I knew something was wrong the moment we opened the front door. The house looked as though a small storm had passed through it. Chairs had been moved, food was scattered across the kitchen, and the backyard was filled with signs that far too many people had been there. My first thought was Noah. He had promised us he would follow our rules while we were away, and now it seemed obvious that he had broken every one of them. Chloe was there too, looking nervous, while Mia was asleep peacefully on the sofa. Noah wouldn’t meet my eyes.

I demanded an explanation, but everyone suddenly became quiet. Then I noticed something strange. Chloe seemed less frightened of being punished than she was worried about protecting Noah. Before I could ask another question, I checked the security footage, expecting to see exactly the kind of reckless party I had imagined. But what appeared on the screen made me stop completely.