with bite marks on his neck. Every touch blurs the line between comfort and control. Every secret I keep for Julian is a lie I owe his enemies. When the pills run out and the music stops, will I save him—or destroy him for a paycheck? What’s the price of being the only warmth he trusts?

Forbidden Nights in the Governor’s Mansion

Forbidden Nights in the Governor’s Mansion

For three years, Alex has survived by pretending to be a man, hiding her true self among the shadows of the governor’s mansion. But when she falls for the governor’s most dangerous companion, secrets ignite into a passion that could destroy them both. One touch could cost her everything—but she’s done pretending not to want him.