Mia’s POV

I clutched my stomach and doubled over with a soft, pitiful whimper the second Lucian’s mother turned her back to reach for the medicine cabinet. The pain I performed was so convincing that even I almost believed it for a second. My face twisted, eyes watering on cue, breath coming in short, shaky gasps.

The moment she faced the shelves, my expression smoothed into perfect calm. No pain. No struggle. Just quiet satisfaction.

Sophia saw it.

Her eyes narrowed into slits. She stepped closer, voice low and venomous so Lucian’s mother wouldn’t hear.

“You’re so pathetic. I know you want Lucian for yourself. You’ve been trying to get...