Love against the rules のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 28

The scream tore through the house like a blade. “Haaaaaahhhhhh!” Cecilia’s heart leapt into her throat. Rebecca dropped her glass, juice splattering across the rug. Felix and Florence’s bedroom door flew open upstairs. Alex, still chewing from his food, flung his plate aside. They all converged on the same spot Sandra’s room. Cecilia was the first to reach the door, her fists pounding against it. “Sandra! Open! It’s me!” The door swung wide. Sandra stood in the middle of her room, her night wrapper half-loose, her chest heaving as though she had been running a marathon. Her eyes were wild, fixed on the window. “What is it?!” Florence cried, clutching her wrapper tight as Felix steadied her by the arm. “I… I saw it!” Sandra stammered, her finger trembling as she pointed toward the half-drawn curtains. “A shadow! Right there right at my window! It was staring. I swear, I saw it!” The room fell still. The faint rustle of leaves outside only made the air heavier. Cecilia

Sunday mornings in the house had become a rare moment of calm, a fleeting breath in a week choked with unease and whispers. The air smelled faintly of fried eggs and freshly brewed tea. Felix sat in the living room with Florence beside him, their shoulders brushing lightly, a comfort they had learned to find in each other despite the storm that still brewed outside their gates. Cecilia sat opposite them, scrolling idly on her phone, while Alex lounged carelessly on the single chair, one arm draped over its edge. Sandra had rejoined her duties that morning whole and healthy now, her return adding a sense of normalcy they all secretly craved. “Movie time?” Felix had suggested after breakfast, trying to create an atmosphere less tense than the previous days. Soon, they were all in the living room, the television flickering to life. A film neither serious nor shallow it started off as harmless, drawing a few smiles, a few chuckles. Even Sandra, who usually avoided sitting for long when

Friday evening settled over the estate like a thick, deceptive blanket of peace. The air was cooler than the previous nights, and for the first time in weeks, Felix found himself sitting outside with a glass of wine, the wind teasing the leaves while the night lamps hummed quietly. Three days of calm had done wonders for his spirit no shadowy figures darting past windows, no murmurs of strange noises, no cryptic threats sliding under doors. The compound was still guarded by officers at every corner, their presence now almost blending into the rhythm of the household.Detective Obasi’s car rolled into the driveway, headlights cutting through the dimness. Felix stood to greet him, already wearing a smile that looked almost foreign on his face after so many tense weeks.“Detective Obasi,” Felix began, extending a hand, “I want to use this medium to thank you and your officers for your support. For the past three to four days now, we haven’t noticed any suspicious movement no shadows, no

The Uber slowed to a halt in front of the estate gate. Cecilia’s hands were still trembling as she wiped the tears from her face. Her heart hadn’t stopped pounding since that moment since James’s betrayal, that cruel smirk, that other girl’s words still echoing in her head like a curse. She glanced around, hoping to see Alex waiting where he had dropped her off earlier. But the spot was empty. No sign of him. “Madam, no one dey here o. Should I drive you in?” the driver asked, turning slightly. “Yes… yes, just drive me home,” she muttered. The car rolled into the estate, quiet streets sliding past her window like a blur. Every corner looked the same, every house calm too calm, as if the whole world was pretending not to notice her breaking apart inside. When they reached the gate of the compound, the security men opened it after a quick check. She thanked the driver faintly and stepped out. The Uber pulled away, leaving her standing there, small and heavy in her white gown, heels