Chapter 5 - The Gathering Storm
As the weeks rolled toward the engagement party, the tension inside the Alfieri mansion grew palpable. Nico’s older cousin, Marcus, visited frequently, pressing Nico to sign over voting shares of the family’s logistics conglomerate under the guise of "streamlining operations while you recover." Nico routinely rebuffed him, but the strain was visibly wearing him down. Camille acted less like a doting fiancée and more like an impatient warden, frequently complaining about the delay in the wedding date and demanding control over his personal assets.
Adeline became Nico’s silent shadow. She noticed how he subtly tracked her movements, silently questioning her loyalties. Yet, whenever Camille tried to alter his medication schedule, Adeline stepped in with clinical precision, citing strict medical guidelines that left Camille fuming.
The night of the engagement party arrived like a pressure cooker. The mansion filled with politicians, fixers, high-rolling associates, and corporate elites who smiled with their teeth while plotting behind closed doors. Nico sat trapped in his wheelchair, forced to play host to the very people circling his empire like vultures. Adeline stood near the service entrance, monitoring his vital signs from afar, watching the way Camille hovered over him, feeding him a toxic mix of public affection and private poison.
