Chapter 530
Both women stared intently at Adrian, desperately trying to mask their suffocating anxiety.
He glanced at Fiona’s bowl. “Why is my portion bigger? Playing favorites, Mara p>
“You carry the weight of the family on your shoulders, Dad. I thought you needed it more p>
“Nonsense. Your mother does all the heavy lifting around the house now. She needs the nutrients much more than I do.” Adrian reached across the table, making a move to swap their bowls.
Fiona immediately slammed her hand over her bowl. “No p>
The reaction was purely instinctual.
“Fiona, I’m just swapping our portions. Why are you so terrified p>
“I’m… I’m not. I just want you to have the larger share.” Fiona realized how suspicious she looked and desperately tried to cover her tracks. She scooped up a spoonful of the tonic and forced it into her mouth.
“Eat, Adrian. If you really feel bad, just leave a little bit at the bottom for me p>
Adrian nodded slowly. “That sounds reasonable. But you two seem to have forgotten a crucial detail. I only eat regular saffron. I never touch the Red Reserve.” His gaze slowly shifted to Mara. “I can forgive your mother for forgetting, but how could you not know p>
Mara’s face turned ashen. She completely forgot! How was she supposed to fix this?
“Still, we can’t let something so expensive go to waste,” Adrian said coldly. “Your mother has her bowl. Mara, you eat this one p>
Adrian’s eyes locked onto hers, heavy and predatory.
“No, no, I… it’s too rich for me. I’ll just put it in the fridge,” Mara stammered, frantically searching for an excuse.
“Mara, you can’t save a hot tonic like this. It ruins the medicinal properties. Surely you know that much p>
Adrian’s stare was unreadable, a vortex of conflicting emotions. He had sacrificed his entire life for this girl, watched his empire burn to ashes because of her. And her final repayment? She was trying to poison him.
“Eat it, sweetheart. Times are tough. We can’t waste premium Red Reserve Saffron p>
He was giving her one final chance. If she took a bite, it meant the dosage was small, that she still possessed a shred of human decency. If she did, he would choose to forgive her.
She was, after all, the only child he had left.
But Mara shattered his final delusion.
“Dad, I’m not hungry right now. I’ll leave it here for later.” She reached out to take the bowl away.
“Stop! Do not touch it. Eat it right now p>
Fiona and Mara froze. Their minds raced. Did he know? How could he possibly know?
“Adrian, if you really want someone to eat it, I’ll have it,” Fiona said, sacrificing herself for her daughter.
“Split it. Half and half. I’m not negotiating p>
“Mom, I’m really not hungry. I don’t want it,” Mara pleaded, staring at Fiona with desperate, pleading eyes.
A wave of bitter devastation washed
over Fiona. She had torn her heart
out for this girl, and now Mara was fully
y prepared to let her mother take
the lethal, fall….
Yet, she saw no other way. She was her mother.
Fiona reached for the bowl, but Adrian’s hand clamped down on hers. “Are you
absolutely sure you want to drink that p>
“Yes,” Fiona rasped, the fight draining from her body.
There was no point in hiding it anymore. Adrian clearly knew everything.
“Drink it if you want. Just don’t spill it p>
To Adrian, it didn’t matter who drank it. The outcome was the same.
There were no more games to play.
Mara continued to stare at Fiona.
ית.
Her eyes were filled with desperaret
relief and hope entirely devoid of sorrow or guilt.
The tonic had gone completely cold. Forgoing the spoon, Fiona picked up it
the porcelain bowl and tipped?
directly into her mouth….net>