Hunting Adeline

Francesca’s house was empty after Zade’s team rescued Adeline. Since then, Adeline has been largely unresponsive. She has night terrors and will not let anyone touch her except Daya and Serena (her mother). Zade feels helpless, and he is careful not to push her boundaries. Zade’s team also saved a woman named Katerina, who is now recovering. Zade visits Adeline and finds her writing in her journal. Zade playfully makes fun of Adeline’s smell, encouraging her to smile.

Days later, Zade tells Adeline that Serena is coming to visit. Adeline says that Serena hates her, and Zade pries for more information about Adeline’s life. He jokes about marrying Adeline, who asks to know Zade’s last name and birthday. His last name is Meadows, and his birthday is September 7. Adeline thinks that Serena hates her for not living the life that Serena planned for her, but Zade says that Serena really resents herself for failing to live a life that she wanted. Adeline smiles, and Zade feels hopeful.

On February 18, 2022, Adeline writes to describe her memories of how Sydney drew on the walls with her menstrual blood, then blamed the mess on Adeline. Francesca made Adeline clean the blood with her toothbrush, which Adeline considered sharpening to poke out Sydney’s eye.

Adeline asks Zade to drive her to a clinic to make sure she is not pregnant and does not have any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Adeline fears Zade’s disgust if she does have a disease, and she contemplates suicide if she is pregnant.

After the tests, Zade takes Adeline out for ice cream. She is waiting for the results of the STD tests, but she is relieved that she is not pregnant. Zade flirts with Adeline, which excites her.

Zade makes fun of Adeline for getting mint chocolate chip ice cream, but he gets the same flavor, saying that he likes Adeline and wants the same flavor she likes. They see a drag queen’s performance, and Adeline says that she hopes they are happy. Zade says that happiness is fleeting, and what matters is living life the way one wants.

On March 2, 2022, Adeline writes about how she hates that she cannot stand to be touched, even by Zade. She recalls one of Rocco’s friends, who was aroused by putting lotion on Adeline’s skin. This friend disgusted her more than the others, and he reminded her of The Silence of the Lambs.

Zade brings Adeline to one of Z’s sanctuaries. Adeline notices that the inhabitants are all women and children. Many survivors do not have stable homes to return to after being rescued, so they stay at one of Z’s sanctuaries. Zade finds Rio’s sister Katerina, who hugs him and Adeline. Adeline tells Katerina how Rio cared for her, but Katerina acknowledges the bad things that Rio has done. She also explains that Francesca was sexually abusing Rio. They visit Jillian, who talks with Adeline for an hour about their experience. Zade also visits Sarah, a little girl who hopes that Zade and Adeline will adopt her. Adeline hopes to raise children with Zade. She tries to convince Zade that he should not kill Rio, but Zade notes that a person’s suffering does not excuse their immoral actions. Adeline wants to get a tattoo to replace the barcode on her wrist.

On March 14, 2022, Adeline writes about getting a rose tattoo to cover the barcode, and she notes that many of the people at the sanctuary had barcodes as well. Adeline feels like she is healing.

Adeline remembers things that Xavier said about her. When Zade touches her shoulder, she instinctively tries to stab him. Zade tries to talk about the incident, but Adeline deflects and talks about her mother Serena instead. Adeline reveals that Claire visited her at Francesca’s house. Adeline’s time at the sanctuary has changed her outlook, and she is determined to help Zade take down the Society. He insists that Adeline undergo more training.

After three weeks of combat training, Adeline still struggles to properly target a mannequin. Zade addresses Adeline’s feelings of guilt about killing Sydney and Jerry, admitting that he has done bad things, too—including assaulting Adeline in the past. Zade is comfortable in his immorality, and he suggests that Adeline might not be able to find that comfort. She asks why he has not assaulted her since her return, and he says that he loves her and does not want their usual playfully violent sex to trigger a traumatic response. Zade pushes her to picture the mannequin as Sydney and Jerry and then “kill” them repeatedly until she feels liberated. As she stabs the mannequin, she decides that Sydney, though also a survivor, was a threat to Adeline’s safety, while Jerry, Francesca, Claire, and Xavier are hardly human.

On Adeline’s birthday, Zade wakes her with a room full of roses and a new knife. Daya takes her to brunch, and Serena visits. Serena thinks that Adeline should get out of Parsons Manor and stay away from Zade, but Adeline explains that Zade protects her and other survivors of abuse. Serena is unimpressed, but they resolve to go out to dinner together and avoid discussing Zade.

On April 7, 2022, Adeline writes about a dinner where Serena suggests that Adeline take anxiety medication, and Adeline loudly claims to sell cannabis. The waiter leaves his phone number on the receipt, and Adeline and Serena laugh. Adeline appreciates that her mother is trying to help.

After a month of training, Zade leaves. One day, Adeline sips wine with Daya and admits that she is frustrated that she cannot enjoy Zade’s touch. Daya sympathizes. The door opens, and Adeline finds Zade arguing with Sibby, a girl who grew up in an abusive cult, then killed her father and escaped. (Her life is detailed in Satan’s Affair, a spin-off of the main series.) Sibby’s presence scares Adeline, evoking memories of Sydney. Zade explains that Sibby has escaped from a mental health facility. Zade is letting her stay at his home. Sibby says that she killed her therapist and that her “henchmen” are with her. (These henchmen are revealed to be entirely imaginary.) Adeline says that Sibby can stay at Parsons Manor and help with training.

Adeline, Sibby, Daya, and Zade discuss how to track down Claire Williams. By hacking the information of Claire’s lawyer, Jimmy Lynch, through child pornography websites and convincing prior Williams employees to sue, they will soon have access to Claire’s computer. Rocco and Francesca are still missing, but Xavier will be easier to find. Sibby mutters to her henchmen, and Adeline struggles with her own arousal over Zade. Everyone shouts at Sibby when she starts taking off her clothes.

On April 28, 2022, Adeline writes that the sounds of Sibby “having sex” with her imaginary henchmen disturb her, mostly because she is jealous of Sibby’s free sexuality. Adeline recalls a moment when Rocco killed a sex worker for grazing his penis with her teeth during oral sex.

Zade has a headache after listening to Sibby argue with her henchmen. Sibby will plant the USB drive in Lynch’s office in order to hack Claire’s computer. Zade proposes a disguise.

Sibby puts on Adeline’s clothes to appear less noticeable, and she, Zade, and Adeline pile into his car. Sibby has an earpiece and body camera so that Adeline and Zade can maintain communication with her. Zade hacks Lynch’s office, knowing that Lynch is at dinner, and Sibby goes to Lynch’s office, replaces the USB drives with Zade’s, and leaves. A man bumps into Sibby, knocking off the camera, and says that he recognizes Sibby. Sibby flees to Zade’s car, but police start chasing them. Jay guides Zade through Seattle to avoid the police, and Zade can see Adeline’s arousal. Sibby suggests that they all have sex, but Adeline declines. Zade loses the police and gets his group back to Parsons Manor safely, then tells Sibby to leave. Adeline lets Zade touch her while they share a cigarette, and they kiss passionately.

Zade and Jay find Rick. Zade shoots Rick, who collapses. Zade snaps his wrist and drops Rick to the ground. Rick has already spent half of his $3 million on drugs and gambling, and Zade knows that neither Rick nor Rio can flee the country without detection. Zade slits Rick’s throat and decapitates him. Jay reports that Rio bought a ticket to Greece, and Zade is frustrated that Adeline does not want him to kill Rio. Zade lights Rick’s body on fire.

One month passes. After Sibby was sighted, Lynch wiped all his devices, so Zade had another team plant new drives in Lynch’s house. This allowed Zade to gain access to Claire’s devices. Claire holds influence over charities, companies, and the government itself. Daya reports that Francesca was spotted on camera outside a diner; Daya has tracked the vehicle to a motel.

Adeline finds Francesca and Rocco’s room at the motel and knocks, hearing Francesca and Rocco arguing. When Francesca opens the door, Adeline stabs a syringe into Francesca’s neck, knocking her out. Rocco attacks Adeline, but she slips around him, stabbing another syringe into his neck. Zade smiles approvingly from the doorway, and they carry Francesca and Rocco away. While flying Rocco and Francesca back to Parsons Manor, Adeline looks forward to torturing them, and she knows that Xavier is scheduled to come to Los Angeles at the end of the month. Sibby helps move the bodies and comments that they smell rotten.

On May 29, 2022, Adeline writes that she loves Zade, but does not want to say this aloud or have sex with him while she is still tormented by her trauma.

Adeline and Zade fly to Los Angeles for the party that Xavier plans to attend. Adeline feels nervous, and Zade helps her to strap her knife to her thigh. She taunts him but tells him not to cut her, remembering Xavier’s abuse. Adeline is aroused, and Zade helps her to masturbate with the handle of the knife. Adeline lets Zade lick her once, and she has an orgasm.

They go to a sex club called Supple, and Adeline enters, wearing a mask. The clientele are all undressed and are performing sex acts. Zade directs Adeline to a viewing room where Xavier is. Xavier approaches her, not recognizing her, and invites her to a private room. Zade follows close behind. In the private room, Adeline reveals herself, but Xavier locks the door. Adeline fights Xavier, but he overpowers her and starts undoing his belt. Zade bursts in and grabs Xavier, taking out his gun, but Adeline points the gun at herself to stop Zade from killing Xavier. Zade puts the gun away, knocks Xavier out, and chastises Adeline for pointing a gun at herself. Guards enter, but Zade shoots them. They leave with Xavier, but Adeline can only think about how close Xavier came to assaulting her again.

On May 31, 2022, Adeline recalls that Xavier would pet her after assaulting her, telling her that Zade would not love her anymore when he learned that other men assaulted her.