<h4>Chapter 149 - DARK SECRET</h4>


    We would be dead if Samantha caught us. I warned myself and did my best to hold myself still.


    The footsteps came closer… and closer… and closer… When I thought it would dash straight at us, it finally stopped just in front of where we stood.


    "Do you think you could fool me, huh?" Samantha snapped, her sharp voice filling the whole room.


    I flinched. Terror sliced through me. Did she find out I trespassed in her mansion?


    I clenched my fist and suppressed the growing fear inside me. My brain seemed frozen too but I forced myself to think of my next move in case she knew I''m hiding here.


    If worse came to worst then I will need to fight, I thought to myself while taking a deep steadying breath.


    Catherine stood beside me, her spine straight and frozen. She was doing her best to calm her breathing.


    There was a long agonizing pause thatsted for a couple of minutes. I waited for Samantha''s next move. If she attacks me then I have to protect myself.


    I narrowed my eyes and peered through the silk curtain but it was so thick and the room was wrapped in pitch ck darkness that I could not see her.


    "Answer me you bit*ch!" She screamed then it was followed by the piercing sound of shattering ss. Samantha just threw an object across the painting. "Answer me, Ang." She repeated, her teeth gritted while she gasped for air.


    When there was no response, another object was thrown across the wall and itnded on the floor with a loud crash.


    Vince''s mother just smashed my favorite porcin vase across the wall!


    I bit my lower lip. I let go a relieved sigh. I almost thought she found out I was here. The heavy weight draped on my chest eased. Thank god. I thought inwardly and felt myself rx. I heard Catherine''s soft sigh. She too was relieved.


    Samantha''s footsteps fill the room. She walked towards the direction where the bed stood.


    There was a soft click as she


    turned thempshade on and the room flooded with light.


    The lighting from thempshade helped? illuminate the room. Now I have a clear view of Samantha while I stand behind the curtains.


    "You''re a fool, Ang!" She began, sumbing to a high-pitchedughter that pierced my ears.? I was surprised that the windows did not break by how sharp herughter sounded. "I killed you…. Oh didn''t I kill you Ang? Yes, I killed you! I remember it now… I Stabbed you with the kitchen knife multiple times and set everything up so Ace would take all the me. I was sessful right?"


    A harsh gasp escaped my lips. Luckily, Samantha was so upied talking to the air that she did not hear the sound.


    Samantha killed Ang! It was her who killed her son''s wife. The truth made me want to throw up. How could a mothermit a crime against her daughter-inw?


    She was so disgusting that I nearly leapt out of my hiding ce to attack her. If it weren''t for Catherine holding my hand, I should have done so a while ago.


    Anger bubbled inside me. I? took a deep intake of breath as I slowly calmed myself.


    To think that she was the culprit who set it all makes me want to confront her and tell her she''s delusional and should be locked up inside a mental facility.


    Catherine Grace''s hands tightened around me in order to remind me to keep my head cool. It would be extremely dangerous if Samantha finds out that there''s an intruder inside her house.


    Samantha slowly made her way to the wall where the painting hung. Broken shards crushed beneath her feet as she carefully walked.


    When the painting''s within her reach, she snatched it with force and hurled it across the floor where itnded with a crash.


    "Do you think this painting could help you? I will burn it to ashes so no one would know the truth."


    Her sinisterughter filled the room once more as she stepped on the painting over and over again. She just stopped when she was out of air.


    "I killed you because you''re no longer useful to my son, Ang. You became a bug…. you know what I do to useless bugs right? Of course, I kill them darling. I''m not sorry I killed you, I''m just sorry because you deserve to die in a far more brutal way."


    My fist clenched tighter. Samantha was beyond salvation. Her action just now proved that she was not only mentally stable.


    Someone as dangerous as her shouldn''t be on the loose. She killed once and I''m sure she wouldn''t stop right there. She would kill more and I wouldn''t be even surprised to know if I''m next on her list.


    Samantha picked the painting from the floor and trotted to the partially opened door while dragging the painting behind her.


    When she reached the door, she stopped and turned her head to the exact spot where Ang died. "Now that you''re dead, you know who''s next…? He was no longer useful to me too and so he must follow you to the grave." After saying the words she mmed the door shut.


    A deep sigh escaped my lips when she was gone. For the first time since she entered the room, I began to breathe normally.


    Catherine pushed the heavy drapes aside so she could breath freely. Slowly, she slumped on the cold floor, her chest heaving.


    I tore my gaze off her and itnded on the closed door. ''He was no longer useful to me too so he must follow you to the grave.'' I stared blindly straight ahead while herst words reverberated inside my thoughts. I don''t know what Samantha meant by that.? I wonder if he was referring to Ace.


    Is she nning to kill him?


    A shiver ran down my spine at the morbid thought.


    "Phoenix, let''s get out of here." Catherine said beside me, as she rose from her slumping position on the floor.


    I nodded. Fleeing from this ce was a good idea. After finding out Samantha was the one who killed Ang I couldn''t allow her to know that I was here.


    If she knew I''m the intruder inside her house, I''m sure that I would notst until morning.


    I summoned all the courage I could muster and tiptoed behind Catherine as she quietly made her way towards the door and pulled it open.


    After making sure that it was clear outside, we moved forward.


    We were halfway through the long and narrow corridors when a sudden chill began at the base of my neck and it crawled at the bottom of my spine.


    I stopped walking, wondering what that ufortable sensation is all about.


    Heavy footsteps reverberated across the dark corridor. The steps are headed towards us.


    Panic seized through? me and I ran to the nearest door of a room but when I turned the knob, I discovered it was locked.


    Catherine shook her head, indicating that the doors she tried are locked too. The sound of a shoe pping against the floor was approaching. We have no options left but to force the door open.


    Atst, Catherine managed to force open the lock with her trembling fingers. She pushed the door and we scrambled inside the room. The door clicked close behind us.


    The inside of the room was shrouded in shadows. If it weren''t for the parted drapes, and the faint moonlight spilling inside, the room would be wrapped in total darkness.


    A scream nearly erupted from my throat when my gazended in front of me. I discovered we weren''t alone inside the room. Ybbrahim Greyson was lying on the couch. He was fast asleep.


    I took a subtle breath? to calm my nerves. I nearly fainted by the sight of Ybbrahim. I''m just d he''s asleep. I was still recovering from shock when the doorknob rattled.


    Catherine ran underneath the bed.


    Gasping for breath, I hopped inside the closet, hoping that no one would open it.


    The door creaked open. From the small crevice of the door, I watched as Samantha walked towards her husband.


    Sheid her wrinkled hand on top of her husband. She caressed his hair and his cheek.


    "Goodnight honey," She whispered to Ybbrahim''s ears before she walked towards the door without looking back.


    The door closed. When the footsteps receded to the distance that''s when I finally rxed.


    I did not quickly jump out of the cramped closet. Samantha might return. I waited for a couple of minutes and when I was sure that she had already retreated to her bedroom and would not return, I decided to get out of my hiding ce before suffocating myself to death.


    I quickly emerged from the closet in time to see Catherine crawling out of the bed. Without dy, she approached Ybbrahim''s and motioned me toe.


    "He''s dead." She whispered.