CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE - AN UNLIKELY TRUCE

As the evidence mounted, Claudia and Sophia's shock and outrage grew. How could Mari, who had been welcomed back into the family with open arms, betray them so callously? Unable to contain their anger any longer, they confronted Mari one evening in the library. Claudia's voice shook with barely contained fury as she laid out their findings. "We know what you're doing, Mari. We know about your meetings with Dante, about the sabotage at the bakery, about the rumors you've been spreading." Mari's face remained impassive, but a flicker of something – fear? anger? – flashed in her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said coolly. "These are serious accusations, Claudia. Do you have any proof?" Sophia stepped forward, her usually gentle demeanor hardened by resolve. "We do, Mari. We have photographs, recordings, financial records. We know everything." For a moment, Mari's composure slipped, and they caught a glimpse of the calculating woman beneath the innocent facade. But