Cecilia couldn't help but smirk at Mrs. Linda's audacity. "So, let me get this straight, you want me to take the fall, go to prison, while you enjoy all the fruits of my mother's labor?"

Mrs. Linda's face paled at Cecilia's blunt assessment. She hadn't expected Cecilia to see through her plans so easily. Panic gripped her as she realized the gravity of the situation. Carina's career, her reputation, everything she had worked so hard for, was at stake.

Clutching the hem of her skirt, Mrs. Linda's voice trembled as she tried to reason with Cecilia. "Cecilia, please, you don't understand. Carina's future, her entire life, depends on this. If...