Norah stepped to the side and opened the door fully. She didn't say much, but her face said she was surprised to see Marco. Her eyes moved to Elena, curious, but calm.
The cottage inside was quiet and neat. Lamps with warm bulbs gave the space a soft glow. There were old books stacked in the corners and rows of wine bottles on wooden shelves. Rugs covered most of the floor.
"You always knew how to come back at the wrong time," Norah said to Marco.
He gave a faint smile. "Some things never change."
She looked at Elena again. "So, you're the one who brought him back."
Elena didn't know if she meant it kindly or not. "We're here because of Royce."
Norah's face changed immediately. The warmth left. She walked to a shelf and pulled out a bottle of wine and three glasses.
"That name hasn't been used here in years," she said as she poured.
They all sat. Marco didn't drink. He took a small wooden card from his bag and placed it on the table.
Norah read the note quietly.
"I made you. I can unmake you."
Her hand tightened around the glass. "He's back to playing games."
"There was also a dish," Marco said. "Raw meat. It was left at my door."
"Then he's started again," Norah said. She took a sip of wine, thinking. "He's not just trying to scare you. He wants control again."
Elena leaned forward. "You said he plays games. What stops him?"
Norah looked from Elena to Marco. "The truth. That's the only thing he fears."
Marco frowned. "What truth?"
Norah didn't answer right away. Instead, she stood and walked toward a door behind the kitchen. "Come downstairs," she said.
They followed her down a narrow staircase into a basement. It was cooler down there. Light bulbs hung from wires on the ceiling. There were shelves with dusty boxes, binders, menus, and old receipts. It looked like a restaurant's memory room.
"What is this?" Elena asked.
"This," Norah said, "is what Royce tried to erase."
She pulled out a file and laid it flat on a table. It was filled with papers, some typed, some handwritten.
"This was Bellamy's real story," she said. "Before the fancy investors. Before Royce turned it into a game."
Marco looked through the file. There were names he remembered—staff, guests, even suppliers. But there were also notes that confused him.
"What is all this?" he asked.
Norah turned to him. "Records. He changed numbers. He cut deals behind the scenes. Bellamy's didn't close because of bad business. It closed because Royce used it to pay off someone."
Elena blinked. "Who?"
Norah shook her head. "That's what I never figured out. But it wasn't just about money. Something happened the night everything fell apart. You walked out. Royce stayed. And the next morning, three people left town."
Marco was quiet. "I thought it was just a bad night."
"No," Norah said. "It was the start of everything going bad."
Elena stepped closer to the wall where old photos hung. She pointed to one. "Who's that?"
Norah came over. "Her name was Isla. She was a pastry chef. Brilliant. Sweet. She vanished that same week."
Marco stiffened. "I remember her."
"She trusted Royce," Norah said. "She told him something. After that, she was gone."
The room felt colder.
"What does he want now?" Elena asked.
Norah looked serious. "He wants control again. And he sees Marco as the key. If Marco steps back into Bellamy's public spotlight, Royce can spin it. Make it his story again."
Marco rubbed his hands together. "So what do we do?"
Norah looked him straight in the eye. "We don't run. We dig. We find the people who left. We get them to talk. And we build a case—not in court, but in truth."
Marco nodded slowly. "Where do we start?"
Norah handed him a list. "With Isla. If she's alive, she knows everything."
They left the cellar a few minutes later, all quiet, each lost in thought. Elena slipped her hand into Marco's as they walked back up the stairs.
"We're getting close to something big," she said.
Marco looked at her. "Yeah. And it's not going to be easy."
She didn't let go of his hand. "I'm not going anywhere."