42. Enigma Unravelled

(Salvatore's POV)

The air in my room hangs heavy with the weight of everything we are up against. I only left Quinn alone for a few minutes while I went to the study to get the book containing the mysterious symbol. When I return to my bedroom, Quinn is still staring at the painting, as she frantically tries to write each letter and number hidden within the artwork in the hopes of decoding the cryptic message. I carefully place the book on an ornate wooden table in the centre of my suite. Quinn’s body still bears the marks of my brother’s brutal assault, but despite her pain, her eyes remain fixed on the painting that holds the key to our salvation.

Each of us has a task, and we are both determined to uncover our part of the mystery. We work in silence. The only sound in the room is a pen on paper, but in my heart a storm of rage and guilt churns. I know I am not the one who physically hurt Quinn, but I still feel responsible. If I hadn’t let her roam the mansion freely in their absen