After leaving Jameson, Avery cannot stop thinking about Thea’s warning and Jameson’s revelation that the dead girl was named Emily. Rather than return to her wing and replay the conversation, Avery chooses to keep exploring Hawthorne House, with Oren quietly following as her security detail.

Avery finds a lavish theater resembling an opera house, then enters a nearby room filled with musical instruments. When Avery examines a violin marked with a carved S and its mirror image, Grayson appears in the doorway and sharply identifies it as a Stradivarius, warning Avery to be careful.

Grayson makes clear that his warning is really about Jameson. Grayson says Avery and the will have destabilized his family: his mother has stayed in her room, Xander nearly caused an explosion, Jameson is close to ruining his life, and the press is hounding them all. Avery pushes back, insisting she did not ask for the chaos and accusing Grayson of wanting the money too.

The conflict turns personal when Grayson attacks Avery’s background and says Avery is unprepared for life among the Hawthornes. Grayson threatens to use the Hawthorne name and remaining influence to investigate every secret in Avery’s life, including Avery’s sister, father, and mother. Avery reacts strongly when Grayson mentions Avery’s mother.

As Grayson leaves, Avery provocatively asks whether what happened to Emily will happen to Avery. Grayson stops, visibly shaken, and orders Avery not to say Emily’s name. Avery realizes Emily mattered deeply to Grayson as well as Jameson, and Oren silently signals Avery to stop. Grayson regains control and predicts Avery will not last a month in Hawthorne House, perhaps not even a week.