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Bold Publishing and Educational Consult, Lagos (2026)

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24/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 4: THE WEB OF LIES

The phone tumbled from Elizabeth's grip, its screen fracturing like the carefully constructed illusion of her marriage. That mechanized warning still coiled around her thoughts: You've put yourself in danger. She pressed her nails into her palms until crescent moons bloomed on her skin—the only pain she could trust. The grandfather clock's chime vibrated through the floorboards. 2 AM. Charles should have been asleep.

Then—the deliberate cadence of his oxfords on hardwood. "...not a problem... handled." His muffled voice slithered up the stairs. "The subject is contained."

Elizabeth counted thirty strained breaths before making a move. Her bare feet met icy hardwood, each step sending jolts up her calves. The study door stood ajar, moonlight carving a blade of silver across the floor. Swirling dust motes danced like ghosts of disturbed secrets.

Bourbon and the tang of aged paper choked the air—Charles's signature scent now laced with something medicinal beneath. Her pendant swung forward as she bent over the desk, the gold snake's emerald eyes glinting mockingly. Charles's anniversary gift. Had it always looked so much like the serpent emblem now staring up from the keycard?

The metal was corpse-cold. When she wiped her suddenly damp upper lip, her fingers came away scarlet. A nosebleed? The last one happened when she... no, the memory dissolved like smoke. But not before she caught flashes: white coats, the bite of rubber straps, a scream that might have been hers.

The intake form's clinical language curdled her stomach:
- PATIENT NAME: Lena T.
- ADMISSION DATE: Three weeks ago (the weekend Charles "visited his mother")
- TREATMENT CODE: SP-SERIES (Serpent Protocol)
- NOTES: "Subject exhibits resistance to memory-modification procedures. Recommend Stage 3 intervention."
In the margin, Charles's handwriting: "See what happened to 041 when she resisted. L.T. will comply."

A floorboard shrieked behind her. The air shifted, thick now with sandalwood and something beneath it—formaldehyde? Antiseptic? The scent of Blackwood.

"Looking for something, darling?"

Charles leaned against the doorframe, swirling his bourbon clockwise—always clockwise—the ice clinking like bones in a jar. Moonlight transformed his cufflinks into living serpents poised to strike. The amber liquid matched exactly the vials in Lena T.'s photograph.

He took a slow sip. "Or should I call you Subject 043?"

Somewhere in the house, water dripped. A steady plink... plink... plink from the ensuite bathroom. Except when she'd passed it, the sink had been bone dry.

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17/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST CONFRONTATION

Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat as Charles’s voice echoed down the staircase. The sound of his footsteps grew louder, each one a hammer blow to her already frayed nerves. She sat frozen in the darkness, her mind racing. What could she say? What could she do? The file was back in the drawer, but the evidence of his secret life was burned into her memory. She couldn’t unsee it. She couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist.

“Elizabeth?” Charles called again, his voice closer now. “Are you down there?”

She forced herself to stand, her legs trembling beneath her. “Yes, I’m here,” she called back, her voice barely above a whisper. She grabbed the flashlight and turned it on, the beam of light cutting through the darkness. She had to act normal, had to pretend everything was fine. But how could she, when her world had just been shattered?

Charles appeared at the top of the stairs, his tall frame silhouetted against the dim light from the hallway. “What are you doing down here?” he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and irritation.

Elizabeth’s mind raced for an explanation. “I... I thought I heard a noise,” she said, the lie slipping out more easily this time. “I was just checking to make sure everything was all right.”

Charles descended the stairs, his polished shoes clicking against the wooden steps. He reached the bottom and glanced around the room, his expression unreadable. “A noise?” he repeated, his voice calm but with an edge that made Elizabeth’s skin crawl. “What kind of noise?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice trembling. “It was probably nothing. Just the house settling.”

Charles stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied her face. “You look pale,” he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Are you feeling all right?”

Elizabeth flinched at his touch, pulling away before she could stop herself. “I’m fine,” she said quickly, forcing a smile. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”

Charles’s hand dropped to his side, and for a moment, he said nothing. Then he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You should get some rest,” he said. “You’ve been working too hard lately.”

Elizabeth nodded, her heart pounding. “You’re right. I’ll go upstairs now.”

She turned to leave, but Charles’s voice stopped her. “Elizabeth,” he said, his tone softer now. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

She froze, her back to him. For a moment, she considered telling him everything—confronting him with what she’d found, demanding answers. But the memory of the photographs, the ledger, the chilling notes in his handwriting, stopped her. She couldn’t trust him. Not anymore.

“No,” she said, her voice barely audible. “There’s nothing.”

Charles was silent for a long moment. Then he sighed. “All right,” he said. “But if there’s ever anything you want to talk about, you know you can tell me, right?”

Elizabeth nodded, her throat tight. “I know,” she said. But the words felt hollow, a lie she told herself as much as him.

She climbed the stairs, her legs heavy with the weight of her deception. Charles followed close behind, his presence a constant reminder of the secrets that now lay between them. When they reached the top, he placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch sending a shiver down her spine.

“Goodnight, Elizabeth,” he said, his voice gentle.

“Goodnight,” she replied, forcing herself to meet his gaze. But as she turned away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was watching her, his eyes boring into her back.

She retreated to their bedroom, closing the door behind her and leaning against it for support. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions—fear, anger, confusion. She had to confront him, had to demand the truth. But how could she, when she didn’t even know what the truth was anymore?

She crossed the room to the window, staring out at the moonlit garden below. The world outside seemed so peaceful, so normal. But inside the mansion, nothing would ever be the same.

As she stood there, a faint sound reached her ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like footsteps approaching from the hallway. Her blood ran cold. She wasn’t alone after all.

Then, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. The screen lit up with a single notification: “Unknown Caller.” Elizabeth hesitated, her hand hovering over the device. Who could be calling her at this hour? She picked it up, her fingers trembling as she swiped to answer.

“Hello?” she whispered.

The voice on the other end was low and distorted, as if filtered through a machine. “You shouldn’t have gone looking, Elizabeth. Now you’ve put yourself in danger.”

The line went dead. Elizabeth stared at the phone, her heart pounding. The screen went dark, but the words echoed in her mind. You’ve put yourself in danger. Who was that? And how did they know what she’d found?

17/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH LIES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 2: THE SECRET LIFE

The rhythmic tapping grew louder, each step echoing like a drumbeat in the silence of the hidden room. Elizabeth’s breath hitched, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. She crouched low behind the desk, her mind racing. Was it Charles? Had he come home early? Or was it someone else—someone who knew about this place?

The footsteps paused at the top of the staircase, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, a voice called out, sharp and impatient. “Elizabeth? Are you down here?”

It was Mrs. Henderson, the housekeeper. Relief flooded through Elizabeth, though it did little to ease the tension coiled in her chest. She stood, her legs still shaky, and called back, her voice trembling. “Yes, I’m here.”

Mrs. Henderson appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her brow furrowed in concern. “What on earth are you doing down here? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Elizabeth hesitated, her mind scrambling for an explanation. She couldn’t tell the truth—not yet. Not until she understood what she’d found. “I... I thought I heard a noise,” she lied. “I was just checking to make sure everything was all right.”

Mrs. Henderson gave her a skeptical look but didn’t press further. “Well, Mr. Montgomery called. He’ll be home late again tonight. Shall I prepare dinner for one?”

Elizabeth nodded absently, her thoughts still tangled in the secrets of the hidden room. “Yes, thank you, Mrs. Henderson.”

As the housekeeper retreated up the stairs, Elizabeth turned back to the desk, her eyes drawn to the stack of documents she’d been examining. She couldn’t leave now, not without answers. She waited, listening intently. The distant click of Mrs. Henderson’s shoes faded down the hallway. Only then did she pick up the flashlight and resume her search.

The ledger was a meticulous record of payments, each entry dated and signed in Charles’s handwriting. The amounts varied, but the recipients were always the same: a series of initials—J.M., L.T., R.K.—followed by brief, cryptic notes. *“Delivery complete.” “Subject compliant.” “Phase two initiated.”* Elizabeth’s stomach turned as she flipped through the pages. What was Charles involved in? And who were these people?

Her hands trembled as she grabbed a notebook from the desk and began jotting down the names and dates, her heart pounding like a drum in her ears. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she couldn’t stop now. The air in the room felt heavier, pressing down on her chest until she could barely breathe. She wanted to scream, to tear the papers to shreds, but she forced herself to keep reading.

Her eyes fell on a small, locked drawer at the bottom of the desk. It was the only thing she hadn’t examined yet. She tugged at it, but it wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, she rummaged through the desk for a key, her movements growing more frantic as the minutes ticked by. Finally, she found it—a tiny brass key hidden beneath a stack of envelopes. She inserted it into the lock, her breath catching as the drawer slid open.

Inside was a single file folder, its label marked with a single word: *“Project Serpent.”* Elizabeth’s pulse quickened as she opened it, revealing a stack of documents and photographs. The first photo stopped her cold. It was a young woman, no older than twenty, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear. A symbol was etched into the corner of the image—the same serpentine design she’d seen earlier.

Beneath the photo was a report, its contents even more chilling. It detailed the woman’s background, her habits, and her movements, as if she’d been under surveillance for months. At the bottom of the page was a note in Charles’s handwriting: *“Subject acquired. Awaiting further instructions.”*

Elizabeth’s hands shook as she flipped through the rest of the file. Each document told a similar story—a life meticulously tracked, a person reduced to a “subject.” And at the center of it all was Charles, his name appearing again and again as the orchestrator of this... this *operation.*

She sank into the chair, her mind reeling. Who was this man she’d married? The kind, charming husband she thought she knew—or the cold, calculating figure who emerged from these pages? Her chest tightened, a wave of nausea washing over her. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a precipice, staring into an abyss. Part of her wanted to close the file, to walk away and pretend she’d never seen it. But another part, stronger now, demanded answers. She couldn’t unsee what she’d found. She had to confront him. She had to know the truth.

But as she stood, a noise from the staircase froze her in place. The sound of footsteps, slow and deliberate, echoed from above. Elizabeth’s breath caught. Mrs. Henderson had left—hadn’t she? She grabbed the flashlight and turned it off, plunging the room into darkness. The footsteps grew louder, closer, until they stopped at the top of the stairs.

A voice called out, low and familiar. “Elizabeth? Are you down there?”

It was Charles. Her heart stopped. For a moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Then, instinct took over. She shoved the file back into the drawer, her hands shaking so badly she could barely turn the key. The footsteps were coming closer. She had to think, had to act. But all she could feel was the cold, creeping certainty that her life would never be the same.

As she sat in the darkness, a faint sound reached her ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like footsteps approaching from above. Her blood ran cold. The footsteps were coming closer. She had to think, had to act. But all she could feel was the cold, creeping certainty that her life would never be the same.

16/03/2025

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW: WHERE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST CRACK

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Montgomery mansion, casting a golden glow over the polished marble floors. Elizabeth Montgomery stood in the center of the grand foyer, a cup of steaming coffee in her hand, surveying the quiet elegance of her home. It was a picture-perfect scene, one she had grown accustomed to over the years. But today, something felt... off.

She had been married to Charles for ten years, and in that time, their life together had been nothing short of extraordinary. He was a successful businessman, admired by his peers and adored by the public. Their marriage was the envy of their social circle, a union built on love, trust, and mutual respect—or so she had always believed. But lately, something felt off. The way he avoided her gaze, the late nights at the office, the phone calls he took in hushed tones. She told herself she was being paranoid, but the unease lingered, a shadow she couldn’t shake.

Elizabeth sighed, setting her coffee cup on the antique side table. She wandered through the mansion, her fingers trailing along the smooth surface of the mahogany paneling that lined the walls. The house was a masterpiece of design, a sprawling estate that Charles had commissioned shortly after their wedding. Every detail had been meticulously planned, from the crystal chandeliers to the handwoven Persian rugs. It was a symbol of their success, a testament to the life they had built together.

But as Elizabeth turned the corner into the east wing, something caught her eye. A faint line in the wall, almost imperceptible, ran vertically from floor to ceiling. She frowned, stepping closer. She had walked this hallway countless times, but she had never noticed it before. Curious, she ran her fingers along the edge, feeling a slight indentation. Was it a crack in the wood? Or something more?

Her heart quickened as she pressed against the panel, and to her surprise, it gave way with a soft click. The wall shifted, revealing a hidden door. Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat. What was this? She glanced over her shoulder, half-expecting Charles to appear and explain, but the hallway was empty. The house was silent, save for the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer.

She hesitated, her mind racing. Should she go down there? What if it was nothing? What if it was something? Her curiosity won out. She grabbed a flashlight from the hall closet and stepped onto the staircase, the wood creaking beneath her feet. The beam of light cut through the darkness, revealing a small, hidden room at the bottom of the stairs. The space was cluttered with boxes, filing cabinets, and strange artifacts that seemed out of place in their pristine home. A chill ran through her as she stepped inside, her flashlight illuminating the room in flickering bursts.

The first thing she noticed was the photographs. Dozens of them, pinned to a corkboard that covered one wall. They were candid shots, taken from a distance, of people she didn’t recognize—mostly young women and teenagers. Her stomach churned as she studied the images, her mind struggling to make sense of what she was seeing. Who were these people? And why did Charles have their pictures?

Among the photographs, she noticed a symbol scrawled in red ink on the corner of one image—a strange, looping design that looked almost like a serpent. It was familiar, though she couldn’t place where she’d seen it before. The sight of it made her skin crawl.

Her eyes fell on a stack of documents on the desk, their edges yellowed with age. She picked up the top sheet, her hands trembling as she read the words scrawled across the page. It was a list of names, dates, and amounts of money, written in Charles’s familiar handwriting. Her heart pounded in her chest as she flipped through the pages, each one more incriminating than the last. What was this? A ledger? A record of payments? And to whom?

Elizabeth’s mind raced, her thoughts a jumble of fear and disbelief. She had always trusted Charles implicitly, but now, standing in this hidden room, surrounded by evidence of a life she knew nothing about, she felt the ground beneath her shift. The perfect world she had built with him was crumbling, and she didn’t know how to stop it.

She sank into the chair at the desk, her legs suddenly weak. The flashlight slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor. The room was plunged into darkness, but the images from the photographs burned in her mind. Who was Charles, really? And what had she married into? Her chest tightened, and for the first time in years, she felt truly alone.

Then, a faint sound reached her ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like footsteps approaching from above. Her blood ran cold. She wasn’t alone after all.

16/03/2025

New Story Alert: The Serpent’s Shadow: Where Truth Hides in the Dark

This is a story of Elizabeth Montgomery married to a very wealthy businessman but a sudden discovery threatens to shatter everything she has believed in for the ten years of her marriage.

Who triumphs in this?

Get glued because something big is coming.

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