ADLER.Stepping down from the car, he had the habit of looking up at her window, tugging at his sleeves, and of course, he had to do it while arranging his suit jacket.In the early morning, he had left her on the bed, fast asleep without the crease on her forehead that spelled her worries. And if the snooze were real, then it would be one of the few actual sleeps she had gotten since they came back to the Manor.He jammed the door at the same time as Salvatore, who was beside him in seconds, staring at his face and then diverting his gaze up to the window."Really, man, she's just a couple of steps away from you; all you need is legs to get you there." His voice held a tinge of annoyance, and rightly so, "Remember you'll be having a meeting with your father tonight,"He resisted groaning, "Victor will be there,"Staring at him like he sprouted horns from the center of his forehead, Salvatore answered, "That isn't a question you should be asking. Aside from that, no day passes without
LILY'S POV.Nothing was as it seemed; I sensed it from the start, from the day he entered the manor with a bandage on his arm, claiming a message from Ruslan.As I held onto Adler hours after Luciano's visit, one question gnawed at me. It did hurt me then to doubt a friend's story, a close one, but when you've been floored too many times, your instincts spring up at the slightest provocation.'Ruslan was deadly; him having to pay anyone a visit should signify the end, and if he wanted to send me a message through Luciano, it would be on his decayed corpse.Something felt off. And the feeling had grown when Adler had confirmed my suspicion. *"He kills without a second thought. There's no one he meets face to face who lives to tell stories," he said.*And no one would know better than Adler, right? Yeah, I was right.I was in the backseat of a halted car, the gun in my hands, my fingers trigger-hungry, and a cold chill running down my spine. Unlike me, my eyes were void of tears; unlik
ADLER.From afar, he could spot them, with Kyra leaning against the car and Lily next to her, with hands stuck into the pocket of a black hoodie; driving closer, he discovered it was his.From their postures, only one of them was aware of the grave risk they had taken, and it was Lily whose fidget could be seen from a thousand miles away. When she noticed his car, she stepped backward.Seeing her, one would think she was sightseeing, but minutes ago, she was on the brink of death. Except for her constant fidgeting, she looked neat until he dropped down and spotted the blood on her face.Restraining the aggressiveness from his steps, he closed the distance between them, holding her gaze, the ice in his glare making it difficult for her to keep hers steady.She whispered, "It's not what you..."With his index finger, he swiped at the crimson stain on her forehead, and finding out the blood crust wasn't hers, his relief was complete. Without another word, he began to walk around them."A
LILYI waited by his window for the signs of his car rolling into the manor, but there was nothing, and as time stretched and there was still no sign of him, it was becoming a struggle to keep still instead of going for Kyra and demanding if he was okay.He had no reason to have gone after Ruslan alone, venturing into the wild without thinking about his safety. The manor was almost still, everyone on edge; roughly an hour ago, a soldier was roughly thrown into the trunk of a waiting car, and Kyra, who was behind them, oversaw it all.Just a day, and it felt like a century. A lot had happened, a lot I thought I would never get into; my hands were stained with blood, and my secrets were safe, but till when? It didn't look so far off anymore.“I'm sorry about your friend,” a voice from the door had me pivoting, and finding Salvatore, I tried on a small, sad smile, the concern mixed with irritation still not leaving his face; I quit trying to look unaffected. “I always felt something was
LILY I didn't anticipate him showing up in the middle of the night or coming to me at any time, for that matter.Yet, he did. It was a particularly unsettling time for his unexpected arrival. I found myself unprepared, in my disheveled pajamas with swollen, red eyes – the mascara streaks on my face were the least of it. Just an hour prior, I had succumbed to a moment of vulnerability.Adler stood by the door, watching me, and I, still stunned to speak, stood still, waiting for his backlash.Looking closer, I noticed he didn't seem to be raging like he had been at the steel bridge. Unsure of that theory, I made no effort to get close."Rune says, Hi." he broke the silence, the softness in his voice caressing my hurt, "I was talking to Kyra, and she says you need therapy; I don't know what the hell is that, so she's taking care of it."That was a lot of rambling to fill the awkward silence, and none of it told what he wanted. I made to stand up, but he stretched out his hands, "No, Lil
LILYKneeling before the gravestone on the wet grass, I knew I was clueless as to what I was doing there, but it just felt right.When Priest had opened his door at dawn and found me in front of it, he had sighed, and at that point, I knew that he had figured out his warning had come to pass."Take me to Adler's mum," I requested, bundled in a sweater I had thrown over my pajamas. Saying nothing, he nodded and did my bidding.Now, I was before her gravestone. The inscription was weather-beaten so that the name couldn't be made out. But surrounding the gravestone were withered flowers; even the surroundings looked mowed."Rune comes here every week for a new batch. He cleans the grave too, the reason it's been like this since he got locked in." Salvatore had explained."What about Adler?" "Adler hasn't been here since his mum was buried."There was a lot of darkness, heartache, and crimes, and somehow, I got entangled in it, Would kneeling before her grave help?Why was I here? Askin
Silence prevailed, silence so hefty I could barely breathe as I stood, surrounded by the darkness I had willingly thrown myself into.It felt like a nightmare, confronting my fears in the worst possible way, and everyone was aware. I prayed it was just a dream, but like always, my pleas went unanswered."...Let her tell you what happened on the day you watched your mother die," Domenico broke the silence, "The day you first met.""You keep reaching too hard," I heard Adler snarl, prompting me to raise my eyes. And seeing him search my face, the quest for assurance on his, and knowing I couldn't give any, I quickly darted my gaze back to the floor."Li...Lily?" he stammered.I clenched my bottom lip to control the trembling.Domenico sighed, "I anticipated this; I mean, consider it; it's no mere coincidence that you encountered her in the exact same spot. Right? SHE discovered you and sought out her father."It was apparent then that if I didn't find myself, if I kept still and allowed
LILY."I need to see him, and he has to hear me out!"It was nighttime, and I had not left my room following Salvatore's orders. Every time I tried to get up and meet Adler, he would pull me back to the bed and sit in the armchair beside it while gently caressing his crucifix with his thumb."The godfather was with him after the situation by the stairs, and since then, he has been in Donna's room; now's not the time to go to him," Salvatore explained. Folding his arms across his chest, he added, "You need to get some rest."What Adler thought of me had been evident in his dilated pupils, although they were more confused because he was still trying to understand everything.On the bed, I drew my knees until they were under my chin. Go to sleep. Was Priest serious? I was in a dilemma, unsure of what could happen soon, and he wanted me to sleep."You think he'll take it well?" I murmured, "The way he looked at me...""Adler will snap out of it; just give a little more time." He relaxed b