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Chapter 17
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2025-05-07 18:00:37Chapter 17: Old Wounds, New Resolve
Elise's POV
The clink of forks scraping plates filled the penthouse dining room.
Adrian sat at the head of the table, cutting his steak with short, deliberate strokes. Mateo hovered at the side, stabbing aggressively at a pile of mashed potatoes like they owed him money.
I picked at my food, appetite absent.
"So," Adrian said, not looking up, "how'd the wild goose chase go?"
I sighed. "Is it so obvious that I failed?"
"Your face screams 'failure.'" He jabbed a piece of meat into his mouth. "Even Mateo could figure it out."
"Hey!" Mateo yelped, almost dropping his fork. "I'm not that slo
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