Haunting-Adeline

Chapter 36
The Manipulator
look down at my hands like a scolded child. A er Satan’s Affair, I had
admi ed Zade and I had sex, but I s ll didn’t confirm his iden ty to her,
I
and she hadn’t asked. I think she was too concerned with my mental
health to think about it. Righ ully so.
Regardless, if I had just been upfront and told Daya that I couldn’t share
details about Zade and Mark, I think she would’ve learned to accept it. It
was lying to her that hurt her most.
She followed me down to the kitchen, her anger a heavy gaze burning
into the back of my head the en re way. And now, she glares at me from
across the island.
“How long have you known? And why are there men sta oned outside
the house? And he trusts you to tell me what?”
I bite my lip. “For a li le while,” I confess. “Look, I didn’t say anything
because his involvement with Mark is top secret. I didn’t want you to keep
asking ques ons that I wasn’t sure I could answer. It wasn’t my story to tell
and what he’s doing is incredibly sensi ve.”
“Did you know who he was when I asked you about him before Satan’s
Affair?”
I cringe and nod my head, confirming what she already knew. Hurt
flashes in her eyes, and all I want to do is cry—the guilt I’ve been carrying
for lying to her bleeds from my pores.
She blows out a breath and nods, accep ng my answer for what it is.
“Okay, fine. Can you tell me now?”
I go on to explain Zade’s current mission, outside of bringing down
pedophile rings. About the sick rituals being performed on li le children
and how hard Zade has been working to find the loca on and bring it
down. Daya listens a en vely, face souring as I explain the horrific things
being done to innocent children, aside from being tortured and trafficked.