chapter 73

The night wore on, the study bathed in the soft glow of the antique lamps that lined its shelves. Sorin and Adeline sat across from each other, the weight of their conversation hanging in the air like mist on a cool morning.

Adeline's gaze softened as she studied Sorin's profile, his features cast in half-shadow by the flickering light. "You seem troubled," she ventured softly, her voice a soothing melody that cut through the silence.

Sorin sighed, his fingers absently tracing the rim of the crystal tumbler that held a splash of aged whiskey. "It's my father," he admitted finally, his tone heavy with resignation. "He's always had a way of making me feel like I'm perpetually falling short of his expectations."

Adeline leaned forward, her expression filled with empathy. "It can't be easy, living up to the legacy of generations past," she murmured, her voice a gentle caress against the tumult of Sorin's thoughts.

"He built this empire from nothing," Sorin continued, his gaze distant as m