Maria's POV
"Do you realize what’s at stake here, Maria?" My mother’s voice was a low hiss, piercing through the shroud of cigarette smoke that wrapped between us. With her eyes shining with that harsh, familiar sparkle that signaled she was not in the mood for excuses, she leaned forward.
I tapped my fingernails on the glass table in her suite while rolling my eyes. "Yes, I am aware, Mother. Philip’s assets, Alan’s downfall. For months, the plan has remained unchanged."
Her eyes narrowed. "So why does it seem like you're becoming distracted? Even from a distance, I can tell that Philip is becoming suspicious."
"Suspicious? Just barely," I sneered, reclined in my chair. "He’s cautious, yes, but he doesn’t suspect me. He's exactly where I need him."
"You underestimate him," she snapped
