Chapter 126 A cruel joke

"You see," Laura said, her voice dripping with false sympathy, "he never loved you. It was all part of the plan. To use you to eliminate Agamemnon, and then... well, I'm sure you can guess the rest." Mariama's mind reeled, memories of tender moments with Oscar now tainted by doubt and betrayal. "No," she whispered. "This can't be real. It's a trick." Laura shrugged. "Believe what you want. But ask yourself this – why would I show you this if it wasn't true? What would I gain?" As the reality of the situation crashed down on her, Mariama felt her world crumbling. Everything she had believed in, everything she had fought for, suddenly seemed like a cruel joke. "What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice hollow. Laura's eyes gleamed with triumph. "It's simple, really. Join us. Help us take down Agamemnon and claim his empire for ourselves. With your inside knowledge and our resources, we'd be unstoppable." Mariama laughed bitterly. "And why would I do that? So you can betray me