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
Composing herself, Riley calmly ended the call and turned to face Gina, feigning obliviousness. "What is it, Gina?"Gina's eyes narrowed. "I distinctly heard you say Amira."Riley quickly interjected, "You misheard. I said Aliyah, not Amira."Gina's gaze remained firm. "I heard you correctly. It was Amira."Riley's tone turned blunt. "Maybe you should get your ears checked. They're clearly hindering your proper hearing."Gina stepped closer, scrutinizing Riley's face. "And what about Vanderbilt?"Riley rolled her eyes, playing ignorant. "What are you talking about?""I heard you mention Vanderbilt," Gina insisted.Riley shook her head. "I think you're confused—"Gina cut her off. "Amira Vanderbilt was Karina's ex-husband's girlfriend. Why were you talking to her?"Riley scoffed, her expression dismissive. "You're asking ridiculous questions. I don't even know who Amira Vanderbilt is."Gina's eyes bore into Riley's, searching for the truth. "I find that hard to believe.""Believe what
To everyone's surprise, Aidan nodded, indicating his agreement with Karina’s demand. Cruzita whined, but Aidan signaled for her to comply. With a groan, Cruzita turned and ordered, "Kayla, come with me to the kitchen."Karina intervened, "No, Kayla stays. I want the meal to be prepared solely by my ex-mother-in-law." Cruzita’s eyes widened in astonishment.Karina added, "I want a five-course French meal: foie gras, bouillabaisse, coq au vin, ratatouille, and tarte Tatin." Cruzita protested, "Kayla is my stepsister, and I have authority over her." She turned to Kayla and roughly commanded, "Follow me."Seizing the opportunity to rub salt in Cruzita's wounds, Kayla replied with a reluctant expression, "I'm not coming. Karina owns the house now, so it's best we obey her."Anger flashed in Cruzita's eyes as she stared at Kayla, while Karina savored the unfolding tension. "Fine," Cruzita spat, stomping off to the kitchen.Karina watched Cruzita leave, a slight smile playing on her lips. "
As Raymond continued to thrust into her, Amira’s phone rang. She reached for her phone, which was placed atop the cupboard beside the bed. She juggled between her pleasure and the call, her body responding to Raymond's movements. "Wally's calling," she murmured under her breath, her voice tinged with annoyance.Raymond hesitated, but Amira gestured for him to keep riding her as she answered the call."Wally, what's up?" Amira asked with a feigned friendly voice. Wally's voice came through the phone, filled with irritation as she complained about Karina being in their house, forcing her mother to make a meal for her. Rolling her eyes, Amira smiled knowingly, realizing that Karina was likely trying to assert her dominance after the loss of her daughter. With a soft clearing of her voice, she reassured Wally, telling her to tolerate Karina's behavior for the time being.But Wally insisted that she couldn't stand it and implored Amira to come over.Glancing at Raymond, Amira silently mo