Chapter 52

Jo and Chloe made their way along the winding coastal road, past her mother’s house, and up the road, the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the rocks below. The drive to the mansion on the cliff was enjoyable. They were curious and eager to see for themselves the beauty of the place they had been considering making their home.

Since Akiko had mentioned it, it had bothered Jo that people come into his home while they were sleeping when Chloe had to kill; he would never want that to happen again, leaving the killing and the blood spill to him.

As they rounded the final bend in the road, the mansion came into view, perched atop the cliff like a sentinel overlooking the sea. It was a grand structure, its weathered stone façade bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Ivy climbed the walls, tendrils of green reaching toward the sky like fingers seeking purchase in the earth below.

“It’s even more beautiful than I imagined,” Chloe breathed, her voice barely