Rory had not slept in days.Sleep required peace, and peace had abandoned her the moment Adeline disappeared.The police had given her sympathetic looks and empty reassurances. An adult woman. No signs of forced entry. She'll return. Words that sounded reasonable until weighed against the quiet dread in Rory's chest.Adeline did not vanish.She was taken.Rory knew it with a certainty that frightened her.And there was only one name that circled her thoughts whenever she tried to deny it.Donovan.He was closest Adel had come to trouble as she wasn't one to pry into people's businesses. Rory knew everything about Adeline enough for her to be sure that Adeline had not offended anyone except except Donovan She knew he hadn't let it go at the banquet. The way he stared at her alone was enough to tell everyone that war was coming. The devil was not one to let mistakes go especially when it affected him in public She had to do something but she didnt even know if her friend would still be alive by this time because Donovan has never been known to show mercyShe decided started carefully.Asking questions that didn't sound like questions. Mentioning names casually at parties she had once attended without thought. Listening more than she spoke.Fear lived in Milan's upper circles, hidden beneath laughter and champagne.People knew.They just never said it aloud.A banker went pale when she mentioned the name.A woman grabbed her wrist and whispered, "Forget whatever you're thinking. For your own good."That only confirmed Rory's suspicions.By the fourth day, she found herself standing outside a club she had sworn never to enter again.Sixth Sense.It felt wrong to be there without Adeline.Inside, the music thudded, familiar and obscene. Rory ignored it, moving straight toward the manager's office."You're asking dangerous questions," the man told her after she pressed him."I'm asking about my friend."He shook his head. "Then stop.""Someone took her."He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "No. Someone claimed her."The words sent ice down her spine.***Meanwhile, Adeline stood at the window of her room, watching the rain blur the world outside.She had expected punishment after the test.Instead, she was given space.Clean clothes.Regular meals.Silence.It felt like the calm before something irreversible.When Ethan appeared that evening, his expression was darker than usual."You have a visitor," he said.corridors, deeper into the villa, until they reached Donovan's office.Donovan stood by the desk, phone in hand."You're restless," he said without turning.She swallowed. "I thought I was being punished.""You were being observed."He faced her then, gaze sharp. "Someone is looking for you."Her breath hitched. "Rory."Donovan's silence was confirmation."She's being reckless," he continued calmly. "Asking questions. Saying your name."Fear surged. "Please. She doesn't know what she's doing.""I know exactly what she's doing," he replied. "And why."She stepped forward without thinking. "Don't hurt her."Donovan studied her, something unreadable passing through his eyes."Is that an order?" he asked softly."No," she whispered. "It's a plea."Ethan shifted near the door, tension obvious.Donovan exhaled slowly. "Your loyalty has limits.""I'll do whatever you want," Adeline said, panic bleeding into her voice. "Just leave her out of this."Silence fell.Then Donovan spoke, each word measured."I won't touch her," he said. "Unless she forces my hand."Relief flooded Adeline so fast her knees weakened."But understand this," he added, stepping closer. "The closer she gets, the tighter your world becomes."He lifted her chin again, firm this time."Tell me," he said quietly, studying her,"if I asked you to cut her off completely… could you?"Her throat closed.She didn't answer.Donovan's gaze hardened—not with anger, but resolve."That," he said, releasing her, "is what we'll discover next."___That night, Rory stood outside a gated estate she was not supposed to know existed.And miles away, Adeline sat awake in a locked room, realizing the truth too late.The danger was no longer just Donovan.It was the line Rory was about to cross.
