If they would be any help in finding a way to win, they had to bring something to the table for Luna to work with.

Because The Cruelest Jewel was far from over.

Standing in the middle of the room, Luna cleared her throat, loud enough for everyone to hear. She began walking toward the bathroom, motioning for them to join her, not stopping until she stood between the sink and the window, in full view of everyone.

Stella caught on first, as expected. She shot straight past Luna inside the bathroom, choosing to sit in the bathtub. Tablet balanced on her knees, she tapped the screen a few times before looking up.

No one else had followed.

“Nicole,” Stella said, shattering the silence. “Get in here.”

And that was all it took. Not just Nicole, everyone entered the bathroom and found a comfortable place to sit. Luna closed the door and joined Alex sitting on the sink countertop.

“So, what are we doing?” he asked.

Luna smiled. “No cameras in the bathroom, remember? We can talk in here.”

Nicole asked, “Is there a reason we’re avoiding cameras now?”

“We can’t let them know what we know.”

Harlow said, “And what do we know?”

“That we’re still in the game.” Luna took a breath, tucking her face into her scarf for a beat longer than usual.

“What are you talking about?” Francis asked.

“Jewel disappearing, the police, the interrogations—all of it is a part of the game. We’re still playing.”

Five pairs of eyes stared at Luna as if she’d grown a second and third head.

Nicole said, “Oh, Luna, sweetie. No.”

Harlow said, “Did she miss the part where there are literal, actual cops here?”

Francis said, “I have a headache. Why is this happening to me? Why am I even here?”

Alex took Luna’s hand. “I know this might seem like something Jewel would do—”

“No,” Luna said. “There’s no might. This is part of the game. Jewel isn’t really missing or hurt—she made herself a challenge.”

“Luna.”

“Don’t Luna me, okay? I know I’m right. I can feel it.”

“I’ll give you that the timing on all of this is fishy,” Francis said. “I think she wants you to believe it’s a game, but really she’s setting us up to take the fall for what those police believe is a very real crime.”

“They’re actors,” Luna said. “They’re not real cops.”

“They looked real,” Harlow said.

“It’s a moot point since we have no way of checking badge numbers,” Francis said.

“Why would she do that?” Luna asked. “What possible reason could Jewel have for setting us up?”

No one had an answer for her.