*ADELINE*
It's been three days since the day everything tilted on its axis, and I still feel like I'm trapped in a souvenir snow globe—beautiful, but still and suffocating. I sit cross-legged on my bed, the soft covers wrapped around me like a warm cocoon, and yet I feel anything but safe. With every tick of the clock, the thrum of the outside world beats on my windows, but I can't immerse myself in it. Three burly men stand guard outside my door, their stone faces betraying nothing of the storm brewing outside. They've been assigned to me by Vincenzo, who must think I'm some sort of delicate treasure to protect at all costs.
Forcing myself to concentrate, I flip the pages of the book resting on my lap—a romantic tale set in the vibrant streets of Florence. An irony that does nothing to
