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Summary
Chapter 13—Alias: Mia Bianchi—Six Years Ago
Chapter 13: Present Day
At dinner, Evie carefully observes how the woman calling herself Lucca operates. Like Evie, Lucca listens more than she speaks, smoothly answering questions from Ryan. She acts affectionate toward James, even though he seems indifferent toward her, and Evie reflects that she would do the same if she were in Lucca’s position. James suggests that Evie must plan to stay in town if she’s moved in with Ryan. Lucca lightly scolds him, and James quietly admits that she wanted to know if Evie was staying. He also reveals that he now works for Lucca.
Ryan shares that he’s building a greenhouse and garden because it’s Evie’s dream, and she feels genuine happiness at the gesture. During the evening, Lucca finds an excuse to go inside, and Evie notes that she’s counting on her to snoop, as Evie has planted fake intel for Lucca to report to Mr. Smith—a reference to Evie’s near-capture at the opera fundraiser. As expected, she catches Lucca coming downstairs and notices that she moved the planted item, confirming that she found and read it.
When Evie and Lucca are briefly alone in the kitchen, Evie directly asks if Lucca has received her next set of instructions, catching her off guard. Lucca is visibly surprised that Evie knows about her mission. Evie warns her to tell Mr. Smith that she doesn’t appreciate the interference.
When the two women return to the table, the atmosphere is tense—not only between Evie and Lucca but also between Ryan and James. After the guests leave, Ryan doesn’t elaborate on what caused his disagreement with James.
Chapter 14: Present Day
The next day, news breaks that James and Lucca’s car went off a bridge, and both were pronounced dead at the scene. Reporters mention that Lucca was from Eden and are starting to dig into her background. Ryan feels guilty, recalling how James had asked him for money, and in anger, Ryan told him they were done for good. He suggests calling the police since they were the last ones to see James and Lucca alive, but Evie convinces him to visit James’s parents first.
At the visit with James's parents, Ryan reassures the police that James seemed fine when they left. This makes Evie realize her mistake—by speaking to the police, they’ve officially become witnesses, forcing them to cooperate with the investigation. When Evie gives her name as Evie Porter, she realizes she has now lied to law enforcement. The police ask about Lucca’s state of mind, wondering if she was intoxicated or upset when she drove off the bridge. Ryan points out that Evie barely knew James and is from Alabama, leaving Evie hoping that her fabricated backstory can withstand scrutiny.
While helping sort through James and Lucca’s belongings, Evie uses the opportunity to search for clues. She discovers Lucca’s instructions from Mr. Smith, which name Evie as the target. The instructions detail that Lucca was to search Evie’s belongings for anything she tried to hide, no matter how insignificant. Evie slips the envelope into her jeans but is nearly caught by one of Ryan’s friends. However, she doesn’t find the original set of instructions or the detailed profile of her that Lucca would have received.
Alias: Mia Bianchi—Six Years Ago
Embedded in a political campaign for Andrew Marshall’s bid for governor of Tennessee, she resolves to stay meticulous and controlled. Occasionally, she checks in on the Kingstons, learning that Jenny was in a medically induced coma for a week and doesn’t remember what happened. The Kingstons are now divorced, with Miles living with Greg and his new wife. In a photo of Miles’s room, she notices an origami swan she taught him to make, and reflects that maybe she hasn’t been such a ghost after all.
Her second set of instructions reveals Andrew Marshall as the mark, with Evie—now operating as Mia Bianchi—assigned to infiltrate his campaign. She’s instructed to show up to work with perfect hair, makeup, and clothes and to make herself indispensable. Within three months, Marshall depends on her for everything, from choosing his ties to advising which events to attend. Her objective is to find leverage to blackmail Marshall, ensuring Mr. Smith can control him from day one. But to her frustration, Marshall turns out to be an honest man who loves his wife and avoids scandal. With no obvious dirt to use against him, Evie realizes she will need to create blackmail herself.
She convinces him to attend a Hilton Head event but leaves a day early to travel to Savannah, where she meets Devon, a contact who has provided tech support for her in the past. She proposes a partnership, knowing Mr. Smith’s help will only come if it serves his interests.
Back at the hotel, a man delivering room service forces his way into her room, ominously saying, “Compliments of Matt.” She finds a carrot cake—her favorite—and new instructions, unsettling her with how well they know her preferences. This is Matt’s first time leading a mission, and Evie doubts his ability to handle it, especially since the instructions seem poorly thought out. The plan involves sending Andrew’s wife to a coveted event in Nashville to create an opportunity for a woman to seduce Andrew at the Hilton Head event. Evie immediately recognizes the flaw—Andrew has no desire to cheat on his wife.
Determined to salvage the mission, Evie calls Devon to come up with a better plan. She persuades Andrew to host a small, private drinks gathering in his hotel room for just an hour. She invites the least scrupulous politicians from the conference, along with several women to serve drinks. As the party spirals out of control, Evie spikes Andrew’s drink, ensuring he passes out just as the situation reaches its chaotic peak.
Analysis
These chapters highlight how deeply Evie is entrenched in the performance of shifting identities. Her encounter with Lucca reveals the precision with which both women operate, mirroring each other’s methods. Evie’s ability to predict Lucca’s moves, plant fake information, and anticipate her search demonstrates her mastery in the art of deception. Yet, this confrontation also exposes the fragility of her constructed life—Lucca’s presence is a reminder that her survival depends entirely on staying ahead in a game of constant misdirection.
The news of James and Lucca’s deaths introduces a haunting reality: Evie is now effectively “dead” to her hometown. With reporters digging into Lucca’s background, it’s only a matter of time before the life she once had becomes a ghost story. This serves as a metaphor for the larger narrative—Evie is not just pretending to be someone else; she is actively erasing herself. Her identity is no longer her own, replaced by the roles she plays and the personas she constructs.
The flashbacks to her role as Mia Bianchi reveal Evie’s increasing desensitization to manipulation. Her initial resolve not to repeat the mistakes of her first job contrasts with how effortlessly she shifts into the persona needed to infiltrate Andrew Marshall’s campaign. Once again, she dons the “right clothes”—meticulously maintaining her appearance and behavior to seamlessly blend in. Even though Andrew is a genuinely good man, Evie barely hesitates to sabotage him. This reflects a deeper change in her character—she no longer views people as individuals but as marks to be controlled and leveraged. Her ability to manipulate events and spike Andrew’s drink without remorse demonstrates the emotional distance she has cultivated to survive in this world. Even when faced with a good man, her instinct is not to protect but to exploit—a testament to how far she has strayed from the person she once was.
