Chapter 62: Times Up

Angela's POV

Angela couldn’t believe the coincidence that happened. And she remembered that day when she was crying at that monument. She was feeling sad because of her sister’s death. She felt guilty but vengeful to the man responsible for Esper’s suicide who happened to be Leonardo. She couldn’t believe that she was the mysterious crying lady painting. “It’s me.”
“Yes, and I didn’t expect it to be you the moment I recovered that painting from Lara’s apartment,” Leonardo. Lara and Fredrick stole the painting and tried to get rid of it but kept it hidden. “This is something.” Leonardo looked at Angela and drew her slowly to face her. “Maybe, this is the sign that we are meant to be.”
“I don’t know,” Angela’s eyes were fixated on her portrait.
“This belongs to you now,” Leonardo referred to the painting, “But before anything else. The thieves must be put in prison.” And that meant Lara and Fredrick must be captured. “But for now, you should take some rest.”
After a few hours, Angela was back in the pink room, trying to sleep but couldn’t. Her mind was focused on what had occurred recently. Andrew’s bad demeanor, the stolen crying lady portrait who happened to be her was troubling her mind. All those events collided and kept on reappearing in her memories until she stood up to shake all of it off. She stood at the window to have some breather.
The sky was too dark not a single star blinked. She was about to close the window when she spotted a white image below in the orchard. “It’s her.” Without thinking she ran out of the room to chase the white image when she bumped into Leonardo.
“What’s going on?” Leonardo’s eyes widened.
“I saw the lady in a white gown in the orchard,” She then ran and Leonardo ran after her.
Both of them searched every corner of the orchard to look for the lady in white without success.
“Where is she?” Angela was gasping for breath with intense feelings and the urge to know who the lady in white is. But Leonardo stood behind her, staring at her.
“What?” Angela irked. “You thought I was making this up? That the lady in white was just a product of my imaginations, isn’t it?”
“I just want to think it logically,” Leonardo held Angela’s hand. “Well, I’m not this panic if I didn’t see her here.”
“My mother told me about the torn- page of Esmeralda’s diary, which stated that Esmeralda saw Lara in a wedding gown holding a knife and wanted to attack her.” Leonardo explained, “You were the one who discovered it, right?”
“Yeah,” Angela, it’s still there in her diary,” Angela confirmed.
“So, we have to find Lara’s wedding gown in her apartment,” Leonardo said. Angela agreed to Leonardo’s idea. If Esmeralda was sure that what she saw was Lara in a wedding gown, the gown was possibly hidden in her apartment.
Leonardo’s idea gave Angela a warm relief. And they went back to the house to have coffee in the kitchen to discuss further more about their plan and then departed in front of Angela's room.
“Goodnight,” Leonardo kissed Angela’s lips. “Have a good night's sleep.” And he released her and left the door once Angela locked the door. Angela was following Leonardo’s precautionary action. It’s better to take preventive action than to feel sorry afterward.

The next morning, Leonardo decided to check all the cupboards and closets for a white gown or wedding gown. They started in the guest room where Lara was staying but they found no white gown. Leonardo then proceeded to Lara’s apartment and Angela accompanied her. On their way, Leonardo handed Angela a key holder.
“What is this?” Angela asked staring at the single key dangling in the key holder.
“It’s my spare in Lara’s apartment,” Leonardo said honestly. Lara gave it to him to have easy access to her apartment if he wanted to be with her or to have a good sleep, but this time, they were going to gather evidence to nail Lara of Esmeralda’s death.

Lara’s apartment was a two-story apartment with a balcony facing the ocean. And it was empty and dusty. The dust was the proof of many days the apartment hadn’t used. And there’s no sign of Lara.
“What happened to her,” Leonardo whispered. They checked all the cupboard and compartment that was possible for keeping the gown, but they found no white long gown. “She’s not occupying this apartment for long.”
“Then, where is she now?” Angela had a nauseating feeling. She wanted it all to end.
“Let’s take a look at the guest’s room,” Leonardo said and they marched in there. Angela didn’t expect to see something inside the room that would surprise her to the max level. On the wall was the crying lady, Angela’s face.
“They made a printed duplication of my painting,” Leonardo said. “I took only the original where she kept in that cupboard.” He was explaining how he managed to get the original Crying Lady painting.
“So, it’s confirmed that Miss Lara Chavez is the brain of robbing your studio,” Angela sighed sadly.
“Yes,” Leonardo said solemnly. “We need to catch Lara.”
“But how and where?” Angela couldn’t take off her gaze from “The Crying Lady.”
“This doesn’t belong here,” Leonardo took the duplicate painting home and told his mother about what Lara had done. Mrs. Vera was shaking her head in disbelief. She too, had no hint about Lara’s intention.
“Now, we have to focus on Esmeralda’s death, and Lara’s disappearance.
“What if she already died?” Mrs. Gale said in a long silence. She had earned all the attention and continued her thoughts and analysis. “If she’s the thief, so, she can do anything against the law and maybe would have gathered enemies for a long time. And maybe, one of them took her.”
“That a good speculation,” Leonardo confirmed Mrs. Gale’s statements.
All of them focus on the idea of Lara as the suspect. But they all end up in confusion. Lara was nowhere to be found. Her relatives were looking for her for how many months. And yet, nobody knew that Lara was in a dark room, captured by the shadow.
****
Lara’s POV
Lara shivered, lost in a feverish haze. She couldn't count the days spent in the dark, damp room. Dreams of darkness and strange creatures weaving her essence filled her mind. She cried out for freedom, knowing death could come anytime. Even in her weakness, she yearned for simple pleasures like fresh air and sunlight. Her existence hung by a thread, almost unbearable. "Please, end it. I can't take more," she begged, voice trembling.

The door creaked open, a silhouette offering something. Lara crawled forward, pleading for freedom, only to get an object thrown at her feet before the door shut again. Trying to unwrap the object, she felt a sharp sting—a hidden blade among the supplies. Her flashlight showed the blade, making her wonder if it was mercy or cruelty. The inconsistency puzzled her. The shadow had been careful, keeping sharp objects away, but now she had a knife. Why?

Hope sparked within her. She used the blade to cut the bonds on her ankles, preparing to escape and confront the shadow. Revenge was on her mind. The shadow became her enemy, and she readied the knife by her escape route. She ate quickly, saving the flashlight's light. Darkness had become comforting, but fever and headaches gnawed at her.