"The wait is over," Leonardo's doctor announced. "I'll return this afternoon, Leonardo. It's time to remove those bandages from your eyes. " Leonardo kept replaying the doctor's statements in his head. The wait is finally over. And, whether he could see it or not, he had to accept the outcome of the operation. And he was thinking about how to tell Angela. Is she required to be present when the bandage is removed? Leonardo sat in the middle of his bed, listening to the sounds around him. The hospital cleaner had recently replaced the linen with a new white linen cover. The nurse arrived to administer his medication. "How are you doing, Mr. Vera?" The nurse's sweet voice was soothing, but Leonardo wished he could hear Angela's voice. "What time is it?" Leonardo inquired. "It's nearly noon," the nurse said. After Leonardo had taken his medicine, the nurse exited the room. Leonardo's joy at finally seeing Angela was palpable. He couldn't remember how many days he'd spent in the hospit
The old house was old and the floor was quacking every time Angela walked around in the living or even the wall couldn’t be trusted for its durability. Maybe it was abandoned a decade ago. The window’s cover was a bit dislocated and one was ready to fall. Angela saw no neighborhoods closer to the place and the old house was surrounded by tall trees. It was already dark when she and Andrew arrived at the house from the burger junction Angela had spent hours waiting for Andrew from the hospital. They didn’t talk much; Andrew had to deliver the bad news to Leonard at the hospital that she was gone and then he would pick her up and leave the city. That’s the deal. And now she was looking around uncertain and hurt about what she had done to Leonardo. “What was his reaction?” Rakiza was teary-eyed when asking. “He was angry as expected,” Andrew said in a low tone of voice, “And I’m sorry.” “Sorry for what?” Angela frowned. “I’m sorry for making a story about you.” “What story?” Angel
At 8:30 p.m., the old clock on the wall struck. Angela sat motionless at the edge of the bed, her open diary on her lap. She couldn't wait to find out what was inside the diary's secret sealed pocket. As her heart raced with excitement, her heartbeat drummed in her ears. She slowly peeled off the seal with her fingernails, revealing the contents.It was a torn page from Esmeralda's diary. And it was either hidden from view or kept safe inside the sealed back cover. Angela's hands trembled as she flattened the paper on the bed. The writing could still be read. And then she began to read.June 24, 1982Dear Diary,That night was bitterly cold outside the orchards. I noticed the girl's silhouette under the curry tree. Her face was blurry, but the wind had blown her long hair and gown away. And in her right hand dangled something sharp, like a knife. Yes, it was a knife, and she was coming toward me, so I ran back into the house and my room. I dashed to the window and opened it slightly,
Angela came to a halt in front of her house's gate, while Andrew looked around. On the way to the house, there were small houses for the less fortunate, and Angela's house was the only larger one in the neighborhood. Rakiza thanked Andrew for his assistance after a few moments of silence. "I appreciate you accompanying me home. This is my home. " "May I enter?" Andrew inquired, his face pleading. "Follow me," Angela said as she led Andrew inside the house. "Please accept my apologies. I have nothing to offer." "A top of water would do," Andrew said with a thin smile. Andrew lingered for a while. They discussed the house and Angela's plan, which was nothing at the time. Angela was surprised to see her elderly male neighbor knocking on her door. "Mr. Brown? It's you, "Angela said, smiling. "You looked fantastic and gained weight, which makes you look healthier and stronger," Mr. Brown said. "I had an accident, but don't mind it," Angela said, holding her mouth open to say somethi
The man's shadow was approaching her. She wanted to scream, but he covered her mouth too quickly. She thought, "This isn't a dream." She wasn't dreaming as the pain from the man's grip increased. She tried to break free from him, but he was stronger, and she knew who she was. "Andrew?""Angela, I can't take it any longer." Andrew drew her into his arms as she remembered what Fredrick had done to her."Andrew? What exactly are you doing? " Angela pushed him away from her."I love you, and I want you to be mine." Andrew began kissing her on the lips, moving down to her neck and breast.Angela kept pushing and struggling and was about to scream again when the door suddenly opened and another shadow broke in, pulling Andrew away from Angela. And she saw how the tall shadow of another man punched Andrew in the face. And he collapsed on the floor.Angela was shocked to see Andrew and Leonardo colliding, fighting and kicking each other, and Andrew suffering more from Leonardo's fist."You tr
It's a coincidence. Her stolen pose and appearance in Leonardo's house were entirely coincidental, and she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her face on the canvas. But it was genuine. Their paths had crossed before she planned to murder Leonardo, and that secret had followed her since the day she fell in love with him. She tried her hardest to sleep as Leonardo desired. Leonardo decided to check on Lara's apartment after Angela confirmed her belief that Lara was the real killer. And that would be the following day.She was staring out the window. The sky was too dark, with not a single star blinking. She then stood up to close the window when she noticed a white image below it. It was just a repeat of what had happened before. A woman in a wedding gown was walking around. Angela dashed as fast as she could to reveal the truth. But when she arrived at the studio's patio, the image had vanished, and Leonardo had exited the building."What happened?" Leonardo, concerned, inquired.
"Keep an eye on your steps, Angela," Leonardo warned as the two waved their flashlights inside the tunnel. Leonardo kept Angela's gaze fixed on the tunnel they were following, which led them into a door. They also smelled a foul odor in the tunnel, like dead rats. And they discovered things inside the dreadful room, where they found a black bag containing a bottle of acid and a man's cap."I remember this cap," Angela raised the cap and looked at Leonardo, "this is the cap of the man who threw acid in my face." She also discovered fatigue pants and a jacket on the corner. Angela recognized all of them as her assailant's belongings."So, Lara was to blame for your scarred face," Leonardo grumbled. "And now she'll have to pay for it.""Did you happen to know about this tunnel, Leonardo?" Angela inquired."No."They all gathered in the living room to talk about and analyze what had happened that night. Mrs. Gale was making coffee for everyone. Mrs. Vera was still trembling as she imagine
Leonardo was holding a flashlight in his right hand, and Angela was holding one as well. They were looking at the secret door behind the cabinet in the studio's basement. "Are you sure you want to come with me?" Leonardo asked Angela one last time. "You can wait for me here.""I'll go." Angela insisted, "Waiting is the worst thing for me. I'd like to assist you in learning the truth about this house. This tunnel was constructed for a reason. That is a fact. And it was concealed from your mother. ""If she's telling the truth," Leonardo stated flatly."You doubted your mother?""She had kept my father's terrible secrets from me. She had no reason to lie to me about this tunnel.""I can see it in her eyes that she's telling you the truth," Angela said as she walked ahead of Leonardo into the tunnel's dark hole.After a few minutes of walking, they returned to the room where Lara was being held captive. "This room was designed for a crime," Leonardo mused."You're right," Angela said as