It's been five months since twenty-two-year-old Louisa Berry's cherished grandfather died, and although she's determined to live a life that honors his memory, she's dropped out of college twice, and her refusal to play the corporate game has cost her three jobs. She thinks her new position—a live-in secretary to an elderly author, Marguerite Roberts—is perfect.

But the moment she arrives at the Roberts' house, Louisa senses an undercurrent of menace. The wheelchair-bound Marguerite is confined to her room, and the family members can barely disguise their hostility toward one another. A series of threatening events soon makes Louisa question whether her growing affection for Marguerite is enough to keep her in a house in which she can trust no one—not even Marguerite's grandson, with whom she is falling in love. As the danger escalates, Louisa is trapped. She can't leave Marguerite alone and unprotected. But she may be risking her own life if she stays.