"Ade?" Sarah was visibly shocked. "You..you..what have you done?"
Adeline cocked her head and heaved a heavy sigh of exhaustion and frustration. It was always going to come down to this.
She took off her jacket and sat on the bed with both hands supporting her weight from behind.
"Sarah, there was nothing I could do. I had no other choice."
Sarah paced about for a while. Then, she stopped and looked at Adeline.
"I thought you were going to meet with Julian. That was exactly what you told me before going. How on earth did you end up returning here with that person?"
Adeline shut her eyes for a moment. She tried to recapture every detail of what happened earlier on. That moment when she heard those tires screech, there was this relaxation her heart felt. Viktor's warm embrace was too soothing to have come from someone perceived to be the devil.
"Ade?" Sarah pressed on. "Don't tell me he used a spell on you. Did he threaten you?" Sarah asked and sat beside her. "Tell me, girl, and I will hunt him down. In fact, I'll call the police right away."
"You will involve the cops for someone like him," Ade chipped in and chuckled.
Sarah frowned. "Who does he think he is? If he comes after you, then, he will definitely have me to contend with."
Adeline smiled broadly. Sarah was always the perfect friend to her. She grabbed Sarah's hand and made her sit. Then, she cleared her throat and narrated the entire story to her.
When she was done, there was a little wave of silence across Sarah's lips. There was nothing to be said. She felt bad that Adeline had to go through such. But on the other hand, she was not completely happy that someone like Viktor Constantino was in the picture.
"Julian really did all these?"
Adeline nodded her head. "Viktor stepped in for me. I mean, he could have chosen to look elsewhere. But he didn't."
"Ade, I'm sorry you had to face such cruelty from Julian. I never saw this coming."
Adeline sighed. "I didn't either. No matter how I think about it, I just can't place my hands on how Julian was able to fool me this whole time. I was a fool, Sarah, to have given my heart to him."
Sarah got closer and threw a hand over Adeline's shoulder. "You can't blame yourself. He was too good with his deception."
Adeline sobbed mildly. This whole time, she was dining with a demon without even knowing it.
While they were both in their small emotional state, they heard a knock on the door. It was somehow metallic.
Sarah pulled away from Adeline and looked at her.
"Are you…expecting someone?" She asked.
Adeline dabbed at her tears and shook her head.
"Not at all," she replied. "No one's coming to see me."
"Who is there?" Sarah asked. "I'll get the door," she said to Adeline.
Adeline watched from the couch as Sarah turned the lock and unhinged the door. When the door opened, Sarah looked and quickly took a step back.
Behind that door were five heavily built men with beards that looked scary. She had no idea who they were and why they were there.
There was a lump in her throat all of a sudden.
"Sarah, who's there?" Adeline asked, still trying to peep. She had no idea what was going on.
Sarah used her hand to give her the signal to stay back.
"Who..who are you guys?" Sarah managed to ask.
The man in front took a step closer and said in Italian, "Siamo qui per Adeline."
That was him saying, " We are here for Adeline."
Sarah could not make any meaning out of it. But in her heart, she could feel there was trouble. The man pulled a picture from his phone and showed Sarah. It was Adeline.
"La conosci?" ….."Do you know her?"
Sarah was completely lost. Beads of sweat were trickling all over her face already.
Adeline heard her name and got up. Then, she walked to the door and opened it. Seeing those men, she was iced.
But then, the strangest thing happened. The physical height of these prefatory men, which was meant to intimidate, was suddenly halved as they each dropped the right knee to the floor, tilting their heads in a low bow.
Adeline could not believe what her eyes were witnessing. Sarah was shocked. In a blink of an eye, these scary beasts have transitioned from predators to loyal subjects.
What the heck has happened?
The floor seemed to have crunched beneath their weight. Then, in a voice that sounded like grinding stones, the man at the center spoke the word.
"Sottomessi."
That was pure Italian. He meant, "Under your command."
But, Adeline still couldn't place what was happening at that moment.
"Adeline, what is happening right now?" Sarah asked in a shocked tone.
The ignited air of confusion was broken by Adeline's phone's ringtone. Someone was calling. She rushed in and grabbed the phone. The number looked familiar. She recognised it after a few rings.
Viktor!
She had called him earlier on.
"Hello!" She said energetically as she slid the receive icon.
"Hello, Adeline," he responded, his voice metallic but calm. "I sent a couple of men to be your personal guard at the moment. Have they arrived yet?"
There was an inexplicable flow of joy in her. But she pressed it down. Viktor was trying to sweep her feet. The audacity. The mysterious nature. He was just too good to be a devil. But then, she knew better than to let her guard down.
"Yes, they have," she replied.
"Fine. Would you want dinner delivered to you?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm okay."
"Fine. I will see you tomorrow."
The call ended. Adeline quickly went to the men and used signals to let them know they could stand.
When she shut the door and returned w
ith Sarah, it was without doubt that her best friend's views about Viktor Constantino had changed completely.