Painstaking efforts, near-death experiences, unrequitable feelings—everything Penelope has worked for comes crashing down in an instant upon the return of Ivonne, the “true” daughter of House Eckhart. The one to blame? Eckles, the very man Penelope was betting her survival and escape on. But when she goes to confront him for his betrayal, not only is she hit by a shocking revelation about her relationship with him, but about Ivonne too…And as the clock strikes midnight on the day of Penelope’s coming-of-age ceremony, and thus, the end of Hard Mode, she’s forced to face the music.