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And now he's doing the opposite.

He turns his side profile to me as his nostrils flare, his teeth bared. Without another word, he's out the door, slamming it in his wake.

I release a deep breath, already tired from the confrontation. At the very least, Sisi hadn't looked any worse for the wear. Save for that monstrous tattoo on her neck, she'd looked unharmed.

I take a seat at my desk, removing my glasses and massaging my forehead.

"Marcello," Lina's voice startles me as she glides across the room, her eyes wide when she takes in the disaster Vlad had left behind.

Stretching my arm toward her, I bring her to my side, my head resting against her belly.

"Are we doing the right thing, Lina?" I ask, unsure of how to approach this. I don't want to alienate Sisi, but at the same time I know Vlad too well to not question his sudden interest in my sister.

"I don't think so," she answers thoughtfully, shocking me.

"What do you mean?" I raise my head to look at her.

Her hand on my head, she threads her fingers through my hair in a soft caress, calming me in the way only she can.

"He went to her room," she tells me, "and I… I stayed behind to eavesdrop," she confesses, a blush on her cheeks. "I don't think he has bad intentions, Marcello. If anything, I think he might be genuine."

"Not you too, Lina," I groan.

"No, listen." She stops me from continuing. "Open your computer and get the feed from the camera across Sisi's room. I left the door ajar, so we should be able to see something," she suggests, and my eyes widen slightly.

"You're devious, aren't you?" A smile pulls at my lips.

"I want to make sure. I'd never forgive myself if I let Sisi leave without making sure…" She shakes her head and I can see how worried she is.

For her, Sisi is like a younger sister. Certainly, she's her best friend and I know how much she cares about her and her safety.Why, since her disappearance at the wedding, I don't think Lina's managed to get a good night's sleep.

Every call I'd get she'd come to my side to ask for any more news about Sisi.

Even when Vlad had called and we'd had confirmation that she was safe, she'd begged me to find her as quickly as possible.

And I'd tried. If it weren't for the fact that Vlad's a crafty bastard, I would have found her location. Instead, Vlad had left no trace of himself, simply vanishing for months.

"Fine," I agree, needing that confirmation, too.

Lina settles nicely on my lap as I fire up the computer. I wound my arms around her, bringing her closer to my chest.

"Have I told you how much I love you today?" I murmur against her cheek. The corner of her lip pulls up.

"Only a hundred times," she whispers, turning briefly to give me a quick kiss, "love you too," she speaks against my lips, and those words alone have the power to restore my mood.

The screen flares to life, and I quickly access the camera feed. Just as Lina had observed, the door to Sisi's room is half open, the camera having a direct view inside.

"Do you think we can get some sound, too?" she asks, and I nod, adjusting the settings.

It's not much, but we can make out some sounds that come out of her room.

The first thing that we see is Vlad carrying Sisi in his arms as he settles on the bed. He's holding her close to his chest, not unlike the position I'm in with Lina.

"Is she… crying?" Lina whispers, straining to hear.

"Yes," I answer almost automatically, unable to believe my eyes.

All my life I thought I'd seen all there was to Vlad. A robotic genius wearing human clothes, his episodes abnormal instances for a usually calm and composed person. In fact, his composurewas his winning quality since it allowed him to study the room and make informed decisions.