She stood up. ‘I’ve done nothing but try to stay calm for thirteen years. I’ve done nothing but try to be the best-behaved person I can, to try to keep everything bad at bay, stop anything else terrible happening to me. But it was pointless, wasn’t it? Because I was in the dark all that time. My life could have been so different. But you both chose —’ She shook her head. She stared at them, as if she was seeing them for the first time. As if she was shocked at what she could see. ‘I have to go. I can’t stay here.’

‘Eliza —’

Olivia stepped forward again, but she was too late.

Eliza had run out of the room.

Chapter Twenty-four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Eliza found her way back to her bedroom. Her hands shook as she opened the door. She locked it behind her, leaned against it. She felt the beginnings of a panic attack. A tightness in her chest.

What should she do? Fly home? No. Not that long flight again. Not yet.

She needed to talk to someone.

She needed to talk to Rose.

Her phone pinged. Rose. Mind-reader Rose. She clicked it open.

We did it! We escaped! A photo of Rose’s and Harry’s feet at a poolside.

Eliza remembered. They were on a weekend away for their ninth wedding anniversary. Their first break in years. She wouldn’t ring her now. She also needed to let everything settle. Get away from here, too.

She sent Rose the cheeriest message she could, wishing them a happy anniversary and a wonderful time away. Then she packed. She only had one case. It didn’t take long. She went down to the foyer and stopped. Where could she go?

Alex was taking a break from the reception desk. ‘Leaving so soon, Eliza? You will give us a good review on TripAdvisor, I hope?’ He stopped. ‘Are you okay?’

She shook her head.

‘Has something happened?’

She nodded. She couldn’t seem to find the words.

‘Do you want me to get Olivia?’

‘No!’ She said it too forcefully. ‘No, I don’t.’

‘Have you had a fight? Are you running away?’

All she could do was nod.

‘Well, good for you. I’ve wanted to run away from here for years.’

‘I don’t know where to go.’ She was saying it to herself as much as to him.

‘Where would you like to go? Back to Australia?’

‘Not yet.’ She didn’t have a job there. A home. ‘I need to be on my own for a while.’

‘May I suggest a place?’