A/N: This chapter is written in the Third Person's POV style, this chapter is the flashback to the time that Adeline went back into her world.
Lyle, Haisley, and Abelard exchanged puzzled glances over the Duke of Borgia's unexpected visit. In the hushed corridors of the manor, questions swirled silently among them.
Haisley tried to recall whether she had ever interacted with the Duke before, while Lyle's inner turmoil was evident as he wondered why these extravagantly titled men kept visiting Madeleine.
Isthere something she needs from them
Lyle mused inwardly, well aware of his lady's reserved yet inscrutable manner. He suspected these men had come not out of genuine concern, but to report on every nuance of her behavior.
Frustration roiled inside him. He longed to brush them off—but his title did not allow him that luxury. Bound by duty and rank, he could only silently seethe as he allowed the Duke to pass through the threshold.
