Doubt gnawed at Riley's resolve, causing her to falter. Then with a heavy sigh, Riley lowered the pillow, her heart heavy with the weight of her decision. But just as she turned to leave, a surge of determination coursed through her veins. She couldn't let Sophie live to tell the tale. She had to do it, no matter how difficult it was.Bracing herself, Riley turned back to Sophie, her grip tightening on the pillow. She was about to press it over Sophie's face when Sophie suddenly stirred in her sleep. Riley froze, her eyes widening in shock as Sophie's eyes fluttered open.Caught off guard, Riley staggered back, the pillow slipping from her hands and tumbling to the floor. She stood there, paralyzed with fear and disbelief, as Sophie blinked up at her in confusion.Sophie sat up on the bed, rubbing her eyes as she stared at Riley. She asked groggily, "Aunt Riley, why are you here?"Riley's mind raced for an explanation, her words caught in her throat as she struggled to come up with a p
Karina's expression seemed to worsen with each passing second as she walked into the room. Martha and Riley exchanged a long glance, silently conveying their fears. Clearing her throat softly, Karina asked again, "What more do you need to do?"Martha, feigning obliviousness, asked, "What do you mean?"Karina replied, "I was just walking past and heard you discussing something."Martha tilted her head, glancing at Riley behind her, and held back a sigh of relief as she realized Karina hadn't heard all they said earlier. Returning her gaze to Karina, Martha frowned and accused her of eavesdropping. “You were eavesdropping, how could you?" Karina defended herself, saying, "I really wasn't doing that."Riley, feeling emboldened, spoke up, "You've been too pompous because you're the CEO of the family business. It's disrespectful."Taken aback by Riley's sharp words, Karina paused for a moment before responding, "Hey, Riley, I didn't mean to impose or assert dominance. We're all family here
Feeling aggravated by Amira's silence, Aidan's grip tightened around her throat as he urged her in a yell to speak. Gasping for air, she slapped his hand, her voice strained as she requested he let go.Relaxing his hold slightly, Aidan stared into her eyes, searching for any sign of deception. Despite her protestations, he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling inside him. He knew Amira had a vendetta against Karina, and he couldn't ignore his instincts."I'm not plotting anything," Amira swore, her expression earnest as she met his gaze. "You have my word. I won't do anything stupid again, especially since you've assured me of your love."As she stood on her toes, attempting to kiss him, Aidan pulled away, turning his back to her. She hugged him from behind, pleading with him not to doubt her intentions. "I want to help you and your family get out of this mess Karina has entangled you in," she whispered.But Aidan remained resolute, pushing her back slightly as he shook his head. "You sh
Gina barged into Karina's office, her expression grave, catching Karina off guard. Karina's scowl deepened as Gina slammed a paper onto her desk."What's going on?" Karina demanded, her tone sharp.Cutting straight to the point, Gina demanded to know why Karina bought the Algernon mansion. Karina glanced down at the files before her, pretending to be puzzled. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she retorted, but Gina wasn't buying it, pointing out the evidence right in front of her.Lifting her gaze, Karina questioned, “How did you get to know about this?" Gina revealed that Georgia had accidentally spilled the beans.Just then, Georgia rushed in, her expression filled with regret. Karina sighed, acknowledging Georgia's presence before dismissing her with a wave of her hand.Gina, her arms folded tightly across her chest, pleaded with Karina not to fire Georgia. Karina's assurance that Georgia would not be dismissed brought a sense of relief to Gina, who nodded appreciativel
Gina shifted in her seat, her mind racing as she pondered the implications of the cyanide discovery. "I hope no one drank from the glass," the man remarked, noticing her troubled expression.She nodded, her voice tight with concern. "Thankfully, no one did. I appreciate you prioritizing the analysis despite the facility's busy schedule."Attempting to offer him a token of appreciation, Gina retrieved some money, but he waved it off with a warm smile. "You're my buddy's woman, Gina. No need for that. Just pay at the counter for the test and go.""Thanks, Paul. I'll take my leave now," she replied gratefully, rising from her seat and exiting the facility with a weighty sense of foreboding.Outside, she was greeted by her boyfriend, Maxwell. "Hey, thanks for speaking with Paul to expedite the analysis," she said, mustering a small smile."Anything for you, love," Maxwell replied, flashing her a charming grin as he affectionately pinched her jaw and leaned in for a kiss. However, his smile
As Gina's footsteps gradually faded into the distance, Riley rushed to her mother's side, her nerves on edge."Mom, what are we going to do?" Riley whispered urgently, her eyes wide with apprehension.Martha's smirk widened, and she shook her head in amusement. “It's fortunate that I anticipated this, Riley, my dear."Riley nodded, attempting to steady her racing thoughts. “Yes. Gina is quite clever. I'm sure she went to have the glass shard analyzed."“Luckily, I spotted her with it early this morning. That puts us one step ahead of her,” Martha replied, her tone oozing confidence.Still plagued by doubt, Riley persisted, “But what if she uncovers the truth eventually, mother?""Don't fret, Riley. Gina won't discover anything. We've covered our tracks meticulously," Martha reassured, her voice soothing."But what if she does?" Riley insisted, her voice quivering with fear.Martha placed a reassuring hand on her daughter's shoulder. "If she does, we'll handle it. But for now, let her d
Back in Riley's room, Gina regained her composure and demanded, "Ciara, how did this happen?"Ciara fell to her knees, her voice trembling. "I used a pest control product in the garden last night and forgot to wash my hands before taking the glass to Sophie's room. I found out earlier today that the product contained cyanide."Almost yelling, Gina asked, "Why did you bring such a harmful product into the house? We always use less harmful pest control products."Ciara looked down, tears streaming down her face. "I bought it from a person outside the household. They assured me it wasn't made with strong harmful ingredients."Gina's eyebrows shot up. "Who did you buy it from?""A random person I met," Ciara admitted. "I bought it for the gardener. He asked me to."Gina scoffed, shaking her head. "You're so careless, Ciara."Ciara clutched Gina's leg, her tears soaking into Gina's pants. "Please, forgive me, Miss Gina. Don't tell anyone. I'll lose my job."Gina frowned, her heart torn. "T
Karina's eyes widened in disbelief. How did he find out? She wondered, struggling to keep Aidan on edge. She took a deep breath, trying to control her racing thoughts. "Who told you this?""I have my ways," Aidan replied, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "Why did you keep this from me?"Karina's grip tightened on the phone. "Because it's none of your business, Aidan. This is absurd. Why would you even think that?""Because I've seen her," he replied. "She looks just like you."Karina's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, you've seen her?"“I told you that I saw a girl the other time, right?”"You're a fool. You saw someone else and mistook her for my daughter.”“Okay then. That means you've got a daughter. I did some digging about you. You've got a daughter you're keeping from the public, especially me because I am—"Karina cut in, annoyed, "Aidan, you had no right to do that. How dare you…?""I had every right," he interrupted. "I needed to know the truth. Why didn't you tel