Chapter 2

Elena Cruz

Elena woke up hours later, disoriented. The room was too bright, sunlight streaming through windows she didn’t recognize. For a second, she forgot where she was. Then it all came back. The middle-of-the-night drive. Her father leaving her here. This stranger’s house that was supposed to be home now.

She grabbed her phone off the nightstand. Three missed calls from a number she didn’t recognize. No voicemail. She tried calling her mom again. Straight to voicemail.

She typed out a message: Mom, please just let me know you’re okay. I love you.

Then a knock on the door pulled her attention away from the screen.

“Elena, dear?” Mrs. Parker’s voice came through. “I thought I’d show you around the house if you’re up for it.”

Elena opened the door. Mrs. Parker stood there with that same kind smile, holding a glass of orange juice.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten, so I brought this up. Breakfast is still available downstairs if you’d like something more substantial.”

“Thank you.” Elena took the glass. “A tour would be good to get familiar .”

“Of course. Let me show you.”

They started downstairs. Mrs. Parker pointed out the obvious things first , the kitchen, dining room, living area that looked like no one ever actually sat in it. Then the less obvious the laundry room tucked behind the kitchen, the pantry stocked like they were preparing for some apocalypse, the back patio that overlooked a pool Elena hadn’t noticed last night.

“Dr. Hale doesn’t use most of these spaces,” Mrs. Parker said as they walked. “He’s usually at the hospital or in his office. Keeps to himself mostly.”

“Does he live here alone?”

“Most of the time, yes. His wife travels frequently for work.”

Elena stopped walking. “His wife?”

“Mrs. Hale. She’s in consulting. Very successful. She’s away more often than she’s home, truthfully.” Mrs. Parker’s tone stayed neutral but something in her expression suggested she had opinions she wasn’t sharing. “You’ll meet her eventually, I’m sure.”

Elena nodded, processing that information she didn’t know what to do with.

They continued the tour. Mrs. Parker showed her where the cleaning supplies were kept, which bathroom was hers to use, how to work the security system if she needed to come and go.

“And this hallway,” Mrs. Parker said, gesturing down a corridor Elena hadn’t noticed before, “is Dr. Hale’s private area. His office, his library and his personal space. Best to avoid wandering down there unless you need something from him directly.”

“Got it.”

“Well, that’s most of it. If you need anything, just call for me. I’m usually around.” Mrs. Parker smiled. “I’ll leave you to settle in.”

She disappeared back toward the kitchen, and Elena stood there in the middle of this massive house, suddenly very aware of how quiet it was.

She should go back to her room. Unpack properly. Try calling her mom again.

Instead, she found herself wandering.

The house was big enough that she could walk for five minutes and still discover new rooms.

She passed a library she hadn’t seen before, shelves packed with books that looked like they’d never been touched. A sitting room with furniture arranged neatly.

Then she turned a corner and realized she’d gone the wrong way. This was the hallway Mrs. Parker had told her to avoid.

She should turn back. But one of the doors was cracked open, and she heard a voice coming from inside. It was Dr. Hale’s voice.

She stopped walking.

“I can’t do this.” His voice was low but strained. “I know we had an agreement, but I can’t do this.”

He was on the phone , she moved closer to the door trying to eavesdrop.

“You don’t understand what you’re asking. She’s…”He stopped mid-sentence. “No. I don’t care what you said before”

Elena knew she should walk away. Knew she was invading his privacy. But her feet wouldn’t move.

“It’s not about ability. It’s about…” Another pause. “Forget it. I’ll handle it. Just give me time.”

She leaned closer to the door, trying to hear better then the door betrayed her and swung open. Elena stumbled forward, catching herself on the doorframe. Dr. Hale stood on the other side, phone still in his hand, eyes locked on hers.

For a second, neither of them moved. That feeling from last night came back flashing inside her a bit stronger this time. Like something inside her recognized him in a way that made no sense. Her breath caught.

His jaw tightened. His eyes dropped from hers immediately afterwards

“I’ll call you back,” he said into the phone, then hung up without waiting for a response.

The silence stretched.

“I’m sorry,” Elena said quickly. “I was just…Mrs. Parker was showing me around and I got turned around and I heard your voice and I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, I swear…”

“It’s fine.” His voice had gone cold. Nothing like the politeness from when she arrived that night. “You should go back to your room.”

“I really wasn’t trying to…”

“Elena.” He still wouldn’t look at her. “Go back to your room.”

It wasn’t a suggestion but sounded like a command. She backed out of the doorway, her face hot. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t respond. Just stepped back and closed the door, and she heard the lock click into place. Elena stood there for a second, staring at the closed door, her heart doing something stupid in her chest.

Then she turned and walked back the way she came, faster this time, until she found the stairs and made it back to her room. She closed the door and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath.

What the hell was that? She asked herself

She’d heard him say he couldn’t do this.

Was he talking about her? And why did he look at her like that? Like she was something dangerous. Or like he was.

She grabbed her phone and tried her mom again. Voicemail. She threw the phone on the bed and pressed her hands against her face.

She’d been here less than twenty-four hours and already everything felt wrong. Her father was gone. Her family was missing. And the man whose house she was living in couldn’t even look her in the eye.

She didn’t know what she’d walked into.