The serenity of the night fell over the home, shrouding it in an eerie silence. Tayo sat in her modest quarters, her thoughts repeating the events of the last several weeks. The family's discrepancies, the secrets she'd discovered, and Adaora's cryptic warnings all raced through her mind. Something was not right.
She glanced at the snapshot she had concealed earlier that day. It was weathered and faded, depicting a little girl with an eerie likeness to Madam Adaora. However, the girl did not fit into any of the family legends Tayo had heard.
She couldn't resist the impression that the snapshot was a hint—a breadcrumb pointing to the truth. Her curiosity had taken her this far, and despite Adaora's cautions, she couldn't stop now.
Tayo had noticed something unusual about the pantry during her first week at the estate. A little door at the rear appeared out of place, with worn edges that indicated it had been used often in the past. She had imagined it was a basic storage closet, but tonight, with her curiosity piqued, she decided to go deeper.
She crept through the mansion's gloomy hallways, carrying a flashlight. The quiet was stifling, interrupted only by the groan of the floors under her boots. When she got to the pantry, she paused, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching.
She opened the little door to discover a short stairway heading down. A shiver rushed down her spine as she realized this wasn't a storage room at all—it was something much more serious.
The stairs led to a dark and wet corridor. The air was thick with the odor of mildew, and the faint sound of trickling water reverberated about her. Tayo felt her pulse thumping in her chest as she descended, her flashlight lighting up the walls.
The passageway was lined with ancient bricks, some cracking with age. She went slowly, her footfall muted by the moist ground under her. The tunnel appeared to go on forever, but she persisted, propelled by an unwavering desire to discover the truth.
After a few minutes, she discovered a little chamber dug out of the soil. In the middle was a wooden table with a dusty surface. It had a variety of things, including pictures, letters, and a little, rusting lockbox.
Tayo approached the table, her hands quivering as she sorted through the goods. The images depicted a younger Dapo and Adaora, their emotions gloomy. However, one image piqued her interest: a snapshot of the little child she had discovered earlier.
There were letters underneath the images. Tayo took up the top one and gently unfolded it. The penmanship was clean, almost clinical, and the contents chilled her blood. The letters alluded to a tragedy—a life taken under strange circumstances.
Tayo delved further and discovered papers that seemed out of place, including medical records, police reports, and a shredded page from what seemed to be a journal. The name "Nneka" occurred many times, along with the terms "accident," "cover-up," and "unresolved."
Her breath caught when she read a certain line.
"The decision was not mine, but I had no option. The events of that night will never be revealed. There is too much at risk. We must bury it, physically and metaphorically."
Tayo's hands trembled as she folded the letter back up. This was no longer about an inquisitive maid discovering family secrets; it was about something far worse.
She turned to depart, but her foot was hooked on something metal that protruded from the ground. Kneeling, she swept away the dirt, revealing a trapdoor. Her flashlight showed a thick padlock that held it tight.
Just as she reached out to touch the padlock, she heard a noise behind her and jumped. She turned around, her torch lighting Chidi's face. His look was a combination of fury and terror.
"What are you doing down here?" he snarled, moving closer.
Tayo backed backward, gripping the flashlight like a weapon. "I—I was just…"
Chidi's gaze shifted to the table, then the trapdoor. His expression stiffened. "You shouldn't have come down here," he murmured, his tone low and strained.
"What is this place, Chidi?" "Who is Nneka?" Tayo demanded, her voice wavering yet forceful.
Chidi groaned and ran his hand over his face. "You should forget what you witnessed. "For your own sake."
"No," Tayo insisted, keeping her position. "I need to know the truth."
Chidi moved closer, his voice lowering to a whisper. "If you keep digging, you will not like what you discover. "And neither will they."
Chidi's warning stayed in the air as he turned and went into the tunnel's darkness. Tayo stood still, her thoughts whirling. The evidence she had discovered was devastating, but it was incomplete.
As she returned to her lodgings, she couldn't escape the sensation that she was being watched. The house, for all its magnificence, seemed oppressive, its secrets bearing down on her.
Tayo realized she had two options: walk away and pretend she had seen nothing, or continue digging and risk everything.
But deep down, she knew exactly what she was going to do.