That evening, Tania sat by the fireplace, sipping a glass of red wine. She had spent the day playing the perfect mother, laughing with Grace, taking more pictures to send Fabian. But her thoughts drifted to the upcoming meeting she had with Ethan. She didn’t trust him, not completely, but she had to maintain her grip on him. For now, she still held power he needed her as much as she needed him.
Ethan walked into the room, carrying a small stack of documents. His face was calm, almost businesslike, which piqued Tania’s curiosity.
“What’s that?” she asked, nodding to the papers.
“Just some paperwork we need to go over,” Ethan said casually, sitting beside her. “It’s about Grace and the company. You know, keeping everything secure for her future.”
Tania’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she took the documents, flipping through them. Ethan made small talk, keeping her distracted with pleasant conversation while she skimmed the papers.
“You know,” Ethan said smoothly, “it’s been on my mind a lot, making sure Grace is provided for. I think we should make sure she’s protected no matter what happens.”
Tania nodded absentmindedly, her attention more on the glass of wine in her hand than the finer details of the documents in front of her. As Ethan predicted, she signed without a second thought.
Ethan’s heart raced as he collected the papers. The trap was set. Now, he just had to wait for the right moment to spring it.
But as he walked away, a nagging feeling crept into the back of his mind. He had just taken a huge step in his plan to secure Grace’s future but had he just created a new battlefield with Tania that he wasn’t prepared for but only time would tell.