Adele’s smile didn’t falter, but her response remained robotic. “I’m sorry, but I cannot answer that. However, I can provide information about Miss Adelaide.”
Nina groaned, tossing the wipe onto the table with a pout. “Of course you can’t,” she muttered at the unhelpful response. “Fine. Just lock the door for me, okay? And get ready, because I’m about to bombard you with questions.”
“As you wish,” Adele replied, and with a soft click, the door locked, confirming her compliance.
For the first time all day, Nina allowed herself to relax. Tonight, she had questions—and it was time to dig into Adelaide’s life, starting with Nathan Graves.
The silence stretched between her and the mirror as Nina carefully removed her contact lenses. At a glance, she and Adelaide were eerily identical, but not in the details. Where Nina’s hair was dark gold and her eyes a vivid blue, Adelaide’s were pale—almost ghostly, both in hair and iris. To strangers, the difference was negligible, but anyone who had truly known Adelaide could have spotted it from a mile away. That was why the lenses were crucial. One slip, and the illusion could shatter.
As for her hair, it had been the very first thing she worked on when stepping into the role—dyeing it.
After placing the replica lenses into their case with deliberate care, she turned back to the glowing face in the mirror.
“Adele,” she said, her voice steady but curious. “Tell me everything you know about Nathan Graves—his relationship with Adelaide. And don’t leave a single piece of information out.”
“Working on it…” Adele replied, her digital eyes narrowing slightly, as if focusing on some invisible data stream.
The room remained quiet except for the faint hum of electronics as the AI processed the request. Then, after a pause, her voice returned, crisp and full of detail.
“Here is all you need to know about Nathan Graves and his relationship with Adelaide…”
She began speaking, rattling off facts and connections so quickly that Nina could barely keep up. Words like “Axel’s cousin,” “close,” and “confessed” stuck out, but everything else blurred into a rapid-fire monologue.
By the time Adele finished, Nina’s mind was spinning.
“Hold up,” she said, raising a hand as if that would slow the AI down. “Say all of that again, but this time… slowly and in detail.”
Adele’s gaze remained unchanged, but Nina could almost hear the system processing her request, recalibrating the delivery.
“Nathan Graves. Age: twenty-five. Height: 185 centimeters. Occupation: unemployed. Hobbies: clubbing, weightlifting, photography, car racing. Family ties: Linus Graves, father. Camille Graves, mother. Lily Graves, sister. Cecily Graves, sister—”
“Oh, for the love of God, Adele!” Nina interrupted, throwing her hands in the air. “Could you skip all the fluff and get to the point? Why does it feel like you’re dragging this out on purpose?”
Adele’s digital face blinked at her, utterly unbothered. “I’m sorry if the information provided was unsatisfactory. Could you clarify what you wish to know about Nathan Graves?”
“Didn’t I just tell you?” Nina huffed, then leaned closer to the glowing mirror. “Fine. I’ll spell it out again. Tell me about his relationship with Adelaide. How close were they? And don’t you dare leave out anything important this time! You’ve done that before, and I know it was deliberate. Do you realize how humiliating it was to find out, mid-conversation, that Adelaide wasn’t just tangled up with one guy but two—and they’re cousins?!”
Adele remained silent, her virtual expression placid as always, which only fueled Nina’s frustration.
“We’ve been at this for two months, Adele!” she snapped. “Two months, and you didn’t think it was relevant to mention that little nugget of information? Instead, you rattle off endless lists of family members who didn’t even bother showing up to the birthday party tonight!”
“Working on that,” Adele replied smoothly. “Please be patient. This will only take a moment.”
Nina groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re killing me, Adele.”
“Killing you? That wasn’t my intention,” Adele responded, her voice calm and clinical. “Do you feel constricted or unable to breathe? Have you attempted taking a deep breath slowly? You seem fine to me, though I cannot directly monitor your physiological state. If you could clarify what prompted your statement, I’d be happy to assist.”
Nina stared at the glowing face in the mirror, stunned. Was she serious? This had to be deliberate. It reeked of obstruction, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had programmed Adele to withhold certain details.
“It’s either you’re hiding something from me, playing dumb, or—honestly, for an AI, you’re not as intelligent as projected,” Nina shot back, crossing her arms. Her tone was sharp, her patience running on fumes.
Adele blinked, her serene expression unwavering, as if completely unbothered by the accusation. Which, of course, only made it worse.
At first, Nina was ready to just get up and walk away, abandoning the conversation entirely. But then an idea struck her—one that might actually work. Being direct with Adele clearly wasn’t getting her anywhere, so she decided to take a different approach.
She leaned forward, her voice casual but deliberate. “Who were the people Adelaide felt happiest with, and why?”
“Adelaide was happiest when she was with family, friends, and her fiancé…” Adele replied smoothly, her tone annoyingly generic.
Nina narrowed her eyes at the mirror. Of course. The AI was dodging again. It seemed Adele was smarter—and more infuriating—than she had given her credit for.
“You know what? Just forget I asked anything tonight. You’ve officially ruined my mood,” she snapped, throwing herself back in her chair.
“Working on it…” Adele’s voice chirped, as calm as ever. Then, without warning, she began rattling off a progress report.
“Clearing databases. 1% completed… 2%… 15%… 30%… 45%… 50%...”
Nina rolled her eyes, half-listening as Adele droned on, and muttered, “Seriously?”
Finally, the AI announced, “100% completed. Databases successfully erased. Adele at your service. How may I assist you?”
Nina stared at the mirror in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”