Chapter 64 PLAN IN ACTION
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AUTHOR’S POV
Adeline exhaled heavily as she stepped inside Luciano’s grand mansion, the weight of her return pressing down on her like a vice.
The air was thick with expectation, and even before she had fully crossed the threshold, she knew—they had been waiting and she was prepared to give them.
It was as if the walls themselves whispered her name. Luciano’s men had already spread the word, and in a matter of seconds, the entire house was set into motion that she was here.
The once-familiar halls no longer felt welcoming. The warmth she had once associated with this place had long since turned cold.
She took another step, but the moment she did, the heavy wooden doors swung open behind her, and a rush of hurried footsteps filled the space.
Adeline stopped.
Aurora was the first to reach her, barreling toward her with tear-filled eyes, wrapping her arms around her in a desperate hug.
“Adeline!” she breathed, holding her tightly as if afraid she would disappear again.
But Adeline didn’t hug her back. She stood stiff, unmoving, her gaze locked on the figures emerging from the house. She did not feel any sort of emotion for her suddenly. She was blank.
Bianca’s face was wet with tears, her usual composure shattered as she clutched at her chest. What a drama!
“Where did you go?” she demanded, her voice trembling.
“Do you have any idea what you put us through? We thought—” She choked on her words, shaking her head as if the thoughts were too unbearable to voice.
“We thought we lost you.”
Luciano was the last to step forward, and his presence commanded the space instantly. His dark eyes burned with a mixture of relief and fury, his movements sharp, controlled, as if he was barely holding himself back.
“Where the hell did you go?” His voice was like steel, cold and demanding.
“And with whom?”
He reached out, his fingers almost brushing against her wrist, but before he could touch her, the air in the room shifted.
A presence.
Adeline could feel it before she even turned. The subtle yet unmistakable tension in the air, the way everyone’s attention seemed to snap toward the doorway behind her.
A slow, almost imperceptible smile ghosted across her lips as she watched the blood drain from Bianca and Leonardo’s faces. She turned slightly, just enough to let their eyes fall upon the figure stepping out of the shadows.
Vladimir.
The dim chandelier light barely touched him as he moved forward, his long hair falling over part of his face, obscuring his expression. But his eyes—cold, piercing—cut through the room like a blade.
Adeline moved then, her steps slow, deliberate, as she closed the space between them. A smile on her which indicated power, evilness yet she covered that with her innocence.
Without hesitation, she slipped her arm through his, holding him close, her fingers curling around his sleeve like a silent declaration.
“Look, Mom,” she said, her voice unnervingly light.
“He’s back.”
The room seemed to freeze.
Aurora’s grip on Adeline loosened, her eyes darting between her and Vladimir in disbelief. Bianca took a step back, her trembling hand covering her mouth, horror twisting her expression.
Luciano, who had begun to step forward to greet Vladimir, suddenly halted.
For a moment, the silence was suffocating.
Vladimir stood there, still, unreadable. His lips remained pressed into a firm line, but there was something in his stance—something restrained yet dangerous. He was tall and not the kid he was once. He was tall, endearing and looked like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with.
And in his eyes, Luciano saw it. A quiet storm brewing beneath the surface.
A warning.
Adeline tilted her head, her grip on Vladimir tightening. She could feel the unease creeping into the room, and for the first time in a long time, she felt something close to amusement.
“I went with Vlad,” she announced, her voice carrying an edge of satisfaction.
“He returned.” She turned her gaze back to Luciano, watching the way his jaw tensed, the flicker of something dark passing through his eyes.
“And now, he’s going to stay with us.”
She paused, letting the words settle, letting them carve into the silence like a blade. Then, with a slow, knowing smile, she added,
“With me.”
Luciano’s glare hardened. His hands curled into fists at his sides, his entire body rigid. Luciano was happy that Vladimir returned but he was not happy how careless Adeline had been and vanished for few days before appearing like such.
His presence alone was enough to silence an entire room, but Adeline didn’t falter. She held his gaze, unwavering.
His voice, when he spoke, was low but sharp enough to cut.
“We need to talk.”
Adeline tilted her head, her expression unreadable. Then, she smiled—a smile that held secrets, a smile that wasn’t entirely innocent.
“Yes,” she said, her voice dripping with something that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand.
“We have to talk.”