*ADELINE*
As the car rolled into the sprawling grounds of the mansion, I felt a strange mix of security and dread flooding my veins. I had come to love this place with its elegant arches and sprawling gardens, but now it felt like an ominous fortress. I had barely registered the scenery outside as I fought to keep my heart steady, but all that was lost the moment I felt Vincenzo's arms wrap around me like the warmth of the sun after a long winter.
I could hear Marcus talking softly, but his voice was a blurry backdrop to the tumbling chaos in my mind. The seconds crawled when we were driving. Each tick of the clock felt like a reminder that my parents were far away, in the clutches of some unknown threat. What if it were Orlando? The memory of him flashed like a photograph — jagged, men
