*ADELINE*
The echoes of Vincenzo's cold dismissal reverberated in my head long after the door slammed shut. Ice stared back at me from the mahogany surface, the weight of exclusion heavier than I ever anticipated. How could they all sit there—Vincenzo, his few goons, and that adrenaline-fueled Marcus's messenger—convening in secret while I was left standing outside, feeling like a forgotten child? A surge of anger bubbled in my stomach, threatening to boil over. I was more than just a pawn in their little game; I had become an invisible ghost in a house brimming with tension and unspoken words.
I paced the luxurious carpet of the spacious hallway, my thoughts a chaotic jumble. The frustration of Vincenzo keeping me in the dark clawed at my insides, each moment amplifying the rage. Meanwh
