SIMONE'S POV
The steam from my shower still clung to the bathroom mirror when the knock came.
Sharp. Urgent. Three quick raps that made my pulse spike.
I grabbed the nearest robe, tying it tight as my mind raced through possibilities. Carlos wouldn't knock. Irene never asked permission. The staff knew better than to disturb me this late.
My bare feet moved silently across the cold marble. The gun Nicholas had given me waited in its hiding place behind the loose floorboard near my dresser.
"Who is it?" I called, already moving toward my weapon.
"Henry."
Relief flooded through me so fast my knees nearly buckled. Henry was back. Finally, someone I could trust in this house of secrets and poison.
I left the gun where it was and unlocked the door.
Henry stood in the
