Chapter 18 - The King and His Confidant
|
Later that night, long after the last guests had departed and the heavy oak doors of the estate were locked against the winter storm outside, Enzo and Adeline stood in the quiet warmth of the third-floor study.
A bright fire crackled in the hearth, casting a soft, golden glow across the room. Outside, the snow blew gently against the high glass windows, shutting out the rest of the cold, violent world.
Enzo stood near the fireplace, his bowtie undone, his top collar unbuttoned. He held a glass of bourbon in his hand, watching Adeline as she walked slowly around his massive oak desk, her fingers tracing the smooth mahogany edge.
"You look like you belong behind that desk," Enzo remarked softly, a fond trace of humor in his voice.
Adeline stopped, looking up at him with a thoughtful expression. "Perhaps I do. Someone has to keep your ledgers balanced and make sure you don't shoot every businessman who annoys you."
Enzo chuckled, setting his glass down on the mantelpiece. He walked slowly across the room toward her, his movements graceful and deliberate.
May you like
"You saved my life, Adeline," he said, stopping directly in front of her. "Not just from the poison, and not just from the Commission. You saved me from becoming the monster everyone thought I was."
Adeline reached up, her hand gently resting against his cheek, her fingers brushing over the quiet scar on his jaw. "You were never a monster, Enzo. You were just a man surrounded by monsters."
