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    bChapter /b96

    AUTHOR’S POV.

    The moment Alina stepped outside the buildingplex, a strange chill blew over her.

    Her heart began to race. Palms sweaty. She was visibly shaking.

    55 vouchers

    She suddenly had this eerie feeling of being watched,but when she looked around, no one was there.

    “Are you okay, ma’am?” Jordan’s voice startled her from behind.

    “Jesus Christ, Jordan!” Alina eximed, hand to her chest.

    “You scared me!”

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    “Is everything alright?” He asked, concerned.

    “Uhm, yeah. You just startled me, that’s all.” She replied, trying to calm her breathing.

    “Are you sure?” He pressed gently.

    “I just… I felt like someone was watching me. Maybe it was nothing.” She shrugged, forcing a smallugh.

    But that was enough to put Jordan on high alert.

    “Get in the car, ma’am.” He instructed, voice low and cautious.

    Alina didn’t argue for once. She slipped into the car, her nerves easing slightly in the safety of the enclosed

    space.

    As soon as he was sure that she was secured, Jordan immediately made a call.

    “Lee, have you and the guys secure the perimeter again,” he instructed, his tone firm.

    “iWe /ijust did.” Lee responded over the line.

    “Do it again. Check for anything unusual, anyone out of ce, or anyone who blends in a little too well.” His

    Lone was tense.

    “On it.” Came Lee’s firm response before he hung up.

    Of course Jordan wasn’t the only one keeping an eye on Alina, Lucian wasn’t taking any chances, he had a couple of men blend into the crowd to watch over her.

    Until the man he was looking for was found, Alina wasn’t safe. That was one of the main reasons he had her staying at the ckwood’s estate in the first ce.

    “Where to, ma’am?b” /bJordan asked, Sliding into the driver’s seat immediately after the call, engine already running.

    b17:51 /bbThu/bb, /bbSep /bb18 /bbN /b

    :

    “The Dawns‘ residence.” Alina replied, still feeling unsettled.

    b53 /b

    E 55 vouchers

    She was bso /blost in thought, she didn’t realize when Jordan parked in front of her parents house until he spoke again.

    “We’re here, ma’am.”

    “Oh.” She blinked, looking around to see that they were indeed in front of the house she once called home.

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    But she made no move to step out of the car.

    “If you’re not feeling up to it, we cane backter, when you feel much better.” Jordan offered, noting her tense posture.

    “It’s fine, Jordan. I’m alright.” She said quickly, brushing the hesitation away.

    Still, unease tugged at her gut.

    Alina had no idea why she was feeling this anxious, this was the house she grew up in… yet as she stood before it, it felt cold.

    Deciding to just get it over with, she stepped out of the car.

    Jordan made a move to follow, but she stopped him.

    “No. Keep the car running. I won’t be long.” She said before walking up the steps.

    The air felt colder than usual, or maybe that was her anxiety cing mind games with her.

    It was quiet. Too quiet. No one was in sight, not even Maria the housekeeper. Knowing Seraphina, she was probably out, and honestly? Alina was d. She wasn’t in the mood for any sort of confrontation today.

    She knew Ss would be in his study, so she made her way there.

    The door was slightly ajar when she got there, and two very familiar voices carried out from within.

    “Why is he calling out of the blue?” Elena’s terrified voice asked.

    “I have no idea. But you need to keep Seraphina in check. She needs to stop messing with Alina, or else he’ll hurt her.” Ss warned his wife, his own voice thick with tension.

    Alina stilled.

    At first, she thought the “he” they referred to was Lucian….

    But as they continued and she listened on, she realized she might have just walked into something far bigger than she could imagine.

    “But I don’t understand why he suddenly cares about Alina. I mean, he hates her,and her family. Isn’t that why he stole her from her family and handed her to us in the first ce?”

    N

    …

    The words dropped like a bomb.

    As soon as the words left Elena’s mouth, Alina’s heart plummeted to her stomach.

    She hadn’t been adopted like she was made to believe all along…

    She’d been stolen.

    Lied to.

    She hadn’t been adopted like she was made to believe all along…

    She’d been stolen.

    Lied to.

    Her entire life had been a well–crafted illusion.

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