I glanced at the door he was staring at with such hatred. While all the other doors were replaced and new, this one remained the same, old crafted dark wood door. And… it was locked.

Whose room it was? And why was it locked, unlike every other room around here? This couldn’t be a storeroom because those were in the basement.

Touching the lock, I tried to budge it, knowing it was useless.

“I’m afraid Achilles wouldn’t like it very much if he finds out you’re snooping around in a place where you shouldn’t.”

NINETEEN: HE’S GONE?

Jumping in fright, I whirled around with my heart in my throat.

Dark eyes met mine as he stood right in front of me.

I sighed in relief. “Oh, Arthur. It’s you.” My gaze flickered around. No one was nearby. The hallway was eerie.

What was he doing up here?

A small smile tugged at his lips. His expression tight. “You shouldn’t be wandering here alone, dear. Especially in this wing. Achilles isn’t very fond of it if someone enters here.”

My head titled. And why was that? “It’s been years since I last visited here. So, I thought to take a look around.” I shrugged. “Whose room is that, anyway?”

Glancing at the door, something washed over his face. But he masked it soon enough, not letting me understand anything. But whatever it was, it was… dark.

“It was his mother’s room.” He turned his attention back to me.

“You mean, Ophelia?”

He nodded.

I remembered that woman. Though she was sweet, I never saw her spending much time with Ace and Caleb. Both of his parents would be away from home most of the time. I wondered where she was now.

“Where is she?”

With an empty look, he replied, “Away.”

Just as I opened my mouth again to ask for an explanation, a voice interrupted me.

“Here you are, Arthur. I was looking for you everywhere. Thank God a waiter saw you coming this way,” Caleb said, sending me a brief glance. “The Simpsons are asking for Achilles. Handle them, will you? Because I’m so done giving excuses to everyone about his disappearance.”

“Of course.” Turning to me, Arthur nodded. “I’ll see you later, Emerald. And remember what I told you.”

This place was not for wandering.

Caleb’s attention piqued at that as his brows furrowed.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said in a polite tone. What was in this room that they marked this wing as restricted? And if everyone was prohibited from coming here, what was he doing here in the first place?

Flashing me another of his vague smiles, he walked away.

“What was that?” Caleb asked, watching his uncle’s retreating form. “What did he say to you?” The subtle look of his at the locked door didn’t go missed.