Chapter 19: Faustina's Manor
"Oh okay I'll be right there," Alex said and he cut the call. Dunice eyebrows furrowed.
"You are leaving?" She asked curiously.
"Yeah….I have something to deal with but I can still drop you off.
Alex dropped Dunice and Alix at their house. Alix looked sad, making Alex feel the same way. He knew she wanted him to stay, and he wanted that too.
"Come here baby," Alex said as he bent down and stretched his arms open. Alix took small steps and engulfed herself in his embrace.
"I promise I'll make up for all the time I was absent," he said and kissed her hair.
Dunice who was watching the both of them was beginning to get emotional but she managed to hide it.
"Alix we've got to go now granny must be expecting us," Dunice said as she walked towards where they were. Alex stood up to his feet and handed Alix over. Just as they turned around to leave Alex dragged Dunice back and kissed her on the cheek.
"Take care," he said and got into the car almost immediately.
"Gosh!" Dunice thought with flushed cheeks.
Did he have to do that in front of Alix? He's unbelievable.
"Mommy I think you should stop smiling already," Alix said with a cute grin and Dunice blushed harder.
As Alexander sped toward the deserted road, a tumultuous wave of emotions swept over him, bringing forth a cascade of memories from the past. Parking his car in front of an ancient manor nestled in a secluded area, anticipation and nostalgia mingled in the air.
Alex stepped out of his car, leaning against it with a casual demeanor. Retrieving a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, he skillfully lit one and took a contemplative drag. As tendrils of smoke curled from his lips, his gaze fixated on the Manor before him, adorned with an inscription that revealed its identity as "Faustina's Manor."
The Manor held a trove of memories, the bittersweet recollections of his mother, Faustina. It was a place that witnessed her joys and sorrows, a home she owned even after joining hands with his father, Lopez. Following her passing, they reluctantly departed from the house.
Upon turning 18, Faustina's lawyer visited him, delivering the long-forgotten documents of the Manor. He held onto them, unsure of what to do with the ancestral abode. Now, standing at a crossroads, he felt the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders, realizing that it was time to breathe new life into the cherished home.
He was determined to move in with Dunice, and their daughter, but first, he had to find evidence that Douglas, his mother's murderer, was responsible for her death. It would take several days of hard work to uncover the truth, but he was determined to see justice served.
Alex flicked his cigarette butt onto the floor and ground it out with his shoe, leaving smudges of ash on the marble floor. He entered the mansion and was greeted by a dozen cleaners, three of whom were waiting for him. The others busied themselves with the usual tasks of dusting, sweeping, and polishing.
As Alex approached, the cleaners all greeted him in unison, "Good evening, sir,"
"Good evening," Alex responded, his voice crisp and formal.
"Is there something I can help you with?" He paused, studying their faces.
There was something strange about the way they were looking at him, a hint of suspicion or unease in their expressions. His stomach knotted, and he fought to keep his composure.
"Yes, there is," one of the cleaners said, stepping forward.
"We need to speak to you about something urgent," She said.
We found a journal while cleaning your mother's room, she said as she handed over the journal to him.
Alex looked at her and asked, "Have you read what is inside?" Alex asked, staring intently at her.
"Not at all," this is a customized journal it'll be rude to open so I decided to wait until you come before handing it over. She said.
Why was he finding it hard to believe that she hadn't checked the journal? The look they all had when he entered the mansion says otherwise but he shaked the thought of his mind.
Observing the nearing completion of the lower mansion, Alex inquired with a raised eyebrow. "I assume the upstairs cleaning is finished, considering your progress?"
"Yes sir," they all replied in Unison.
Alex ascended the stairs, pausing abruptly before ascending the gift-laden steps.
"While working with me, confidentiality is paramount. I expect none of you to disclose your association here. Is that understood?" he asserted with a resolute tone, then proceeded upstairs without uttering another word.
As soon as Alex was out of sight Murmurs filled the air.
"Oh my God, he's quite intimidating," a female cleaner exclaimed.
"Quit the chatter and focus on your work," the stern voice of the senior cleaner, Magratte, silenced the room.
"I find him attractive, to be honest," another female expressed her thoughts.
"Samantha, inappropriate behavior has no place here. Just concentrate on your tasks," Magratte, the head cleaner, reprimanded, restoring order as they all returned to their duties.
Alex stepped into his mother's room with the journal still in his hands. He had a bad feeling about that journal. He didn't want to open it. He feared that he might find information that would be extremely shocking.
"How come I didn't know my mother kept a journal?" Alex asked himself
He was very close to her although she died when he was still young but he remembered the things she did. She would always call him and talk to him, advise him, and also tell him about her problems.
He wants to believe that his father doesn't also know that she kept a journal or else they would have cleared it while he was busy covering up for Douglas.
Exiting the room, Alex's voice echoed from upstairs, "Where's the lady who spoke to me earlier?"
"Here," came her response.
Curious, Alex inquired, "Where did you discover this journal?"
"While dusting her bookshelf, it was nestled amid another random novel," she explained.
"The name of that novel?" Alex questioned, tilting his head.
"I believe it's 'Whispers Beyond the Echo,'" she replied.
"Thank you," Alex acknowledged before returning to the room.
Margaret let out a deep breath.
"What's with all these questions," she rolled her eyes as she mumbled.
Alex walked to the bookshelf and brought out the book, "Whispers Beyond the Echo," he stared intently at the book.
"It's big enough to hide a journal," he concluded.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Teemah_arty
Teemah_arty Hello dear readers, thank you for bearing with me despite my inconsistency. I promise to make up for it.
Don't forget to drop a comment. I want to know if yall are still following up.
Much love from Teemah.
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