*VINCENZO*
Adeline's weight felt heavy in my arms as I gently carried her back to bed. The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls like specters of our anxiety. I placed her down, careful not to jostle her too much. Her eyelids fluttered briefly before settling closed, and my heart tightened at the sight of her fragile state. I had kept my promise to ensure she ate the sweets and drank all the tea Marcus prepared, but deep down, I knew that the warmth of that tea was laced with a sleeping potion. It was necessary, though, to calm her racing thoughts, even if it meant forcing her into a temporary slumber.
I pulled the blankets snug around her, brushing a hand over her hair. She looked peaceful, her brow unfurrowing as she drifted off, but beneath that surface lay a storm. The
