The Inheritance Games, #2
The Hawthorne Legacy
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Contents
CHAPTER 47
Overview
Avery and Jameson pursue the next clue by discussing Zara’s ring and the hidden Hawthorne vault, but their planning gives way to a mutual, impulsive romantic moment. The scene marks a shift in Avery’s willingness to want Jameson without demanding certainty from him.
The moment is shattered when a skilled intruder is spotted in the woods, proving the threat around Avery is more serious than paparazzi. Oren’s decision to leave at dawn signals an immediate change in the investigation and Avery’s security situation.
Summary
Avery puts on a designer swimsuit ordered by Alisa and heads to the hot tub despite the freezing night. Oren shadows Avery but does not stop her, explaining that he has security men stationed in the woods.
Outside, Avery finds Jameson alone in the hot tub. Their conversation begins with the mystery: Jameson is thinking about Zara’s wedding ring, the likely next step in making the invisible ink visible, and notes that Hawthorne House has a vault whose location even Jameson does not know. Avery considers that, as the legal owner, she could ask to see the vault.
The charged conversation shifts from the ring to Avery and Jameson’s attraction. Remembering Max’s advice that it is okay to want things, Avery chooses to act on what she wants. Avery kisses Jameson, and both agree to keep the moment as “just this,” without promises, obligations, or expectations.
The intimacy ends abruptly when Jameson spots movement and tells Avery not to move. Avery turns anyway and sees eyes in the woods. Oren pulls Avery from the hot tub and sends Eli after the intruder while Avery fears it might be paparazzi who photographed her.
Eli returns after losing the person in the woods and reports that the intruder was not paparazzi but a professional. Oren refuses to explain further and orders Avery to pack because they are leaving at dawn, sharply escalating the danger around her.
Who Appears
- Avery GrambsInvestigates the ring clue, chooses intimacy with Jameson, and faces a new security threat.
- Jameson HawthorneDiscusses the vault and Zara’s ring with Avery, then shares a charged romantic moment.
- OrenAvery’s head of security; protects her from the intruder and orders an early departure.
- EliSecurity guard stationed near the woods who chases and loses the professional intruder.
- Grayson HawthorneHears the commotion after the intruder appears but does not drive the scene.