The lake house glowed against the night like a beacon. Strings of golden lights draped across the deck and stretched down to the dock, their reflection glittering on the water’s surface. The forest surrounding the property was pitch-black, the kind of dark that swallowed sound. It was quiet out there, away from the music, away from the laughter that leaked through the open windows.

Elena hesitated at the foot of the deck steps. She could already hear their voices. Loud. Confident. Drunk. Her ...