Chapter 10 · The Door Only Wives Get

The corridor smells like burnt sugar and old blood. Evelyn's wrist is still throbbing where Nolan grabbed her, his hand tight enough to leave marks through the sleeve. He hasn't let go. She doesn't ask him to.

"Your uncle knows," she says. Her voice comes out steadier than she expected. "About my brother. He's had the records this whole time."

Nolan's jaw tightens. "Then he's been playing us both."

Footsteps echo from the main hall. Shouts. The guards are mobilizing. Evelyn can hear Silas's voice cutting through the noise, calm and precise, issuing orders. Her chest goes cold.

"We need to move," Nolan says. He pulls her down the corridor, away from the ballroom, toward a narrow service stair she didn't know existed. The walls here are plain stone, no gilding, no portraits. This is the part of the house the guests never see.

Evelyn's mind is racing. "If he knows about my brother, he's been waiting for me to show up. This whole job was bait."

"Probably." Nolan takes the stairs two at a time. She stumbles, catches herself on the railing. He doesn't slow down. "Which means he wanted you inside the house for a reason.