Jewel walks back around the château and heads towards the vineyard. On what should have been a loving return home, Jewel finds herself still more frustrated with Mother. Why can’t she call her by the name she prefers? Why does she always make her feel so useless? Why can’t Jewel ever please her?
Jewel enters the vineyard and makes her way towards the winery, stomping through the trees like a spoilt child. All she wants is Mother’s love. Is that too much to ask? She feels like screaming. But the walk does her good and soon the rage subsides inside her, and as she comes out of the vineyard and walks around the ugly redbrick building, she sees a red sports car parked outside. She hurries to the front and goes into the winery.
‘Louis?’ she calls as she traverses the rooms containing barrels of wine.
Louis enjoys his private tours, and the wineries’ finest wines, which he can drink any time he wishes. He always makes Jewel welcome when she does her inspections. Jewel likes to see him, and enjoys it when he brags to visitors how Jewel is the heir to the D’Aragon Estate. Even if Jewel doesn’t believe it herself, everyone else sees her that way, as Annalise’s biological daughter. Now Jewel goes into the tasting room, expecting Louis and his visitors to be there. But the winery manager is nowhere to be found and she hadn’t seen him out in the vineyard during her approach.
She feels a prickle of suspicion. Could the assault have already started? Neva was smart and knew all about stealth. Could she already be here? But of course! The winery was always the weakest point on the estate. It had to remain accessible to the public, but others could get to the château so easily from there.
Jewel comes back to the front of the building and opens the office door. She finds Louis trussed up. There is dried blood on his forehead and his head lolls down to his chest. She checks if he is still alive and when she discovers that he’s just unconscious, Jewel leaves him where he is. She’s not concerned for his safety; she doesn’t want him to raise the alarm. She doesn’t want anyone to know that Neva is here until it is too late. Why didn’t Neva just kill him? Jewel would have. Perhaps she is weaker than Jewel thinks?
Her head buzzes with excitement, pushing away thoughts of Louis, because she has no real loyalty or emotion for the man despite his obvious consideration towards her. Jewel isn’t wired that way. The only person she cares about is Mother.
Neva is here! That’s all that matters now. Jewel is ready for this final showdown. How wonderful it will be when she ends Neva. Of course, she won’t have come alone, and Michael, if he gets in the way, will be collateral damage. He’s Neva’s Achilles heel, a thing she can use to bring her down.
And Mother will just have to deal with the consequences!
Jewel comes out of the winery and looks around. Which way would they go? She glances at the château beyond the vineyard. Neva and Michael must have passed her.
Some of the plants have been snapped or damaged. Now she’s looking closely, she sees their entry point but Neva and Michael have been careful and it isn’t that obvious.
Jewel follows. There is a subtle trail left by them that Jewel is able to track. The odd bend of a vine here, the crushing of some budding grapes there. They are all signs that someone has made their way through, desperate to reach the house.
Jewel takes her time, remaining far behind them; she wants the element of surprise to be hers. As a result, she reaches the end of the vineyard in time to see both Neva and Michael entering the château by the back entrance.
She pauses, allowing them time to get inside, and then she strolls across the lawns and sneaks into the house behind them. She feels tremendous satisfaction as she follows them unseen.
After that she trails them through the kitchen, remaining hidden as they avoid the kitchen staff and move on into the main house. She sees Michael and Neva slip into one of the smaller side rooms used for storage as Jeremy makes his way back down the corridor carrying her tray back to the kitchen. Once the butler has passed, Neva comes out of the room and she and Michael head towards the hallway.
As they begin their search of the château, starting upstairs, Jewel hides under the expansive staircase until they have climbed the stairs. She doesn’t want either of them to see her until she has the advantage. Jewel waits, knowing that at some point they will have to split up and then she will make her move, taking down her much-hated sister first.