RENE

 “How did it go?” my mom asked as I ended the call with Adrian.

 I sighed, still gripping the phone tightly. “Honestly? I don’t know. He seemed madly in love with Olivia,” I admitted, my voice laced with frustration.

 I wasn’t convinced we were heading in the right direction. Adrian wasn’t as easy to manipulate as Cyril had been, and it was beginning to show.

 It was my mom’s idea to use Olivia as bait to get Adrian, and at first, it sounded ...