"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, "Second Miss 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."
The servants gasped again, their eyes widening in shock.
"Ifeoma, you should know that you're not my opponent especially in wits" Her words were harsh but they weren't a lie either.
"Also," Olaedo continued, her voice smooth, "I happened to see you watching me quite intently during breakfast. Almost as if you were plotting something. Care to explain that?"
Ifeoma's heart pounded as her carefully constructed plan began to fall apart. She struggled to maintain her composure. "I..It's just a coincidence! You're reading too much into this!"
"Oh?" Olaedo tilted her head, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Then perhaps we should ask the security staff to check the footage. I'm sure they'll find your actions very... enlightening."
The color drained from Ifeoma's face. "T..There's no need for that! It was just an accident, I swear!"
The murmurs from the servants grew louder.
"Second Miss has always been acting strangely around Young Madam."
"Do you think she doesn't like her sister in law?"
"Why else would she do this?"
Ifeoma clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. Her plan had backfired spectacularly, and now she was the one under scrutiny.
At that moment, Chibuzor walked into the hall, his cold, sharp eyes sweeping over the scene. His gaze landed on Olaedo, who was still drenched, and then on Ifeoma, whose expression screamed guilt.
"What is going on here?" he asked, his voice calm but with an undertone that demanded answers.
Olaedo turned to him, her expression composed despite her wet state. "Ifeoma accidentally poured water on me. Though her explanation seems... lacking."
Ifeoma's head snapped up. "It was a mistake! I didn't mean to—"
"Enough," Chibuzor cut her off, his tone icy. "Your clumsiness, real or otherwise, has inconvenienced someone. Apologize and ensure this doesn't happen again."
The weight of his words crushed any further protests..