The Inheritance Games, #3
The Final Gambit
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Contents
CHAPTER 8
Overview
Eve's arrival intensifies distrust inside Hawthorne House, especially because her resemblance to Emily unsettles both Grayson and Jameson in different ways. Jameson questions whether Eve can be trusted, while Grayson immediately frames her as part of the Hawthorne circle because she is Toby's daughter.
The investigation gains a possible direction when Avery and Jameson connect Toby's abduction to the mysterious disk they have been pursuing for months. Eve overhears enough to demand answers, and her plea to Avery makes her desperation clear while leaving open whether she is ally, liability, or threat.
Summary
Avery lets Eve shower in Avery's bathroom because Avery wants to keep Eve close enough to watch. Jameson is still in Avery's bed, and both Jameson and Grayson react sharply when Eve appears; Jameson masks his feelings, while Grayson cannot stop staring at the bathroom door because Eve resembles Emily.
After Eve closes the bathroom door, Jameson asks Avery to tell him everything. Avery explains what Eve said about Toby's abduction and Oren's plan to send a team to investigate the site. Grayson points out that the team may not find much, and Jameson questions how much they can trust Eve, since all they have is a stranger's story.
Jameson's suspicion creates tension with Grayson, who argues that Eve is Toby's daughter and therefore deserves Hawthorne protection. Jameson implies that Eve's resemblance to Emily is affecting Grayson's judgment, while Grayson accuses Jameson of hiding the fact that Toby had a daughter. Avery, unsettled by Grayson's claim that Eve is one of them, redirects the conversation back to Toby.
Avery asks Jameson to set aside his suspicion and focus on next steps. Jameson identifies motive as the key question: Toby may have been taken because someone wants something from him, wants to use him as leverage, or wants to hurt him. When Jameson notes that Eve said her attacker searched her pockets, Avery realizes the kidnappers may have been looking for the disk she and Jameson have spent months investigating.
Eve comes out of the bathroom in a towel and asks for a bandage because her cut reopened. Avery helps her in the bathroom, but Eve presses Avery about the disk and then asks who Emily is, revealing that Eve heard part of the conversation. Avery tells Eve only that Emily died and that Eve is related to her. Eve explains that Toby told her he was adopted but never discussed his biological family or the Hawthornes, then admits Avery has reason not to trust her. Eve insists she never wanted to come to Hawthorne House, but she wants her father back and will do anything to make that happen, begging Avery to share anything that could help find Toby.
Who Appears
- Avery GrambsKeeps Eve close, mediates Hawthorne tension, and connects Toby's abduction to the disk.
- EveToby's injured daughter; overhears talk of the disk and begs Avery for help.
- Jameson HawthorneSuspicious of Eve, hides his reaction, and helps Avery reason through motive.
- Grayson HawthorneShaken by Eve's resemblance to Emily and insists Eve deserves Hawthorne protection.
- TobyEve's abducted father; his disappearance drives the chapter's investigation and conflict.
- OrenOrganizes a reconnaissance team to search the site of Toby's abduction.
- EmilyDeceased girl whose resemblance to Eve provokes painful reactions from the Hawthorne brothers.