Alia glared at the text ssage from her father with disgust. She didn't need a soothsayer to tell her what would happen next after that visit.
Gwen was probably shedding crocodile tears and blaming her pregnancy termination on her.
But how low can her evil and malicious step-sister go? Was ending the precious life of an innocent child worth any of this?
Pushing these excruciating thoughts to the pit of her stomach, she decided to stay out of her father's way and let him have his wish just as Blaze had advised.
After all, didn't they say experience is the best teacher?
Deleting the text ssage, Alia decided to focus her energy and ti on other productive aspects of her life.
The day went by like a breeze, without any call from her father with updates on his visit to the prison.
By the following, which also happened to be the day of Gwen's release, Alia was preparing to go to her company when she got a call from her grandmother, asking her to please co down to the mansion.
Troubled, Alia confided in her mother-in-law as there was no way to reach out to Blaze.
"I'm coming with you," Maria inford her standing up from the bed and walking into the walk-in closets to pick up so outing clothes.
"Mom I don't think you should co." Alia followed closely behind Maria, a frown etching across her face. "Nana might take this the wrong way. She might feel threatened by your presence and make an issue out of it."
"You are overthinking this, sweetie." Maria waved Alia's worries aside as if it ant nothing. "I'm simply accompanying you in the capacity of a mother who is concerned for her daughter's well-being. I know how your Nana and father are good at boxing you to the corner and twisting your arm in their favour. I'm just going to stand there and make sure none of that happens."
"But what if..."
"Shh...." Maria ca before Alia placing her forefingers on her lips. "You worry too much. Help with my zip." She turned around and lifted her hair while Alia slowly fixed her zip while adjusting the straps of her bra.
"There, all done." Alia straightened out the back side of Maria's simple but elegant, chiffon-patterned dress. "You look beautiful Mom."
"Thank you, darling." Maria returned to her vanity mirror in her bedroom and quickly fixed her hair. "Didn't you say your step-sister will be released from prison today?" She asked while applying a little make-up.
"Yes, mom. According to the schedule I received, she'll be released by 4:00 PM today." Alia released a suppressed sigh at the thought of Gwen coming back into the mansion and turning everything upside down.
"I believe that is the reason why your Nana wants to see you?"
"I do too."
Maria stared at Alia's creased forehead from her vanity mirror.
"I'm guessing you do not want to be around when she is released."
"Not at all. I can't stand her especially now that she thinks she has won, by killing a innocent child."
Maria scoffed. "She hasn't won anything. She's just about to make things more complicated for herself by returning to that mansion. Isn't that mansion and the mansion staff under your surveillance and payroll?"
"Yes..." Alia's eyes glimred as she recalled that she had fired all the manipulative staff and replaced them with dedicated and loyal employees.
"Then you have nothing to worry about. Her returning to that mansion will be like returning to a luxurious cage where every movent will be monitored. If there is one thing I know for sure, bad habits are very difficult to break. So relax and just allow things to flow naturally. The truth will eventually co to light."
A cheerful smile slowly spread across Alia's lips. "Thank you, mom. I'm happy to have you on my side."
"Just as I am fortunate to have you as my daughter and I won't let anyone ss with you. So if you're ready let's go."
"Okay..." Alia led the way out of the room.
On their way to her father's mansion, Alia sent her secretary a text ssage, rescheduling her earlier scheduled eting with the marketing team of her company. She also called her aunt Judith, informing the latter of Nana's request.
To her surprise, Judith inford her that she was already on her way to the mansion after speaking with the senator an hour ago.
By the ti Alia arrived at the Shawls mansion, she was slightly surprised to see a few cars parked outside the mansion. She imdiately recognised the driver standing outside one of the white Honda CRV as the personal driver of her paternal old uncle fondly called Uncle Lazarus.
A few feet from the white Honda was a red BMW which Alia recognised as a gift from her father to Desmond's wife.
"Aunt Harriet is here too?!" Alia muttered under her breath, a look of shock and anger flashing in her eyes.
"What is wrong, my dear?" Maria halted beside Alia, observing the alarm in her deanour while following her gaze to the car she was starting at.
"Good morning, Madam Alia." Uncle Lazarus's driver's voice interrupted Alia as she tilted her head away from his direction to respond to Maria's question.
Alia briefly acknowledged the driver before leaning closer to Maria.
"I don't think I'm the only one my Nana invited here. I sll a setup."
"And why do you think I'm here?" Maria raised a brow playfully, taking hold of Alia's arms. "Who do you think Blaze inherited his fighting spirit from? His father?!"
Alia shook her head, unsure of a reply.
"Don't worry my darling. I have your back. If your family think they can ss with you simply because your husband is not here to put them in line, then they are about to get an education. Let's go in and et them."
Maria patted Alia on the cheek. They both headed towards the entrance where the thrilled mansion butler received them warmly.
"Good morning Mrs Anderson. It's so wonderful to see you again." Sam bowed politely at Alia before acknowledging the elegant mature lady by her side.
"Hello, Sam. I trust you were doing great."
"Yes ma'am. All thanks to you ma'am."
"Good. Where is Dad and Nana?"
"They are both in the main living room with the others ma'am."
"Okay, thanks."
As Alia and Maria made their way through the foyer towards the living room, they were welcod warmly by mansion staff.
"Alia, my darling." A lavishly dressed woman in her mid-forties, cladded in a high-end designer outfit with sharp clicking heels stood up and hurried towards the living room entrance, a plastered smile making her hidden sneer.
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