*ADELINE*
The library felt different tonight, encased in shadows but bursting with whispers of unshared stories. As Vincenzo led me through the labyrinth of shelves, my heart danced in rhythm with my anxious thoughts. This was the moment I had been waiting for, that faint glimmer of authenticity where he might finally peel back the layers and reveal the man hiding behind his gallant facade.
"Come here," he urged, drawing me toward a shelf lined with fantasy books. The gold lettering on the spines gleamed like treasure, artifacts from realms far away. When he pulled out *Peter Pan*, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Seriously? This is your pick?"
But as quickly as the teasing words formed, they curdled in my throat when he gently extracted a photograph from between the pages. My bre
