If Sonia had heard the complaints of these ladies, she might feel amused. In fact, she might even thank them for helping her out. However, neither she nor Toby knew about this little episode.
Anya was facing Toby, her mind buzzing.
She was shocked Toby would say she wasn't Connor's daughter. Her back was drenched with sweat, and she could feel her skin sticking to the fabric. Even with the heater turned on, she still felt chilly, and her heart was thumping furiously.
Impossible. Why did he say that? Does he know? Did he find out I'm not Connor's daughter? Or is this a bluff? She had no idea how much he knew, but she didn't let her guard down. She held her wheelchair's armrest tightly and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "What do you mean, President Fuller? I don't understand what you're talking about. Would you please elaborate?"
She stared deep into his eyes, trying to see if he was bluffing, but he was inscrutable. She couldn't find any answer she was looking for, and it annoyed her to no end. Damn you, Toby. Still as mysterious as ever.
"Don't try to call my bluff. I know what you're trying to say. You and Connor claim to be father and daughter, but do you think I wouldn't look into it myself? My sources say your claims are false. There are three possibilities for that. First, you lied to Connor, and he still doesn't know you aren't his daughter, but that's nigh impossible. You aren't smart enough to trick him, after all.
"So, this leaves us with two other possibilities. One, he asked you to be his fake daughter, but you are unaware of his plan, so you think you're his real daughter. The second possibility shares the first part of the first situation, but you know you aren't his real daughter, yet you agreed to the deal for some reason. And guess what? The look on your face just now has told me the last scenario is the answer."
Anya's face fell as soon as he stated his deduction, panic filling her eyes. "You…"
Dammit. He knows the truth. Does he know that I… No, he can't possibly know that. If he knew, he would have me arrested before I could get a hundred yards near him. I can still get away from this. Stay calm. Don't panic. If he notices that I'm panicking, he will find out the truth. Then, it's game over. Anya told herself to calm down and recomposed herself in case she showed more fear than she should.
"Well, I don't see the point in lying at this point. Yes, I'm not his daughter. He asked me to be his fake daughter, and the reason was simple. He has a beef with you. Though, I know nothing about the grudge he holds against you. All I know is that it involves the last generation. He wanted me to play the daughter part and sent me here, so I could approach you and become your girlfriend. Only then can I infiltrate your family and tell him your every move."
That was the truth, but not the whole reason she came to Seafield. I have another reason. She looked away and stared at the ground to hide the look in her eyes. She then put on a smile once again. "He got me here just so I could get closer to you. My mission is to become your girlfriend. If I can't even meet up with you, I can't complete my mission. So, he gave me the chance. This banquet is perfect for the mission, and he refused to let this chance slip. I'm just a poor pawn, and I had no choice but to do as I was told."
Anya pretended to heave a sigh of exasperation as she shrugged. "Our first meeting was something he arranged as well. For some reason, he found out you were going to pass that route that night, so he asked me to wait until you showed up. Then, I was forced to run into your car. That was risky, but he wanted me to leave a deep impression on you. I didn't mean to attack Miss Reed back at the hospital. It was all him. I'm innocent." She shifted all the blame onto Connor.
However, Toby was unconvinced. Instead, he shot her a look of scorn. "Do you think I'd believe that?"
She quickly looked at him. "But that was the truth. I'm innocent. That's all on Connor. I'm just his pawn. I couldn't go against him, so I had to do as I was told. Every time I went after Miss Reed, it was all his idea. He told me I had to make her leave if I wanted to have a chance to be with you. I had no choice. If you hadn't exposed his plan, I wouldn't have told you all this. You might still think I did it of my own volition, but that's not true. I'm telling you all this just to say I didn't mean it. I had no choice. Please believe me, President Fuller."
She put on a puppy pout. Any other man would have believed her. They would pity her because she was forced to do things against her will, but Toby was different. He had seen a lot of people in his life. Naturally, he saw through her lies and found them laughable.
Forced to do things against your will? Give me a break. Connor might have made you do a lot of things, but you're scum as well. The orders he gave might have been what you wanted as well. You're just trying to cut all ties with the crimes and wash your hands clean. Not the first time I've seen this. "I don't believe a word of what you just said," he said coolly.
She thought her act would at least plant some doubt in his head, if not erase his suspicion, but apparently, he had a heart of stone. He doesn't believe me at all! What a waste of my breath and time! She stole a glance at him, and the sight of the mockery in his eyes made her freeze. Flames of anger filled her heart.
Of course, she was angry. She tried to put on the victim act just to gain a sliver of sympathy. If he kept suspecting her relationship with Connor, he might uncover more about the secret she never wanted him to find out. To that end, she painted herself as a victim of Connor's scheme. She wanted Toby to think she wasn't evil and that she was forced.
Only then would he not suspect her being in cahoots with Connor. Only then would he think she didn't do all those things of her own volition. Only then would he not suspect her ever again. However, reality taught her a cruel lesson. He refused to play along, and it made things awkward for her.
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The readers' comments on the novel: Boss, Your Wife's Asking For A Divorce, Again
Same story i read about Jarred and Amber Reed...