Page 21 of Destiny

I nod. “She has a room on the other side of the house. She lives here.”

“Michaela?” I yell again.

But no one comes.

No Mom, no Dad, no Michaela.

“Come with me,” I say to Brendan.

“Okay.”

Brendan follows as we walk through the foyer, glancing into the living room and dining room, and then to the back of the house where the kitchen and family room are.

Everything is vacant.

So we head down the hallway to the main wing of the house. We pass my own room, where I wanted to sleep last night. It’s empty, of course, as is Gina’s, and as are the various guest rooms. Finally at the end of the hallway is the master suite.

I knock.

No reply.

So I open the door. “Mom? Dad?”

The sitting room—including the two armchairs where I learned the truth about my parentage—sits empty, and I walk into the bedroom. Also empty.

“Strange,” I say. “All the cars were in the driveway.”

“What about the other hallway?”

“Yes, the small wing of the house where Michaela lives. No one else lives there, but it’s the only place left to check.”

I lead Brendan back through the main hallway and into the second one. I have to key in a code, as this is considered a private area for household staff.

I tap in the numbers, open the door to the hallway, and head to Michaela’s room. I knock. “Michaela?”

No response.

I try her door, but it’s locked.

I knock again, this time more loudly. “Michaela? It’s Ava. Are you okay?”

Brendan nudges me. “Ava…” He gestures to one of the other doors.

“What?”

There are three other doors in this hallway. All rooms for household staff, but the only one currently in use is Michaela’s.

Which is why it’s very strange that a sliver of light shines from under another one of them.

My heart jumps.

Brendan takes my hand, leads me to the doorway, and knocks.

No response.

“Mom, Dad. I know you’re in there. It’s me, Ava. Open up. Open up, or I swear to God I’ll call the cops.”

“No!” Mom’s voice.

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