31. Max

31MAX

Elody marches forward and pauses the video. The screen freezes on a shot of her sixteen-year-old self in the kitchen of a classic California mansion, white marble and huge windows framing rolling hills. A woman—Sonia, probably—is cleaning up a blender while Elody sits at the spotless counter, drinking a smoothie and staring at her phone, looking completely at home because it is her home. It always has been.

“Well, that’s the nicest trailer park I’ve ever seen,” Corinne says sarcastically.

I shake my head in disbelief. “Why would you lie about that?”

Elody’s ice-blue eyes lock on mine, and she smiles in a way that makes me feel like she can see directly into my internal organs. “You’re probably loving this, babe. So perfect for your little movie.”

My little movie. I know she’s doing it on purpose, trying to turn this around so I feel like a fraud instead of her, but it still puts me on the defensive.

“Why did you lie?” I ask again.

She turns to look at the TV, tracing a pensive finger over her bee-stung lips like it’s the first time she’s really thought about it.

“You want to know why this pilot never aired?” she says finally. “Because production didn’t think we were relatable enough. No one cares about a hot rich girl getting even richer. Been there, done that. I wasn’t likeable.”

“So you pretended to be poor?” Kira asks, disgusted.

Logan laughs. “Yeah. I’ve ‘been there, done that,’ and trust me, it’s not as glamorous as it seems.”

Elody rolls her eyes. “Oh, boo-freaking-hoo, Logan. You literally lived in a TikTok mansion, like, two months ago.”

“You profited off of a lie,” I say. “How is that any different from what McKayleigh did?”

Elody laughs. “That’s so fun coming from you, babe. Where did you grow up? A New York City penthouse?”

“It wasn’t a penthouse,” I mumble, stopping before I can correct her. It was still a luxury condo building, and I know how that’s going to sound. “But who cares if it was? I didn’t lie about it.”

“Fine!” The sharp turn in Elody’s voice makes me tense. “Whatever. It wasn’t even my idea. It was Mom’s.” She spits out the word like it’s rotten. “We rebranded, sprinkled in some lame posts about how far I’ve come and how grateful I am, and boom. Suddenly, I was likeable. No one wants an influencer who actually tried to become one, but when the whole thing is, like, a totally lucky coincidence that happened to some average girl? People eat that shit up. So, there. You got me. I’m a terrible person. But you know what?” She gives that same catlike grin. “It worked. Who cares how I got here?”

Aaron leans back smugly in his seat. “So you’re totally fine with this getting out, then?”

“Shut up.”

“I’m just asking.” He shrugs. “Since you acted so normal when we found this DVD.”

“I said shut up.”

“Wait, this doesn’t make sense either.” Corinne glances at her watch. “Why would the Sponsor expose Elody’s stuff without a vote? And why isn’t this being posted?”

Elody rolls her eyes. “Why is any of this happening, like, at all?”

“You know what I think?” Aaron looks at the rest of us. “I think there’s something else Elody’s not telling us. Because if you ask me, the way she freaked out at this video doesn’t line up.” A slow smile creeps across his face. “You’d think she was about to be caught for murder.”

Elody glares, her mouth twitching.

“Come on. We’re all dying to know.” The humor leaves Aaron’s face. “Why did you freak out so much at that video?”

“I don’t know.”

“Bullshit. Why?”

“Because my mom’s dead!”

Elody’s shout reverberates through the room, underscored by a crack of thunder. She slumps into the nearest chair, crossing her arms over her middle like she needs to hold herself together.

“It was six months ago. A freak asthma thing, ’cause I know you’re all wondering. Her doctor was always telling her she had to stop smoking, but she didn’t listen. Said she needed it to ease the stress of her life. Meaning me. As if she wasn’t obsessed with the attention and everything else we got out of my career.” Elody laughs, but there’s something sad in it. “Classic, right? I was a bitch to her, she was a bitch to me, and now we’ll never get our sweet little kiss-and-make-up moment.”

Looking at her, I see a hint of the girl she was when she aimed the gun at my chest, the way her smile seemed to be hiding something dark and broken. Elody may have lied about who she is, but I think I understand her now. Her mean jabs, the bored-party-girl act, even the way she dared me to kiss her—I thought it was just evidence of how shallow she is, but really, it’s armor.

“I’m sorry,” Kira says softly.

“I don’t really need your pity, babe, but thanks.”

Elody’s eyes shift to me, glossy with tears that haven’t fallen, and I get a feeling like static electricity on the back of my neck. Because as much as I believe what she just told us, I also can’t shake the feeling there’s more to it. She’s hiding something.

Elody blinks, and all that vulnerability is gone as quickly as it appeared, her face morphing into its usual bored look.

“Let’s get it over with,” she says. “Kill me. That’s the next step, right? I just got voted off the island?”

There’s no answer except the rain on the windows. It’s louder now, stronger. I stare at my watch, waiting for another message, but nothing comes.

Elody stands. “Whatever. If I might die, I’m at least getting drunk first.”

She goes to the kitchen.

Logan pushes her hands deeper into her hoodie pocket, watching the camera on the wall. “We’re so fucked.”

“Don’t say that,” Kira says quietly.

I want to believe her, to let her sureness ground me, but it’s starting to seem like Kira doesn’t even believe herself anymore. With a sharp stab, I remember what she said earlier: All I know is that the knife was gone when I woke up. She doesn’t trust me. And I can’t ignore this gut instinct I have, stronger every time I look at the mess of a murder board—that all the pieces are there, if I could just slot them into place. That I might not have enough time.

Corinne stands, the sudden movement making me flinch.

“We should finish setting up.” She gestures at all of the things we brought downstairs. “Figure out where we’re going to sleep.”

Thunder cracks, making me tense. I don’t think anyone’s going to be sleeping anytime soon.

“Um, babes?”

We all turn to the kitchen, where Elody is rising from the cabinet under the sink. All of her armor is gone now, replaced by blank shock. The stormy light through the window gives her face a sickly glow.

“I think I found something.”