Haunting Adeline

Zade walks to go spy on Adeline at a restaurant, but he bumps into Mark Williams. Zade tries to guide him away from the restaurant, but Mark insists on eating there. They sit close to Adeline, and Zade pretends to be interested in children walking by to gain more trust with Mark. Mark notices Adeline and moves to take a picture of her with his phone. Zade stops him and tells him that Adeline is his girlfriend, and he only avoided interrupting her because she is working. Mark ignores this reasoning and insists on meeting Adeline.

Mark introduces himself to Adeline, who is shocked to see Zade in the daytime, and Mark notes that he is friends with “Zack,” using the fake name that Zade gave him. Adeline plays along, and Zade and Mark join her. Mark gets a phone call, and Zade explains that he needs Adeline to continue pretending to be his girlfriend until Mark leaves, telling her that Mark is a dangerous man. When Mark returns, he reveals that his father is Frank, John and Gigi’s friend from the 1940s. Apparently, Frank believed that John killed Gigi, not Ronaldo. Mark invites Zade and Adeline to a party and lures Adeline with the offer of telling her more about his father and his friendship with Serafina, Adeline’s grandmother, when he was a child. Mark leaves, and Zade walks Adeline back to her car.

At the car, Zade explains that he does not want Adeline to go the event, but she insists on going to find out more about Gigi. Zade understands that Adeline wants Ronaldo to be the murderer, as it will allow her to distance herself from him. The two kiss passionately by her vehicle, and a woman and her child interrupt them, allowing Adeline to quickly depart.

Adeline explains the situation with Zade and Mark Williams to Daya, and Daya concludes that Zade is Z, the head of the organization for which Daya currently works. Adeline wears a dress that Zade sent her, and he comes to pick her up at Parsons Manor. Though Adeline is enchanted by Zade’s appearance, she insults him, and he attempts to sexually assault her. However, Adeline performs a sex act on Zade before he can force her, giving her a feeling of control over the situation.

In the car, Zade reveals that he is Daya’s boss, though he has never met her, and he explains how Mark Williams is involved in the ouroboros cult. He tells Adeline not to tell Daya about this situation, as he wants to take down the cult before he reveals the details to the remainder of his organization. Adeline questions how Zade can fight against crimes like sexual assault and human trafficking, then also become a stalker, and Zade claims that Adeline is unique.

The chapter ends with a diary entry dated September 28, 1945, in which Gigi says that Ronaldo became violent when she told him about her marriage crumbling. Ronaldo threatens to kill John, and Gigi is distraught at the idea that Ronaldo and John might have a confrontation.

Zade and Adeline arrive at Mark’s home. Zade tells Adeline to refer to him as Zack Forthright, and their story is that they both live happily in Parsons Manor. Once inside, Adeline successfully socializes, impressing Zade. Zade is successful at blending into the crowd and making a favorable impression. When Mark arrives to greet them, he also introduces them to his wife, Claire, whom Adeline notes appears to be abused. Mark does not stay long, suggesting they reconvene later, as he wants to talk with Adeline about Gigi.

The chapter ends with a diary entry dated November 15, 1945, in which Gigi is upset that John has developed a gambling addiction. He has lost all their savings, including Sera’s school fund, and the house is going into foreclosure. Gigi blames herself and her affair with Ronaldo for the unfortunate turn of events.

Zade comments on how Adeline’s popularity at the party might make them take an interest in her. He brings them out of the main ballroom, and he calls Jay to disable the security cameras around the house. Adeline and Zade wander around the house, and they find a home theater. Zade selects a new horror movie for them to watch, forcing Adeline to sit on his lap. He forces her to watch the movie while he performs a sex act on her.

After Zade and Adeline return to the ballroom, Mark’s butler, Marion, calls them to come see Mark in a private room. Adeline asks Mark about Gigi, and Mark explains that his father, Frank, always suspected John of killing Gigi. John progressively developed gambling and alcohol addictions, which led to his involvement with Angelo Salvatore, Ronaldo’s boss. Though Angelo tried to kill John over his debts, Ronaldo saved John and secured him a job working as an accountant for Angelo. Mark notes that he was friends with Sera, Adeline’s grandmother, until a period before Gigi’s death. At that point, Frank suspected that John was getting violent, which is why he thought John was likely the murderer. When Mark’s phone rings, he drops it, shifting the conversation to a video that concerns Mark and his colleagues. Adeline and Zade know that the video is of the ritual, but Mark insists that the Society he works with will protect him.

A week later, Zade is teaching Adeline self-defense to protect herself against possible attackers. Adeline struggles with the moves and blames Zade for her situation. Zade insists that Mark was already interested in her before the incident at the restaurant, as Mark was intent on going to that specific restaurant and seated himself with a direct view of Adeline. Adeline accepts this reasoning, and she succeeds in getting out of a chokehold.

The chapter ends with a diary entry dated February 14, 1946, in which Gigi recounts how two armed men broke into her home and held her and Sera at gunpoint, demanding money that John lost while gambling. Though John and Frank arrived in time to chase away the intruders, John does not apologize for his actions, and Gigi says she wants to kill him.