Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law Chapter 418: Two Ways

Adam leaned back again, his smile widening slightly as though he were discussing sothing amusing rather insiduous.

"We can go two ways about this," he said smoothly in a calm voice "And I think it would be quite good. You’ve done well with screwing lody’s head over the last many years. I am genuinely impressed, Mrs. Thomas." He paused for a sigh and continued, "A woman who is totally crazy and a sadist on the inside can pretend to be so loving and normal on the outside for so long... well, it takes talent."

"lody is not crazy!" Marianne snapped sharply, her composure cracking for the first ti.

Adam’s smile didn’t fade. If anything, it deepened, as though her reaction was funny

"I wasn’t talking about lody," he said softly, his tone almost amused as he gave her a pointed look. "If you get what I an."

Marianne froze, the implication sliding into place like a blade between her ribs. He wasn’t calling lody crazy. He was calling her crazy.

Adam didn’t give her ti to respond. He leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees now, voice turning colder.

"Anyway," he continued smoothly, "after your wonderful work on lody all these years, I think it should be easy enough to have her declared as ntally unstable. In fact," he tilted his head slightly, his gaze steady on hers, "why not let lody truly believe she is lanie? Let her sink so far into the lie that there is no coming back."

Marianne stared at him, her mind whirling as his words cut through the air like knives.

"And then?" she asked tightly.

"And then," Adam said, his tone now calm and deliberate, "I will file for divorce based on ntal incapacity. Once that is done, I will beco her legal guardian. Which ans," his eyes glead faintly now, "every single share in her na that my grandmother left to her will co under my control. That is all I need from you, Mrs. Thomas."

He paused deliberately, letting his words settle between them.

"You made lody believe she was soone she wasn’t. You destroyed her mind once already. This," he gestured lazily, "is just the final step. Do that for , and I’ll take care of the rest. No one will question it. A wife who believes she is her own sister? A woman who doesn’t rember her real na? Trust , the court will not even blink."

Marianne’s throat felt dry. Her heart thudded against her ribs, but her expression stayed carefully neutral. She understood exactly what he was doing now—laying out his plan piece by piece while holding all the leverage, boxing her into a corner where the only way out would be through his terms, not hers.

And that line about her being crazy... oh, she got it.

By bringing up the ntal asylum from her past, he was sending a ssage loud and clear: he knew everything. Every secret she had thought was buried for good. Every sin she believed no one could uncover. If she didn’t cooperate, if she so much as thought about betraying him, there would be consequences.

But Marianne Thomas was no fool.

Her lips curved faintly, though it never reached her eyes. "What do I get out of this?" she asked at last, her voice calm but carrying an edge that told him she wasn’t afraid to bargain.

Adam smiled slowly, almost lazily, like a man amused by a child asking for too much candy. "No end to greed, eh?"

"You should know it, Mr. Collins," she shot back smoothly. "I an, you got rid of your grandfather, your brother, your adoptive father... and even your wife for money. Not to ntion adopting your ex’s bastard just to get what you wanted. If anyone knows about greed, it should be you."

That earned her a low, rich laugh from him. Adam leaned back in his chair, shaking his head slightly as though she had misunderstood everything.

"You are mistaken, Mrs. Thomas," he said evenly. "My grandfather died of old age. My adoptive father? Of sickness." His eyes sharpened as he added pointedly, "And as for Adir... I don’t mind children."

He let the next words hang between them like a blade.

"Unlike you."

The slight pause, the faint smile playing at his lips-it was deliberate. He wanted to provoke her, to push her to the edge while still keeping himself utterly composed to gain an advantage.

Marianne’s fingers curled against the armrest, her knuckles whitening. He knew too much. Far too much.

But before she could speak, Adam leaned forward slightly, his tone turning brisk.

"Anyway," he said smoothly, as if they were rely discussing business over coffee, "since I’ve extended a hand of friendship toward you, here is what we’ll do. You will be taken to a special location every single day. For a few hours. There, you will condition lody until she fully believes she is lanie. No hesitation. No slip-ups. She must pass the evaluation that the court-appointed doctor will conduct. That’s the only way to prove she isn’t in her right mind."

Marianne’s face remained impassive, but inside, her thoughts spun rapidly.

Adam leaned back, folding his hands casually. "And in return," he continued, "I will help you gain full control of Thomas Enterprises. The way you’ve been trying—and failing—to do for so many years."

He reached for a folder on the table and slid it across to her.

"As a token of my offer," he said lightly, "I’ll give you this."

Marianne opened the file—and froze.

Shares. Actual shares.

One percent.

It wasn’t much on paper, but the reality hit her like a jolt. She had been trying for years to convince those stubborn old n to sell. Years of failed negotiations, endless boardroom battles-and in all that ti, she had only managed to gather five percent. They were foolishly loyal and blind.

And here was Adam Collins, handing her one percent as casually as if he were gifting her flowers.

For the first ti since walking in, Marianne was stunned.