Chapter 148
RAINA
I never thought he’d actually do it–have Eliza arrested. The Alex 1 used to know wouldn’t have. But now? Now I wasn’t so sure. He really has changed, hasn’t he? And those words he said before Adelaide Interrupted.. they lingered in my mind like an unanswered question.
Would I be stupid to give him another chance?
I snapped out of my spiraling thoughts and forced myself to focus. Now wasn’t the time to daydream. There were bigger things to deal with–Adelaide being the main one.
“Since we’re on a spree of getting people arrested,” 1 said aloud, glancing between Dominic and Alex, “Dom, call the police. I’ll let Adelaide into the house.”
Alex frowned, stepping closer to me. His voice was calm, but I could hear the tension behind it. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? First Nathan will retaliate, and we’ve got a month until the hearing. Are you really for this?”
“I’ll never be ready, I admitted, meeting his concerned gaze. “But that doesn’t mean I should sit back and do nothing I hesitated, choosing my next words carefully. “Nathan is getting out of hand. If he knows we’re unto him, what’s stopping him from getting aggressive? You’re the one who told me he’s dangerous, Alex”
Saying it out loud made my heart race, a dull throb pounding in my cars. My lids were safe, thank God, but my thoughts shifted to the others—Faith, the baby, and Grandma What if Nathan decides to use them to get to me?
Dominic stepped forward, his expression hard. “She’s right. We can’t afford to wait for him to make the first move. It’s time to get Grandma and Faith
but of here.”
I nodded, relief washing over me. “We need to act now. Faith, the baby, and Grandma–they need to be somewhere safe. Away from all of this.”
Alex, ever the problem solver, didn’t miss a beat. “Thandle it. Once Adelaide is arrested, I’ll take them myself.”
“Absolutely not,” a voice cut in sharply.
We all turned to see Faith standing at the edge of the room, her son cradled tightly in her arms. Her jaw was set, her eyes blazing with determination.
“Where my husband is, that’s where I’ll be,” she said firmly, her voice unwavering.
Dominic’s expression darkened. He strode toward her, his tone low but forceful “Faith, don’t be unreasonable. This isn’t about you or keeping you and the baby safe. You’re leaving with Alex, and that’s final.”
me–it’s about
Falth opened her mouth to argue, but I quickly stepped between them. The last thing we needed was more tension.
1 cleared my throat, “Maybe you two need some privacy now,” I said, tilting my head toward the stairs. “Why don’t
Dominic glanced at me, his jaw right, but he relented with a curt nod. Faith didn’t look happy, but she followed him.
Once they were out of sight, I turned to Alex. “Has the police been called?
you
take this upstairs?”
He nodded. “Yeah, Dominic has called them already, they’re on their way.”
“Good” “I took a deep breath, forcing the tension out of my shoulders. “We need to hurry up. Once I open that door, Adelaide will be within earshot, and I don’t want her getting suspicious.”
Alex frowned slightly but didn’t argue. Instead, he offered his arm for support. “Let’s go,” he said simply.
The two of us stepped outside, and there she was–Adelaide, sitting stiffly on the porch steps. She looked like a wreck. Her hair was disheveled, strands sticking out in odd directions, and her clothes were wrinkled and slightly stained. The dark circles under her eyes made her look like she hadn’t slept in days.
For a split second, I almost felt pity for her. But then I remembered why we were here, and any shred of sympathy I had evaporated.
“You weren’t supposed to come back yet,” I said, folding my arms across my chest as I stood a few feet away from her.
Adelaide’s head snapped up, and her bloodshot eyes met mine. Her lips quivered as if she were about to burst into tears. “Miss Raina,” she started, her voice trembling, “I don’t know what to do with my life outside of working here. I’m losing my mind not being able to do anything. This place is my home
my life”
I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head slightly. Your life? The audacity of her words made my blood boil.
Alex stood beside me, silent but watchful, I could feel his gaze on me, his presence grounding me.
Texhaled sharply, malding my decision. “Fine,” I said finally, stepping aside. “You can
