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ADELINE
The room was filled with tension as the evening wore on.
I sat on one of the plush couches and my posture poised, hands resting calmly on my lap.
Vladimir, as ever, remained beside me, his dark presence an impenetrable wall of silence. His cold eyes scanned the room, offering nothing of warmth or invitation.
His body language was unmistakable—he didn’t care about the people around him, nor did he make any attempt to hide his indifference. After what he’d been through, it was a sure outcome.
Luciano, seated across from me, was unable to mask the simmering irritation in his gaze. He glared at me with intensity, as though trying to read the thoughts hidden behind my composed expression.
I knew he had questions to ask and he could not do that in front of his family
