You lied to me.

"I-I was mad at him for sending me away from town," Erica stuttered. Her gaze flickered nervously, unable to meet Lydia's sharp eyes. "I wanted to teach him a lesson. So I took him to a hotel… and arranged for a woman to seduce him."

She paused, glancing at her as she tried to gauge her mother's reaction. "I thought it would create a rift between him and Ava, making her leave him immediately. But," she pouted, "my plan failed."

"Have you lost your mind?" Lydia snapped, jabbing her fingers against Erica's forehead. "How could you even think of doing such a reckless thing? With all his power and influence, Dylan will uncover everything you've done. Then he'll deport you again, and there won't be a damn thing I can do to save you."

"Don't worry, he won't find out," Erica said firmly, trying to sound reassuring despite the fear in her heart. "I made sure everything was taken care of."