Chapter 42: No Hard Feelings

Olivia left Eleanor’s study, her mind whirling with anxiety. She knew she couldn’t keep lying to Eleanor for long. But confessing her failure to inject Emily would only make things worse. She needed a plan, and fast—something to keep Eleanor off her back, at least for a little while. Retreating to her room, Olivia closed the door and leaned against it, trying to steady her nerves. The grandeur of the mansion, which once filled her with pride, now felt suffocating. She walked over to the window, staring out at the sprawling estate that seemed to mock her with its false promises. “I’ll do anything to get what Eleanor promised me,” Olivia muttered, clenching her fists. The words echoed in her mind as she thought of all the sacrifices she’d made, the lies she’d told, and the friendships she’d betrayed. Emma had been more than a friend to her—she had been a sister, a confidante. But that was before Eleanor had revealed her plans and dangled the bait of a life Olivia had always dreamed of.