When Liliana answered and heard Emma’s plan, she was stunned. A wave of fear and excitement washed over her. She couldn’t believe Emma had the audacity to suggest something so extreme. Could it actually work? After a moment of hesitation, she made her decision.
“Alright,” she said, her heart pounding in her chest. “Let’s do it.”
The plan was incredibly risky, but the potential reward was too tempting to resist. A smile she couldn’t suppress bloomed on her face.
Later that evening, around eight o’clock, Finnian was working in his study when his mother called, inviting him over for dinner. He had already eaten at the estate and, more importantly, had no desire to see Emma, so he declined.
But then Emma sighed heavily into the phone. “Since I’ve been back, I’ve been all alone in this house. Your father is out every night with those women of his; he barely even comes home anymore. I’m so lonely. If you’re not too busy, could you come keep your mother company for a little while?”
Finnian couldn’t remember the last time Emma had spoken to him with such calm, genuine warmth. Though he had long ago lost all hope for his parents, her words stirred a flicker of pity in him. “I’ll be right over,” he found himself saying.
On the other end of the line, a triumphant smile spread across Emma’s face. “Wonderful! I’ll see you soon. Dinner’s almost ready.”
The apartment Emma lived in now was a spacious flat in the city center, not the house where Finnian had grown up. When he arrived, she sat him down at the dining table, poured him a glass of wine, and began piling food onto his plate.
“I made all of this myself. I remember how much you loved my pot roast when you were a child. Eat up.”
Something was wrong. He shot a look at Emma. It couldn’t be what he was thinking… could it?
No. The dizziness intensified, and a strange heat began to build in his body. It was exactly what he thought.
He was about to demand an explanation when his vision went black, and he slumped unconscious on the sofa.
Looking at her son’s collapsed form, Emma let out a short, triumphant laugh and called the two bodyguards waiting downstairs. They came up and, together, carried Finnian into the bedroom. Then, Emma called Liliana. “Everything’s ready on my end. You can come up now.”

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