Chapter 1

While working through the night on a project, my phone suddenly lit up with a notification from the smart home app.

"Master bedroom bathroom light has been turned on."

"Master bathroom aromatherapy bath mode activated. Please enjoy."

Neither my wife Victoria nor I was home, and our house manager Mary was on vacation.

So who had turned on those appliances?

I checked the app again, then called Victoria. "Victoria, why didn't you tell me you were coming home?"

She looked confused on the video call. "Miss me already? Honey, this project is really important. I won't be back until tomorrow night at the earliest."

I rubbed my temples. "Sorry, I've been so busy I lost track of time. See you tomorrow."

After hanging up, I watched the smart home app and noticed the master bedroom curtains had suddenly closed.

I texted Mary, then drove home.

I almost called Mary, thinking of those stories about house managers stealing from their employers. But I hung up before it connected.

Mary had been with us for over a decade. She was family—she wouldn't do something like that.

At the community gate, I rolled down my window. "Did someone come see me today? A friend said they were stopping by."

The guard shook his head. "No outside visitors registered today. Maybe they changed their mind?"

I nodded. "Probably. Thanks."

Just then, Mary video-called me. She was at home with her kids.

"Mary, take a few more days off. Spend time with your family. I'll make sure you're compensated."

I ended the call and my smile vanished.

Mary wasn't here. So had someone broken in?

But why would a thief use the bathtub?

When I reached the villa, the master bedroom lights were on. My chest tightened.

Someone was inside. Who?

I opened the front door quietly. Before I could turn on the lights, moonlight showed me Victoria's slippers had been moved. I distinctly remembered lining up our shoes before I left.

Was someone secretly living here, like in those news stories?

Afraid the intruder might panic, I grabbed the baseball bat from behind the door.

But just as I started up the stairs, Victoria appeared at the second-floor landing in her bathrobe and turned on the first-floor lights.

"Dylan, what are you doing back?"

She towel-dried her hair and clicked her tongue at the bat in my hand. "And with that?"

I exhaled. "Just got off work. Saw your shoes had been moved and thought we had a burglar."

"Victoria, you didn't tell me you were coming home. You scared me."

Then something hit me. "Wait—didn't you say you wouldn't be back until tomorrow night?"

Victoria ran down and pulled me into a hug. "That was the plan. But when you called, I knew you must have missed me, so I rushed back."

"I wanted to surprise you."

Her expression when she saw me was perfect—delighted, loving. Her words were sweet.

But the fresh scent on her didn't match.

The bathroom light had been on for a while. She said she'd just gotten back. She was lying.

Aromatherapy bath mode leaves a fragrance, but she only smelled of her usual body wash.

Victoria was lying to me. And someone else had been using my bathtub.

She was cheating.

I checked my phone for the bath end time. It had stopped right before I arrived.

My house only had one entrance. Whoever used my bathtub was still here.

I smiled and moved past her toward the stairs. "Thanks, Victoria. I'm tired. I'm going to wash up."

She opened the master bedroom door for me, looking pleased with herself.

"I heard the sound downstairs and knew it was you. Look, I even drew the bath for you."

I walked into the bathroom and glanced at the screen—bath mode activated.

She always used aromatherapy mode. But she never wore this particular scent.

Then I heard something drop.

I walked back into the bedroom and stared at the wardrobe. Victoria glanced at the collectible model on the nightstand and exhaled quietly.

But I wasn't looking at that. I was staring at the wardrobe.

That row of custom cabinets was big enough to hide someone.

The moment my hand touched the door—

"Wait," Victoria said.