Chapter 5 : The Shadow of Doubt

The days following Olivia's discovery of Samuel's death notice were filled with an unsettling quiet. The letters from the past swirled in her mind, and the weight of her family’s hidden secrets began to press heavily on her. Every corner of the house felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in on her, holding the truth she sought.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over Willow Creek, Olivia sat by her window, the photograph from 1972 clutched in her hand. She couldn't stop staring at the mysterious man near Samuel in the image. His cold gaze sent a chill down her spine, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this man had something to do with Samuel's death.

Determined to find out more, Olivia decided to confront her grandmother again, hoping that she could reveal more about the man in the photo. When she approached her later that night, her grandmother’s reaction was immediate—the color drained from her face, her expression filled with fear.

“That man…” her grandmother whispered, staring at the photo with trembling hands. “His name was Richard Montgomery. He was a powerful man in town, a close friend of your great-grandfather.”

Olivia’s heart raced. “What does he have to do with Samuel?”

Her grandmother hesitated, her voice barely audible. “I never knew for sure, but Richard had a reputation. He was ruthless, and if anyone could have… harmed Samuel, it would’ve been him. He had his own reasons to keep our family’s reputation clean.”

As the truth began to unravel, Olivia’s sense of doubt deepened. Could this Richard Montgomery have been responsible for Samuel’s death? And if so, why had no one spoken of it before?

Later that night, as Olivia lay in bed, she felt a presence—a cold, looming sensation that filled the room. A shadow flickered across the wall, darker than the night itself. She sat up, heart pounding, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw a figure standing at the foot of her bed, watching her.

The shadow vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving Olivia in a state of fear and doubt. She couldn’t tell if her mind was playing tricks on her or if something far more sinister was lurking in the corners of her life.

The mystery was growing deeper, and the shadows of the past were closing in.

____________________________________________

Hi dear readers,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am doing well, and I hope you guys are also doing well. Furthermore, I need your support guys. Your support matters a lot to me. I don't know whether you liked this story or not. But please do share your views and tell me in comments if you liked it or not. It will help me a lot and I will continue sharing lots of new Stories with you guys.

Okay bye-bye my dear readers 💞

Love you guys 🥰

Take care of your self.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***