Chapter 27

{Hailey’s Pov}

Dinner was set like a scene from a movie. A long, polished table. Silver cutlery that sparkled under the chandelier. Crystal glasses filled with red wine. Everything was too perfect. Too quiet. Like the calm before a storm.

I sat between Clara and Kaira, my back straight, my hands in my lap. Across the table sat Julian, his eyes pinned on me like I was something he couldn’t decide whether to protect or destroy.

He hadn’t said a word since I walked in. Just stared.

It made my skin crawl. I picked at my food. Roasted lamb, creamy potatoes, grilled vegetables. Everything smelled amazing, but my stomach was too tight to eat.

Aaron was sipping wine, throwing me glances like he was waiting for something to explode. Luca drummed his fingers against his glass. Marcus stayed quiet, his eyes moving between me and Julian like he could feel the tension thick in the room.

And then Debra Lachlan cleared her throat.

Here we go.

“I must say,” she began, her tone sweet and sharp at once, “you’ve taken to this house quite well, Hailey.”

I looked up, forcing a polite smile. “Thank you.”

“It’s just… unusual,” she continued, swirling her wine. “The way you walk around here. Like you were born into it.”

“I’m following George’s instructions,” I said carefully.

“Oh, of course.” Debra laughed softly. “George always did have a flair for theatrics. Riddles. Hidden rooms. Ghost stories.”

There it was. The dig.

I kept my face calm. “He left me more than just riddles.”

“Did he now?” she said, tilting her head. “Did he leave you the truth, too?”

Julian’s fork clanged against his plate. The sound made me jump.

“Debra,” Marcus said under his breath.

But she ignored him. “You know, the last girl who got too close to the Lachlan secrets… well, you’ve heard the story, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” I said quietly. “I have.”

She smiled like a cat who got the cream. “Then you should know that curiosity isn’t always a gift. Sometimes it’s a curse.”

I didn’t say another word. I didn’t need to.

I stood when dinner ended, my hands still trembling. I told Clara I was going upstairs to rest. She looked worried, but nodded.

But I wasn’t going to bed.

⸻

The hall was dark. Everyone had gone to their rooms. I slipped into leggings and a hoodie, pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail, and grabbed the silver key from my drawer. The one Marcus gave me. The one I hadn’t dared use—until now.

The garden wing.

I tiptoed past the staircase, past the locked study, down a narrow hall that smelled like old dust and colder air. The walls here were different. They felt closer. Like they were leaning in, listening.

I reached the old wing’s double doors. My heart was thudding in my chest. I held out the key. My fingers were shaking.

I slipped it into the lock.

But just as I turned it—

“HAILEY!”

A scream.

I jumped back as a hand grabbed my wrist and yanked me so hard, I almost lost my footing.

It was Agnes.

Her face was wild. Eyes wide, mouth twisted in fury. “You stupid, stupid girl!”

“Let go of me!” I shouted, trying to pull away. But she was strong for someone her age.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Do you want to die like her?!” she shrieked, dragging me backward, down the hall. My shoes scraped the floor. I tried to fight her, but she didn’t stop.

Doors opened upstairs.

“What the hell is going on?” Aaron’s voice boomed from above.

“She tried to open the wing!” Agnes screamed. “She was going to let it out!”

More doors slammed open.

Julian came running down the stairs, shirtless, barefoot, his eyes blazing. “Hailey!”

“I didn’t even get it open!” I yelled, heart racing. “She grabbed me!”

Clara ran in behind him, robe flying, followed by Marcus and Luca. Debra appeared at the top of the staircase in a silk nightgown, looking like the devil’s judge.

“What is this chaos?” she shouted.

“She had the key,” Agnes said, shoving me forward like I was some criminal. “The key to the garden wing. She was trying to open it!”

“You dragged me like a damn dog!” I snapped.

Julian stepped between us, pushing Agnes’s hands off me. “Don’t touch her again.”

Agnes was panting. “You don’t understand what’s behind that door!”

“No,” I said. “But apparently, no one’s going to tell me, either.”

Everyone stood frozen in the hallway, eyes darting from me to the door to each other. The tension snapped like electricity.

Marcus spoke, his voice low and clear. “What did you think you were going to find in there?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “But if everyone’s so scared of it, I think it’s exactly where I need to go.”

Debra descended the stairs slowly, each step echoing in the silence. “You little girl,” she said. “You think this is bravery? This is ignorance. And if you don’t stop, you’ll end up just like her.”

“Like Eloise?” I asked. “Maybe I will. Or maybe I’ll finish what she started.”

Debra’s eyes narrowed. “Then the blood will be on your hands.”

Julian turned toward me, his voice rough. “Go to your room. Now.”

I stood my ground. “I’m not a child.”

“No,” Marcus said. “But you’re playing with things you don’t understand.”

Kaira came running in last, out of breath. “What did I miss?”

“Everything,” Aaron muttered.

I turned away and stormed back upstairs. My hands were shaking. My ears were ringing. They were hiding something big—something they swore to never open, never touch.

But I had the key now