Genevieve ran from the house into the snowy hedge maze, struggling to maintain her Specter form as exhaustion drained her magic. Thorns tore her sleeve and skin as she tried random turns to escape, only to be confronted by Rowin, who taunted that spectators would enjoy seeing her devoured in the Hunt.

Another man arrived—Remi—who looked nearly identical to Rowin, revealing they were twins. Rowin ordered Remi to help with preparations inside, mentioning that Barrington and Knox were discussing masquerade invitations. Remi, bitter that Rowin might win freedom while the rest remained bound to Knox, vanished in shadows after a tense exchange.

Rowin pressed Genevieve against the maze wall and warned that Knox could appear any moment, insisting they complete a marriage ceremony before midnight to keep up the ruse that she was his bride and to use the paired-play loophole in the Hunt. He outlined the façade: no arguing in public, smiles, and even staged affection if it helped. Genevieve refused and lashed back, revealing her mother was dead when Rowin criticized her mother’s omissions; Sevin’s distant call urged haste.

When Genevieve still resisted, Rowin proposed a wager: if she reached the front gate before him without using magic, she could choose to play the Hunt alone; if he won, she would submit to the wedding. Genevieve sprinted through the maze to the fountain courtyard and ultimately reached the gate, but Rowin shadow-stepped ahead and blocked her.

Desperate, Genevieve grabbed the thorn-wrapped bars. The gates’ enchantment blasted her with agony, nullified her Specter form, and hurled her back, proving the estate’s wards prevented any exit and canceled her phasing ability. She vomited from pain and shock, realizing she was trapped in another deadly game.

Rowin approached and called her “pathetic,” reigniting Genevieve’s spite. She attacked him; he pinned her, noted she was “half wild,” and demanded she promise to behave. After a taut, intimate pause, he lifted her over his shoulder despite her blows and a retaliatory bite, and carried her toward the house to proceed with the midnight ceremony.