ADELE’S POV

The cold morning air hit me the second I stepped out of our room. It whipped through the corridor, tugging at my hair and slipping under the thin sweater I’d thrown on.

I hugged my arms tighter around myself, walking faster toward Andrea’s room. I just wanted to check on him—make sure he’d slept okay after last night’s nightmare. The little guy had fallen asleep in Lucien’s arms like the world had finally stopped hurting him, but kids that small carry things longer than we think. I needed to see his face, maybe sit with him for a bit before the day turned chaotic again.

The palace felt...