When Liliana answered and heard Emma''s n, 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 n 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 evenes home anymore. I''m so lonely. If you''re not too busy, could youe keep your motherpany for a little while?"


    Finnian couldn''t remember thest 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 t 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 ss of wine, and began piling food onto his te.


    “I made all of this myself. I remember how much you loved my pot roast when you were a child. Eat up."


    She fussed over him, constantly


    l.ne


    refilling his ss and adding more food to his te. Her behavior was... odd. It was the kind of thing a normal mother might do, but Emma had never shown him this kind of affection. It felt unnatural, but Finnian didn''t question it, simply eating and drinking in silence.


    "Finn, I know you me me for a lot of things, but it hasn''t been easy for me either. You have no idea how miserable I was all those years abroad." Emma sat beside him, recounting her hardships, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.


    Finnian listened, but felt nothing. It wasn''t that he didn''t care at all; it was just that he''d heard these same stories countless times as a child. The words had lost all meaning.


    Seeing hisck of reaction, Emma silently gritted her teeth. But that wasn''t her main goal for the evening. She continued to serve him.


    Finnian had already eaten with Mr. Kevin Everly and Amara, so he didn''t have much of an appetite. He ate a few bites of food and had two sses of wine. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over him His


    thoughts grew sluggish, his vision blurring at the edges.


    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 exnation when his vision went ck, and he slumped unconscious on the sofa.


    Looking at her son''s copsed form,


    Emma let out a short, triumphant


    bodyguards waiting downstairs, They came up and, together, carried Finnian into the bedroom. Then, Emma called Liliana. "Everything''s ready on my end. You cane up now."