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“You’re lucky that I found you lurking there before Klaus did. He would not have been as lenient as me.”

I think about the glass vial he was carrying.

“I saw him give something to the kid,” I whisper.

“You saw nothing.” She says the words slowly. “You were in your room just like you were supposed to be.”

I take a deep breath.

I get that feeling again—that everyone in this house knows something I don’t. It makes me feel restless and agitated.

“Is that understood?” she asks.

I nod again. “Yes.”

She stares at me for a moment. Some of the anger melts from her face.

“Do you enjoy gardening?” she asks me.

I blink at the abrupt change of topic. “I do.”

“Will you help me plant some vegetables tomorrow?” she asks. “My back gives me trouble sometimes, so I can use the help.”

I nod. “I’d love to help.”

She gives me a genuine smile. “Good night, darling.”

She leaves my room, shutting the door behind her. I stare at the closed door. For whatever reason, I’m not supposed to leave my room after ten o’clock at night. Maybe it’s a security measure, but I have a feeling that’s not it.

I’m learning that it’s better not to ask questions in this house. But that only makes me more curious about this family and their secrets.

I head to the bathroom and draw myself a bath.

It’s just a bath, but it’s also the most luxurious experience of my life. The body soap smells like cinnamon butter. The Himalayan sea salt, essential oils, and dried flowers in the hot water take it to new heights.

All of the stress from the day melts from my body. My muscles have never felt more relaxed.

I stare up at the little lights on the ceiling.

Despite all the weird incidents and rules, there’s one thing I can’t deny: I feel safe here.

I know that no harm will come to me as long as I’m inside these walls.

When the water turns tepid, I slip out of the tub and dry off. I grab one of the white bathrobes and wrap it around my body. It’s so soft that I could easily fall asleep in it.

I flop onto the bed and reach for my phone. I haven’t had a chance to look at it all day.

The girls from Elysium created a group chat. I find myself smiling as I scroll through their messages. I open my email app next. The smile freezes on my face.

There’s a message that stands out among the rest.

I know exactly who it’s from even though it’s sent from a throwaway email address. There’s only a subject line. It’s only six words, but I read it over and over again in my head.

I’m always watching you, sweet Emma.

I think about the white sedan I saw the other morning. I convinced myself I was just being paranoid, but deep down, I knew it wasn’t all in my head. I wasn’t just seeing things because I was sleep-deprived.

Just like that, the invisible noose around my neck is back. And it’s getting tighter by the second.