The Villa

Emily keeps Mari’s diary under mattress. Having read most of it, she saves the last chapter, wanting to enjoy the final pages. She imagines that this diary holds the key to connecting Lilith Rising to the events at Villa Aestas in 1974, and she chooses to hide this from Chess. Chess continues to ask, and Emily lies, telling her that she’s working on the Petal Bloom books again.

Emily checks her phone, and notices that she has missed phone calls and messages from Matt, who tells her that he needs to speak with her. Chess notices her frown, and Emily tells her about Matt’s new contact. Chess argues that she must call him back. On the phone, Matt tells her that he needs her to sign paperwork, and Emily admits she hasn’t checked her email. Matt turns hostile, telling her that she can’t avoid paying him by working on a different book. They argue, and each has wounds to share—from Emily telling him that he abandoned her because she became sick to Matt arguing that she lied about wanting children.

Chess and Emily talk after the phone call, with Chess probing about Emily’s desire to have children.