Adrian's POV
Sunday evening found us returning home from the beach house, the poisoning incident finally behind us. Everyone had recovered, thank goodness, but I could sense the storm clouds gathering on the horizon. My mood was already sour after Stella postponed our wedding without consulting me. Though I understood her reasoning, it still stung.
We'd barely stepped through the door when my phone rang. It was Damon, bearing news that would turn Stella's world upside down: Nathaniel had been released from jail. My stress levels immediately shot through the roof. The investigation was moving at a glacial pace—they still hadn't identified who purchased the poisoned chocolates or which store they came from. The delivery person wasn't a store employee, which complicated matters further. Authorities would need to sift through security footage from every store carrying that chocolate brand, which would take considerable time. And as if that weren't enough, Patterson remained at large.
