One morning before Phantasma, loud knocking wakes Ophelia. When she opens the door, she and Genevieve find two representatives from New Orleans City Bank, Mr. Mouton and Mr. Lafitte, waiting outside Grimm Manor. Mr. Mouton explains that Tessie Grimm had taken out loans and that there is urgent business concerning the manor’s finances. Genevieve immediately tries to handle the matter alone, but Mr. Mouton states that both sisters must come because they are equal shareholders in the estate.

Genevieve’s insistence on going without Ophelia makes Ophelia suspicious that her sister may know more than she is saying. As Ophelia prepares to leave, she locks the house, takes the key, tucks away a few coins, and notices her growing anxiety over the possibility that Grimm Manor is not financially secure after all. The revelation clashes with everything Tessie had implied about the family’s inheritance and stability.

Outside, just before the sisters enter the motorcar, a woman arrives by carriage for an eight o’clock appointment with Tessie. Genevieve bluntly tells the woman that Tessie is dead, while Ophelia apologizes and explains that all appointments are canceled. The encounter shows how suddenly Tessie’s death has disrupted both the household and the business that supported it.

During the ride into town, Ophelia listens as the bankers react to a crowd gathered around something that has apparently just appeared behind ominous gates, hinting at the city’s mounting supernatural tension. Ophelia, exhausted and uneasy, worries about debts, taxes, and what valuables the sisters might have to sell. Tessie’s locket pulses against her throat, but when Ophelia tries to open it, it remains sealed. Genevieve reassures her that everything will be fine, yet avoids answering when Ophelia asks whether she knows something, and the chapter ends as they arrive at New Orleans City Bank.