The Dark Side Of Fate Chapter 900

"Let's go," I urged Josephine, and she followed me, trying to catch her breath. Her tiredness was evident in her steps. Without hesitation, I squatted in front of her and suggested she hop on my back.

"Liam," she responded with laughter, as if thinking I was just joking. I turned my head to the side to catch a glimpse of her face behind me.

"Never had a piggyback ride before?" I asked playfully, and she chuckled before agreeing to hop on.

With Josephine on my back, we continued towards my grandparent's home. I guided us through the gate, and I didn't set her down until we reached the front door. I rang the doorbell multiple times, hoping the housekeeper would answer, but there was no response. I decided to try the doorknob, and to my surprise, it was unlocked.

"Why would she carelessly leave the door open?" I murmured, puzzled by the housekeeper's negligence. Josephine chuckled, playfully glancing around the area.

"I guess she might have gone to see what was happening or fled when she saw the fire. You'd be surprised what people do in moments of survival," she remarked, taking in the surroundings. She had only been here once before, and I doubted she paid much attention back then.

"Come on, let me show you my room," I suggested, and she raised an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look. I quickly reassured her, "No funny business, I promise." Her smile assured me that she believed me, and she nodded in agreement. I led her up the stairs towards my room, and she followed me curiously.

Opening the door, I was relieved to find the place immaculately clean, a testament to the diligent housekeeper. Josephine stepped inside and took in the surroundings.

"Something tells me you were a serious-minded student," she remarked, and I chuckled, nodding in agreement.

"You got me there. Some might say I was outrightly boring," I confessed, glancing at her as she smiled back at me.

"I wouldn't say boring, Li. You are anything but that," she assured me, her words warmed my heart.

"Coming from you, that means a lot," I said gratefully, feeling honoured by her praise. As I moved closer to her, the memory of our interrupted moment at the lake fueled my eagerness to continue where we had left off.

"Li," she playfully teased, and I drew her closer to my chest.

"Yes, Jo. Are you uncomfortable?" I whispered into her eyes, noticing the goosebumps forming around her neck. I thought she would laugh, but instead, her demeanour suddenly became tense. I pulled away, concerned, and observed her fixed gaze on something. Following her line of sight, I realised it was a picture frame on my dresser – a picture of Sophia and me.

Josephine moved away from me and approached the photo. "She seems so full of life," she remarked, and discussing it felt uncomfortable.

"Yeah, we... took that picture a few months ago," I awkwardly admitted, realising that the mood had been dampened once again.

Deciding to change the atmosphere, I gently led her away from the dresser and guided her out of the room.

"I want to show you the rest of the house, but first, I need to check the room where the light was on from outside," I said, and she nodded gently, reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the picture frame.

We proceeded down the hallway, and a metallic scent of blood assaulted my nose. I glanced at Josephine to verify that the scent was real.

"Do you smell that?" I asked her, and she nodded with a look of worry and disgust on her face. I decided to follow the trail of the scent, and it led us to the music room, where Grandma often played her piano.

Josephine gasped while I stood in shock, witnessing the housekeeper lying on the floor amidst a pool of blood. Acting swiftly, we rushed towards her; she was breathing faintly. Without hesitation, I grabbed my phone and dialled the emergency service.

"There's silver in her, so she isn't healing. They need to hurry," Josephine remarked, kneeling close to the woman and examining her wound.

I observed the deep claw marks on her chest and felt a sense of dread. If those marks had been on her throat, she would likely be dead by now. Why would anyone enter my grandparent's house and harm the housekeeper? I was grateful that I had convinced my grandparents not to come.

The danger we might be facing hit me, and I quickly pulled Josephine to her feet, making a swift decision to leave the house.

While we walked, I spoke to the emergency operator, explaining the situation. Relief washed over me when the operator informed us that the ambulance was only five minutes away. We needed to get the housekeeper the help she urgently required.

"Why are we leaving her?" Josephine asked as we walked out of the building, concern etched on her face.

"For our safety. The person who attacked or killed her might still be nearby," I explained, urging us to keep moving. But Josephine stopped abruptly at the gate, bending down to touch the ground. There were burnt tire marks on the floor, leading directly to the burnt-down van that had caused the commotion in the first place.

The realisation hit us simultaneously. "What are the odds that the perpetrators were the owners of the van?" Josephine whispered, her eyes widening in shock and understanding.