CHAPTER 8 The Manipulator D aya takes Luke home while I take Arch back to the manor. He asked me to go to his, but I felt much safer at my own home. More in control. In retrospect, I shouldn’t take him to a house that sits on a cliff, surrounded by woods and several miles out from civilization. Worst of all, with a stalker that lingers around and likes to break in. God, this was stupid. My house isn’t safer by any means, but I couldn’t bring myself to go to his place. I don’t like being in unfamiliar places with strangers. Like I could be walking into a house that I’Il never come back out of. It makes me feel far more vulnerable, though I’m in the most vulnerable position I could possibly be in right now. “You have a beautiful home,” Arch compliments, his eyes sweeping over the entirety of the living room and kitchen. I updated the wallpaper to a more modern black paisley, got rid of the tragic gold curtains, replaced them with red ones, and updated the couches to red leather. But his eyes keep drifting back to the black wooden steps as if he knows they lead to my bedroom. Except I have different plans. “That’s not the best part,” I tease, grabbing his hand and leading him down the hallway to my favorite room in Parsons Manor. The sunroom. I don’t go back here very often. It’s where Nana and I spent most of our time together. It hurts to come in here when the room is still thick with her presence. Breathing in deep, I open the double doors and step inside. This room is a glass box. The ceiling, the walls, everywhere around us is one big window. It’s also the best spot to be in. It overlooks the cliff edge, the waters glittering beneath the moonlight. But the most notable part is directly above us. The stars are breathtaking to look at. Out here, we have no light pollution. The night sky is lit up with orbs of diamonds, glinting and shining against the black backdrop.