Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband
Chapter 188: A Haunted House

Chapter 188: A Haunted House

As the car rolled to a stop outside the imposing house, Serena couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her spine. The building loomed like a shadow, its tall, dark windows staring back at her like empty eyes. Even if she hadn’t known its reputation, she would have hesitated before stepping foot inside. Now, knowing she was about to confront the person who had likely orchestrated the deaths of her father and grandmother, the sense of dread settled deep in her bones.

"I don’t like this place," Mahi muttered, her voice tight with worry. She glanced nervously at the ivy-choked walls and cracked stone steps, her fingers drumming anxiously on the dashboard. "It looks like a haunted house."

"Me neither," Serena admitted, forcing a small smile. "But it’s okay. The living are scarier than the ghosts, right?"

Mahi’s eyes darted to Serena’s, wide with unease. "I think they’re both equally scary. Please, ma’am. Do reconsider this."

Serena’s smile faded as she looked back at the house. The silence surrounding it felt suffocating, as if it were holding its breath. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Thirty minutes, Mahi. If I’m not back in thirty minutes, report me missing."

"I said ten minutes!" Mahi’s voice rose, sharp with panic. "I’m not waiting thirty. They could drag you off to some hidden dungeon and leave nothing but a cold trail."

Serena turned and gave her a firm look. "Ten minutes won’t be enough. Thirty. Don’t worry. I won’t make it easy for them."

Mahi’s mouth twisted in frustration. "How could you make it any easier? You’re already walking into their lair, for god’s sake."

Serena sighed, the knot in her stomach tightening further. She understood Mahi’s fear; it echoed her own. But this was something she had to do. She reached out and squeezed Mahi’s hand, trying to reassure her. "Trust me. I know what I’m doing."

She’d barely stepped out when the lights came on and Serena almost jumped. The place did not look much better or any less scarier with the lights on, showing all that overgrown grass and weeds.

"Miss Dawn. This way... please." The butler who had appeared at the door, gestured for her to come inside. Serena was almost tempted to poke at him to check if he was human or not. But she simply shrugged and stood in front of him, smilng," I’d rather follow you than have you at my back. Lead the way, Mr Butler."

The butler seemed to understand her inference that she feared being harmed from behind and simply straightened up and let her follow him. Serena did so, at a more leisurely pace, looking around, making note of the boarded up windows, etc. The place seemed to have been fortified to make sure that no one would escape by using the windows. She rolled her eyes. That ’no one’ was probably her.

Finally, the butler ushered her into a large room that was, as expected a library and then with a bow murmured about Madam being here shortly and walked out of the room. Serena shrugged and watched as the library door closed with a loud ’thud’. At least the lock was not clicked into place.

This time, she did not look around curiously. Instead, she took a seat across the table and sat down leisurely. She’d already made not of the windows here. They were normal. So, she already had an escape route. She looked down at her watch and realized only a few minuteshad passed. So, she still had time, depending on how much time ’madam’ would take.

She was not made to wait long. Soon, the door opened with a creak and Serena noticed a thin and tall woman enter the room. She raised an eyebrow. The woman looked like Ava, when she probably would reach her old age that is,except her features were sharper than Ava’s.. That was unexpected. This lady was exceptionally beautiful as well. Something she had not expected. Maybe because, she’d imagined that Old man Dawn’s wife must have been average looking. But she was quite the looker even now, so she must have definitely been beautiful in her youth.

She smiled as the woman took a seat across from her and the woman stared back, as if equally shocked to see her.

Finally, as the two people continued to stare at each other, the older woman broke the silence,"Ah, Serena Dawn," the woman said smoothly, her voice silk wrapped around steel. "I had wondered if you would have the nerve to come."

"I think you’d find I have more nerve than you gave me credit for, Madam."

The older woman leaned in, her long fingers tracing the contours of Serena’s face as if inspecting her, turning her head this way and that. Serena allowed the touch, her gaze unwavering as she studied the woman’s face in return. There was an unsettling familiarity to her, as if she were looking at an older version of Ava—sharp, elegant, yet somehow colder.

After a moment, Serena raised an eyebrow. "You always inspect your guests this closely? Or am I just that interesting, Miss Nvidia Corrick?" she quipped with dry humor.

The woman let go of Serena’s face with a small smile, the faintest glimmer of amusement in her eyes. She then stepped back, walking slowly around the desk as if savoring the moment. Finally, she sat down in her own chair with a languid grace. "You’re not shocked by my appearance. You seem to have expected me," she remarked, her voice smooth, almost too calm.

Serena shrugged, unfazed. "I had an inkling it might be you," she answered, her gaze steady.

The woman nodded, a small flicker of approval crossing her face. "Smart. You’ve inherited Edwina’s sharpness, I see."

Serena’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Guess I take after the good side of the family," she replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

Nvidia’s smile turned a little colder, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "Too bad you didn’t inherit her ruthlessness. Though, you seem to be trying." Her fingers moved toward the drawer to her right, and Serena’s body tensed instinctively. She straightened in her chair, her eyes narrowing as she braced herself, every muscle ready to spring into action. There was no telling what sort of weapon was hidden in the drawer, and she wasn’t about to take chances.