The Villa

Shocked by Chess’s claim that Matt was killing her, Emily skeptically considers that Matt could have poisoned her, reverting to her role as a writer of mysteries. Chess senses her train of thought, and counters that her symptoms were driven by stress and unhappiness, as Chess reverts to her role as self-help guru, quoting from one of her books, The Powered Path. As Chess catalogues the correlations between Emily’s symptoms and Matt’s presence, Emily slowly begins to see that she’s right: Emily’s body expelled poisons when Matt got too controlling and wanted children. Chess switches to the book, claiming that together they can make a career—Chess sees an expiration date for her career as a self-help guru and knows that Emily can be more successful with her. The affair, Chess alleges, was awful but necessary, giving Emily the courage and impetus to remake her life.

Emily confesses, as they consider the book, that Matt covets her money, trying to get a stake of the profits in the divorce, and Chess unknowingly has given him more reason, telling him that Emily has a new book. They briefly consider how much he would get before they decide to kill him—though they only imply that, not stating it directly. Emily gives all but the last section of Mari’s diary to Chess to examine.

In a week, Matt arrives, flying almost immediately at Chess’s request. Emily, wounded by his quick arrival—because Chess asks—notes that her pain will make murdering him easier.

A brief article from People magazine follows detailing the circumstances of Matt’s death, as he drowns in a pond on the villa’s grounds. The article cites drugs or alcohol as a possible factor in his drowning, noting his skills as a swimmer. Quotations from the locals describe the house as cursed and as not, just a site where people misbehaved on vacation.

Mari then narrates a flashback to New York City, where she meets with Noel, right before his plane crash on the way to Nepal. She’s now famous, with an impressive career, and Noel’s life has declined with a family that shuns him and a moribund musical career. They have dinner, and Noel seems to gesture toward the murder and her culpability. They say goodbye to each other, and Noel expresses regret that he told her to cut herself loose from Pierce. She tells him that she doesn’t share that regret. Mari thinks of Lara and her miscarriage two days after Pierce’s murder, and, as Noel walks away, she calls Lara. They speak briefly, talking about projects and their fame, before Mari starts to suggest a reunion, which Lara shuts down, telling Mari that they can’t have forgiveness.

Chapter 14 ends and Chapter 15 begins with an invitation to a reception at the New York Public Library, celebrating Chess’s and Emily’s best-selling book The Villa, translated into over 20 languages with an adaptation in development from HBO.

Emily meets Chess for lunch, both equally famous, as the HBO adaptation will soon launch. The fame of The Villa eclipses that of the Petal Bloom series, and Chess asks about working together again. Emily realizes she has substituted one eternal union for another, as their involvement in Matt’s murder bonds them together.

Mari narrates a flashback to Orvieto in 1993, her last visit to Villa Aestas before she dies from cancer. The last surviving member of the summer of 1974, Mari feels the presence of Lara and Noel, and Pierce appears as an ever-present specter, following her throughout the house. Mari acknowledges Pierce’s flaws but considers their youth, and her recollection of Pierce causes her to write down the true story of that night: Johnnie killed Pierce, Lara and Mari remained close, until Lara, inebriated and having taken Quaaludes, drowned in her jacuzzi.

The true story ends, but Mari doesn’t, as she writes about her fictional murder of Pierce, her last meeting with Noel, which didn’t happen, and Lara’s ethical stand. She hides the pages where she believes only a true fan will find them.