Riley’s POV
I slipped the hairpin into my pocket and didn’t say anything.
Gerald was already walking back toward the pool. I followed him, but my mind was elsewhere.
A hairpin. On the floor. In the hallway near the utility room.
It could belong to anyone. Martha. Mrs. Beatrice. Even Mirabel. Any of the women in this house could have dropped it while passing through.
Still… the timing felt off.
“You coming?” Gerald called.
“Yeah.” I quickened my steps. “Sorry.”
We made it back to the pool area, where everything was lit up again like nothing had happened. The movie was still paused on the screen, waiting for us.
But the moment was ruined.
“Do you want to finish the movie?” Gerald asked.
I looked at the screen, then back at him. The romantic spell had been shattered. “I think I’m t
