70 pages • 2 hours read
Hunting Adeline
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Part 2, Chapter 38-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 2, Chapter 38 Summary: “The Hunter”
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes descriptions of sexual violence and/or harassment, rape, mental illness, death by suicide, suicidal ideation, graphic violence, sexual content, death, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.
Zade listens to ghostly footsteps in Parsons Manor, lamenting the fact that Claire destroyed all her devices after Zade’s broadcast. He believes that Claire is up to something, but he does not know what. Zade calls Jay and asks him to check on Adeline’s parents’ house. Jay confirms that someone broke into Serena’s house 30 minutes ago, and Zade springs to action. He tells Jay to send a drone to Serena’s house, wakes Adeline, and gets Sibby, telling everyone to bring weapons before piling into his car.
On the way, Jay spots men taking Adeline’s parents to a van, but he disables it with the drone. Zade, Adeline, and Sibby arrive, knowing that the men inside are aware of their presence. Adeline leads the group, and Zade finds her assertiveness attractive. They clear the first floor, killing two henchmen in the shadows. Upstairs, a sniper takes a shot at Zade, but Jay quickly dispatches him. Finding the second floor empty, Adeline suggests the basement. The basement is dark, and Sibby takes the lead, singing and dragging her knife on a wall. A large man threatens her, but she distracts him by undressing, then kills him. Zade, Adeline, and Sibby find Adeline’s parents, Serena and William, tied to chairs with two men pointing guns at them. One man threatens to sexually assault Adeline’s mother, and Zade notes that Serena is the only leverage the men have. The man switches his attention to William, but Adeline threatens to kill herself if they harm her parents.
Part 2, Chapter 39 Summary: “The Diamond”
The men assume that Adeline is surrendering, and one steps toward Adeline. Another man comes up behind Adeline, incapacitating her and revealing that he was hiding in the attic. Zade is furious, but he puts his hands up in mock surrender. The man leads Zade and Adeline to the wall, but when he tries to grab Sibby, she fights him. In the confusion, Adeline uses a pen gun to kill the man holding a gun to Serena’s head. The remaining man moves to shoot Adeline, but she redirects the shot at the ground, and Zade shoots him in the head. Meanwhile, Sibby is gleefully stabbing the last henchman while William watches in horror. They notice that Serena is injured and unconscious, and Zade unties both Serena and William. William wants to call the police and an ambulance, but Adeline and Zade decide to take Serena to an underground surgeon. They get into Zade’s car, and William blames Adeline for everything, claiming that the bullet meant for Adeline ricocheted and hit Serena. Zade chastises William, but Adeline feels conflicted. Zade calls Jay to set up a meeting with Teddy, a surgeon.
They pull up to Teddy’s cabin, and Sibby stalks off, muttering about her imaginary henchmen. Teddy starts operating immediately, but Adeline feels responsible for her mother’s injury. Zade sympathizes but assures Adeline that she is not at fault. Adeline laments her arguments with Serena, who is trying to be a part of Adeline’s life.
After three hours, Teddy reveals that the surgery succeeded. Adeline holds Serena’s hand. Adeline says she knows how Serena felt when Adeline was kidnapped, and she supposes that Serena knows what Adeline felt like in Francesca’s house.
On June 28, 2022, Adeline writes about William refusing to answer Adeline’s calls or let her see Serena. Adeline realizes that her father never raised her or cared about her until now, and she hates him for it.
Part 2, Chapter 40 Summary: “The Diamond”
After Teddy let William take Serena home, William has not let Adeline see her mother. They argue on the phone, and William calls Adeline and Zade criminals. Adeline fights with Zade, blaming him for ruining her relationship with her parents, and Zade is hurt. Adeline sends him away, and he tells her that she can run from her problems, but he will not chase her anymore. Once Zade leaves, Adeline regrets her decision. She realizes that Zade saved Serena and understands that removing him from her life will not solve their problems. She charges out of the house to find him, and he glances at her before sprinting into the woods.
Adeline pursues Zade, only for him to appear behind her. He pins her to a tree, and she apologizes for sending him away. He does not believe her, and they start having sex. Adeline does not know how to recover Zade’s trust. Zade implies that he removed Adeline’s intra-uterine device (IUD) while she was asleep, and she is no longer protected from pregnancy. Adeline panics, and Zade asks if having a child would force Adeline to stay with Zade forever. Adeline is unsure, but Zade has an orgasm inside Adeline without protection. Afterward, Zade confesses that he did not remove the IUD, and Adeline is relieved. They head back to Parsons Manor to return a call from Jay.
Part 2, Chapter 41 Summary: “The Hunter”
Jay and Daya are working on their computers when Zade and Adeline enter. Jay found two of Claire’s partners: lobbyists named Gary Lawson and Jeffrey Shelton. Zade notices bruises and marks on Adeline, which arouse him and draw Daya’s attention. Zade plans to confront Gary and Jeffrey, forcing Claire to come out of hiding.
Later, Zade and Adeline wait on Gary and Jeffrey’s private jet, having killed the pilot and replaced Gary and Jeffrey’s security with Zade’s men (Baron and Michael). Gary and Jeffrey approach, and their guards pull out their weapons without firing. Gary and Jeffrey are flustered, turning pale when they realize who Zade is. The guards drop their weapons, and Adeline taunts Gary and Jeffrey, shooting Gary in the knee. Zade shoots Gary’s other knee before explaining the plan. Zade and Adeline will tie themselves up, then Gary and Jeffrey will send word to Claire that Zade and Adeline have been captured, which should draw Claire out of hiding. Jeffrey tries to protest, but Zade says he has no choice.
Zade, Adeline, Michael, and Baron bring Gary and Jeffrey to an abandoned building. Adeline hits Zade in the face and ties him to a chair, which arouses Zade. She then tells Baron to tie her up. Michael tricks Jeffrey into crafting the perfect message to send to Claire, taking a picture of Zade and Adeline as proof.
Part 2, Chapter 42 Summary: “The Diamond”
Adeline sits on the cliff outside Parsons Manor, and Zade jokes that he will die by suicide if Adeline jumps off the cliff. After contacting Claire, they had to answer questions to prove that they were not setting a trap, including providing a video call with Jeffrey. However, one of Zade’s men threatened Jeffrey’s mother, which convinced Jeffrey to play along with their gambit. Now, Zade performs oral sex on Adeline, then they have sex on the cliff.
Zade and Adeline tie Jeffrey to a chair. Zade’s men surround the building, and Claire arrives with three trucks full of guards. Claire enters calmly and has her guards kill Jeffrey immediately. Claire wants to negotiate. Zade tells Claire to send her men back to the entrance, and she complies. Claire offers to end human trafficking in exchange for an alliance with Zade. She wants him to combine his technology with her vast underground network to bring in a “new era” of “order.” Adeline notes that Claire’s plan is world domination. Zade plays along with Claire, suggesting that he could make brain implants to control people. Adeline protests, and Claire insults her, prompting Zade to detonate bombs and kill Claire’s guards. He lifts Claire by her throat and declares that he would never rule people through fear. He then offers to let Adeline kill Claire. Adeline cuts into Claire’s throat, and Claire begs for her life. Zade lights Claire on fire.
Part 2, Chapter 43 Summary: “The Diamond”
Zade interrupts another news broadcast to announce Claire’s death and expose the Society. Adeline hopes that no one will take Claire’s place.
While Zade is out, Serena visits, and Adeline is relieved to see her. With Serena is a young man named Kraven, and Adeline jokes that he must be Serena’s boyfriend. Serena says she did not agree with how William handled her recovery, and she does not blame Adeline for her injury. Serena wants to thank Adeline and Zade. Kraven says that his mother is a nurse; he accompanies her patients to help them with errands. Sibby comes out and freezes, asking Kraven what he is doing there.
Part 2, Epilogue Summary: “The Hunter”
Three months later, Sibby and Kraven are missing, and Zade suspects that they are together. Zade gives Adeline a letter that came in the mail, which makes Adeline happy.
Zade wakes up to find Adeline having a nightmare about Xavier. He wakes her up by having sex with her, promising to replace the monsters in her nightmares with himself. Zade takes out lube, and they have anal sex, after which Zade gives Adeline a rose. A ring falls off the rose, and Zade comments that it does not have any diamonds in it. Adeline agrees to marry Zade, and they affirm their love for one another. Adeline says that she is going to run, and Zade says he loves to chase her.
In a letter, Rio thanks Adeline for convincing Zade to spare him, but he also resents the fact that Adeline probably did it to spite him. He also thanks her for saving Katerina.
Part 2, Chapter 38-Epilogue Analysis
The final section of Hunting Adeline completes Adeline’s transformation, which has been sparked by the confluence of her relationship with Zade, the trauma of human trafficking, and her growth into a fighter. In a series of bold, violent actions that further highlight The Effect of Trauma on Relationships, Adeline uses the knife that Zade gave her to kill Claire, and the true extent of her inner transformation becomes apparent when she notes, “Something deep and carnal flickers in my stomach, and I can’t deny the excitement thrumming in my bloodstream any more than Zade can” (654). In the moment of her success, Adeline realizes that she has completely shifted her worldview, and she now sees the act of killing her abusers as an effort to uphold justice; by extension, she also sees Zade’s actions in a similar light. Appropriately, the very knife that symbolized Adeline’s shift from defense to offense now completes the process of revenge, ending the life of the person who began the hunt for Adeline. As Claire dies, Adeline hopes that the souls of the people Claire hurt “come down from paradise and personally drag her to fucking Hell” (654), and with this sentiment, her personal victory becomes a broader triumph over human trafficking and the horrors of abuse that Claire perpetuated.
Although Adeline ultimately adjusts to her new worldview, a more negative aspect of The Effects of Trauma on Relationships comes with her parents’ reactions to her relationship with Zade: an issue that is further exacerbated by Claire’s attempt to kidnap William and Serena. While bringing Serena to get medical help, William tells Adeline, “Don’t sit here and act like you’re the daughter I raised […] You just murdered someone” (588). William’s accusation weighs on Adeline, who frequently uses the same term, “murder,” when referring to her acts of killing Sydney, Jerry, and others, even though each of these cases are clearly self-defense. William’s ultimate point is that Adeline could have prevented any bloodshed by avoiding Zade altogether, but Adeline comes to realize that the bloodshed would still have happened to other people. By the end of the novel, Adeline comes to terms with her actions. Not only does Adeline return to writing, something she thought she could never do, but she also “wholeheartedly believe[s] it’s [her] best writing to date” (661). Serena accepts Adeline for who she is, as well, and, though Sibby is missing from the end of the novel, the rest of the cast of characters ends the novel at peace with the events they have endured.
The ending of Hunting Adeline is commonly referred to as an HEA, or “Happily Ever After” ending in the dark romance community. In the Epilogue, Zade and Adeline have sex, still playing with fantasies of consensual non-consent, or CNC, as they do in Haunting Adeline. However, Adeline’s inner transformation is reflected in the fact that she now takes a more dominant role in their play. Carlton also finds ways to simultaneously uphold and subvert the standard romance tropes, for although t Zade proposes and Adeline accepts, the ring that he gets for her does not have “any diamonds in it” (676). Given the fact that the human traffickers referred to Adeline as a “diamond,” this deliberate choice on Zade’s part prevents any association between the traffickers’ demeaning nickname and the protagonists’ present relationship. His gesture shows that the trauma they experienced informs their lives in the aftermath. In the final line of the novel, Zade tells Adeline, “Run, little mouse” (676), invoking his nickname for her in Haunting Adeline. This phrase represents the resurrection of their dominant/submissive attraction. Now that they have achieved their revenge, Adeline and Zade can resume their play without hesitation, returning to the state of affairs that they should have had at the end of Haunting Adeline, were it not for Claire’s interference.
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