*ADELINE*
"Let go of her," Vincenzo commanded, his voice unwavering as he stared Robert Senior down. The intensity of his gaze made the other man shrink back, suddenly aware of the precariousness of his position. It was a showdown—raw, electrifying, and with stakes that felt impossibly high.
"Why shouldn't I?" Robert grunted, the defiance in his tone quickly losing its bite as the fight drained from him. Maybe it was the stark realization that he was no match for Vincenzo, or perhaps the sudden power shift had caught him completely off guard.
"Because she's right. Adeline is entitled to what belongs to her. You'll return the jewel, and I suggest you do it with a semblance of dignity," Vincenzo replied, his tone calm but firm—each word laced with an invisible thread of authority that
