Chapter 24

The words wouldn’t stop playing in my head.

“The last girl who spent hour after hour in that house? She died.”

Died.

I walked back to my office slowly, like the air was suddenly thicker. I grabbed my handbag from the side drawer. My steps were quiet, but inside, my heart thudded. What did Linda mean by that? Who was the girl? And why the hell hadn’t anyone mentioned her until now?

As I stepped outside Lachlan Corp, the automatic doors slid open with a faint whoosh. The city air hit me hard, and Williams was already waiting beside the black SUV. He opened the back door for me with a nod.

I climbed in without a word.

Pulling my phone from my bag, I typed fast.

H: Meet me at home in 30 minutes.

I wasn’t going to let fear sit in my chest like a stone. If anyone knew what had happened, it was Clara.

Williams looked at me through the rearview mirror like he wanted to say something. I saw it in his eyes, the way they kept flicking up and down.

Before he could speak, my phone buzzed.

C: Okay, Ma.

“Straight home, please,” I said calmly.

“Yes, Miss,” Williams replied, starting the engine.

The ride was smooth. But my mind was a mess. What had I gotten into? The more I uncovered about the Lachlan house, the darker it seemed. Hidden rooms. Riddles. A girl who never made it out alive?

In less than an hour, the mansion gates opened. I stepped out as the guards nodded. My heels clicked on the stone path as I walked inside. The house was quiet. Almost too quiet.

Mrs. Wilson, the chef, saw me first.

“Welcome, Miss Hailey. Would you like anything for dinner?” she asked with her usual polite smile.

“Make anything. But get me green tea now.”

She bowed slightly and disappeared into the kitchen.

I climbed the staircase slowly. Every painting on the wall looked like it was watching me. Waiting.

At the top of the stairs, I spotted Clara and Kaira standing near my room.

Kaira rushed over and hugged me. “I missed you!” she said, her voice too cheerful for my mood.

I rolled my eyes. “You left me, remember?” I teased lightly.

She laughed and took my handbag. “Girl, you look so classy in that suit! Like, boss-lady classy.”

Despite everything, I smiled. “Say that again,” I whispered.

“Classic. You’re giving money and power.”

She always knew how to make me blush. Her words softened the weight I was carrying, just for a second.

Clara stood quietly nearby, her hands clasped in front of her. I turned to her.

“Come to my room,” I said, serious now.

Kaira looked between us and nodded. “I’ll go freshen up. Holler if you need me.”

Inside my room, I closed the door gently. Clara stood in front of me like she already knew what I was going to ask.

“I want answers,” I said.

Clara blinked. “Answers to what, Ma?”

“The girl who died in this house.” My words came out sharp. “Who was she?”

Clara froze.

“You know who I’m talking about,” I pressed.

Kaira, who’d followed quietly behind, gasped. “A girl died in here?”

Clara looked between us, her lips tight. “Who told you that?”

“Linda. From marketing. She said the last girl who spent too much time in this house… died.”

Clara exhaled slowly, like she’d been holding her breath all day. She didn’t deny it. She didn’t laugh or tell me Linda was crazy. She just asked, “Why did she tell you that now?”

“I don’t know.” I stepped closer. “Maybe she wanted to scare me. Or maybe she wanted me to know what I’m really walking into.”

“I’m not in a good place to answer this,” Clara said softly.

“That’s not good enough,” I snapped. “You live here. You know everything that happens in this house.”

“There are things I’m not allowed to say,” Clara whispered. “Things that were never written down but still haunt this place.”

“Clara, I need to know what I’m dealing with.”

She shook her head, her eyes darting around the room like the walls had ears. “It’s not safe for anyone to dig too deep. You think George Lachlan left you riddles for fun? This house was built on secrets. And the people who try to expose them…”

“Die?” I asked, my voice low.

Clara didn’t answer.

I looked at her for a long time. “You think I’m next?”

“No,” she said finally. “I think you’re the first person who might survive it.”

That hit me like a punch. I sat down on the edge of my bed, trying to breathe.

“She was close to the Lachlan brothers?” I asked.

Clara nodded.

“Which one?”

Clara looked down. “More than one.”

I stared at her. “You mean like… romantically?”

She didn’t respond.

Everything inside me sank. This house. These boys. This game. It had cost someone their life. And now I was living in the same rooms. Sleeping in the same halls. Walking the same paths.

“I need to know her name,” I said.

Clara took a deep breath. “Her name was Eloise.”

Eloise. The name felt heavy.

“She worked here?” I asked.

“No,” Clara said. “She was a guest. Like you.”

“And she died here?”

Clara nodded. “And the story never made it to the papers. George handled it. Quietly.”

My hands balled into fists. I felt a chill crawl up my spine. Why did George choose me? Was I supposed to fix something? Finish what Eloise started?

Clara opened the door. “You should rest now, Ma.”

I stood up. “No, Clara. I’m just getting started”

The silence that followed was heavy.

Then Clara added, “You remind people of her. That’s why they’re afraid.”

“Was she part of the riddles?” I asked.

Clara looked confused. “Riddles?”

“George’s riddles. The letters. The keys. The secret doors.”

Clara stepped back. “I didn’t know about that.”

I didn’t believe her. Not fully.

“Where’s the old garden wing?” I asked.

Clara shook her head. “It’s sealed. No one goes there.”

“Then I will.”

Kaira looked worried now. “Hailey, maybe don’t. This is getting dark.”

“Too late for that,” I said.

I crossed the room to my closet, already reaching for my flashlight. If there were answers in that sealed wing, I would find them. I wasn’t going to end up like Eloise. I was going to survive this.

As I turned toward the door, Clara spoke one last time.

“Before you go, there’s something else you should know.” I turned. But she didn’t speak. Instead, her eyes flicked to the door behind me. I spun around and stopped.

Julian was standing there. Looking straight at me. And he didn’t look surprised. He looked scared.