"I think we should call it a day," Olaedo said finally, her tone decisive. "We've had enough excitement for one evening."
The others nodded in agreement, and as they began to disperse, Nnenna caught Olaedo's arm. "You okay?" she asked quietly.
Olaedo smiled faintly. "I'm fine."
But as she headed to her room, she couldn't shake the feeling that today's outing had stirred something unexpected in Chibuzor, and perhaps, in herself.
At midnight, Chibuzor stood in the moonlit garden, his sharp eyes fixed on the towering stone sculpture of a lion. Its intricately carved mane shimmered faintly under the silvery glow, but Chibuzor wasn't there to admire the craftsmanship.
He crouched behind the sculpture, his calm demeanor unshaken despite the oddity of his task. His housekeeper had left the mattress carefully hidden at his request, neatly rolled and covered with a discreet dark sheet.
"All because of that loophole-free contract," he thought, narrowing his eyes. The infamous agreement had been drafted with meticulous precision by none other than himself. The clause about "separate sleeping arrangements" left no room for negotiation.
His patience for sleeping on the cold, hard floor had reached its limit. Tonight, he would rectify this injustice.
As per his great grandfather's journal, the lion sculpture concealed an entrance to an ancient passageway leading directly to his study.
With a quiet press of the lion's left paw, the ground beneath the sculpture shifted, revealing a narrow, stone stairwell descending into darkness.
"Primitive but effective," he muttered, hauling the mattress over his shoulder and stepping into the passage. The air grew cooler as he descended, the faint smell of earth and stone filling his senses.
He reached the passage floor, where narrow stone walls formed a tunnel that snaked through the house's foundation.
The passage was dimly lit by faint cracks in the stone where moonlight seeped through. Chibuzor moved quietly, his calculated steps ensuring minimal noise. But as he adjusted the mattress on his shoulder, the edge of it caught on a loose rock embedded in the wall.
Thud!
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, trying to steady himself. Unfortunately, his next step landed on a jagged stone.
"Ow!" he yelped, his voice echoing through the narrow corridor.
He froze immediately, his sharp ears straining to catch any sound from the house above.
Olaedo sat in the kitchen, sipping her chamomile tea as she replayed the events of their adventures danced in her mind. The experience had revived her more than she had expected.
A faint sound reached her ears, a muffled yelp. She stiffened, her cup halting mid-air.
Her brows furrowed as she glanced toward the door. "What was that?" she whispered, her heart rate quickening. The eerie silence that followed only made it worse.
Her overactive imagination took over, conjuring images of ghostly figures creeping through the house. She shivered, setting her tea down and running back upstairs with a speed she had never run with before.
Chibuzor clenched his jaw as the pain in his foot subsided. He resumed his journey, this time more carefully, the mattress a silent companion as he navigated the last stretch of the passage.
As he neared the study, a new complication arose, Adanna's voice drifted through the walls, loud and animated. She was still awake, apparently on the phone with someone.
Chibuzor paused just outside the secret entrance, his expression grim. 'Of all nights for her to be awake…'
Her laughter rang out, and he grimaced. Waiting wasn't an option. He needed to act.
With painstaking care, he walked past ensuring the sound was minimal.
Finally, the stone wall leading to his study came into view. He pressed against the hidden lever, and the panel shifted silently, allowing him to slip into his study room.
The study was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight streaming through the window. He crossed the room silently, setting the mattress down against the far wall.
'Victory at last!'
As he leaned back against the wall, catching his breath, he allowed himself a rare moment of satisfaction. "A minor inconvenience, but worth it."
Just as he straightened, the door to the study rattled.
"Chibuzor?" came Olaedo's voice, followed by a soft knock.
He froze.
'Not now,' he thought, his mind racing. He hadn't locked the study door, and she would likely enter if he didn't answer soon.
Clearing his throat, he called out in his usual calm tone. "What is it?"
There was a pause. "I thought I heard something when i was about to pull the handle of our door.."
"Just me working late," he replied.
"Oh." She sounded unconvinced, her tone laced with worry about what she also heard downstairs, but decided to wait till morning. "Well, don't stay up too long. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he said curtly, listening intently as her footsteps retreated.
Once he was sure she was gone, he let out a slow breath.
The next morning.
Chibuzor was seated in the study, sipping his coffee, when Olaedo entered. She hesitated at the door, her expression unusually cautious.
"Good morning," he greeted, his tone calm and detached as always.
"Morning," she replied, closing the door behind her. But instead of leaving, she stood there, fidgeting slightly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"
"There's… something strange going on in this house," she said, her voice low.
He blinked, setting his cup down. "Strange?"
She nodded, taking a seat across from him. "Last night, I heard something. A yelp, like someone was hurt. But when I checked, there was no one there. And after everything that happened at the haunted house, I couldn't help but wonder..."
Chibuzor stared at her, expression unreadable. "Wonder what?"
"That this house might be... haunted."
For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then, he leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled thoughtfully.
"You think the Arinze Mansion, an aristocratic family's property with no history of tragedy or death, is haunted?"
Her cheeks reddened slightly. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds silly, but the sound was real! I heard it!"
"And you're certain it wasn't your imagination?"
She glared at him. "Of course it wasn't. I was fully awake."
Chibuzor suppressed a smirk, his cold demeanor unwavering. "Noted. I'll have the staff look into it."
"That's it?" she asked, clearly expecting more.
He gave a small shrug. "What else do you want? An exorcist?"
She scowled, muttering under her breath as she left the room.
Once alone, Chibuzor allowed himself a faint smile. "Haunted, huh? Maybe I should keep the passage's existence a secret for a while longer."
The thought amused him more than he cared to admit.
It was a calm Wednesday morning, and the Arinze mansion buzzed with its usual activity. Servants moved around with precision, carrying out their daily duties.
In the dining hall, the family sat down to breakfast, the air filled with the clinking of cutlery and light conversation.
Olaedo sipped her tea gracefully, her calm demeanor radiating elegance. Ifeoma, however, sat with a gleam in her eye, her mind scheming.
"Today, I'll see if her so called perfect act can crumble," Ifeoma thought, her hands tightening around her glass of juice. She had watched Olaedo's every move since her arrival and still couldn't shake her skepticism.
"No one is this perfect without a reason. I need to know her true colors. What better way than to provoke her?"
She glanced at the jug of water on the table, a plan forming in her mind.
After breakfast, Ifeoma followed Olaedo, who was heading to the library with a book in hand. Her steps were light and deliberate as she approached her target.
"Good morning, Sister in law," Ifeoma greeted with an overly sweet tone, holding the jug of water casually.
Olaedo paused, her sharp eyes studying Ifeoma with mild amusement. "Good morning, Ifeoma. How can I help you?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just thought you would like some water. It's important to stay hydrated," Ifeoma replied innocently.
Before Olaedo could respond, Ifeoma "tripped," and the entire contents of the jug splashed onto Olaedo, soaking her from head to toe in icy cold water.
"Oh my gosh! Sister in law, I'm so sorry!" Ifeoma exclaimed, feigning horror while trying to suppress a smirk. "I tripped... I didn't mean to!"
Olaedo stood frozen for a moment, the water dripping from her hair and clothes. Servants nearby gasped, their hands flying to their mouths as they watched the scene unfold.
One of them muttered, "Miss Ifeoma has never been this clumsy before."
Another whispered, "She did it on purpose, didn't she?"
Hearing the murmurs, Ifeoma's confidence wavered slightly, but she kept her expression contrite. 'There's no way she can prove I did this on purpose,' she reassured herself.
But then, Olaedo spoke, her tone calm but cutting. "You tripped, you say?"
"Yes! I-I lost my footing," Ifeoma stammered, her act faltering.
Olaedo arched an elegant brow. "Interesting. Because I couldn't help but notice..." She stepped forward, her sharp gaze locking onto Ifeoma, "...that you were holding the jug tightly even as you 'fell.' Not a single drop spilled before it hit me. Quite the impressive coordination for someone tripping."