The Billionaire's Maid Bride novel Chapter 610

Allison turned to Emma with a sly grin. "Since Penelope's so keen on playing the devoted daughter, stick around with Ms. Flanagan. Make sure she’s taking good care of Grace every day right here. Best way to show devotion, right? Maybe even help her get some positive press tomorrow. Anyway, I'm wiped. I'm off to bed."

Emma could barely hold back her laughter. "Sure thing."

Penelope, teeth clenched, spat out, "Allison, what are you playing at?!"

"Ms. Flanagan, I'd suggest you keep it down. Aren’t you the one eager to show your devotion? You’re my BFF, after all, here to look after Grace for me. If you're so eager to care for her, then go ahead. Emma, make sure you capture everything. We need to keep Ms. Flanagan mindful of her poise, especially if this goes online. We wouldn’t want her reputation tarnished by a poor performance, now would we? I couldn’t afford that kind of liability!"

"Don't worry, Allison," Emma chimed in, raising her camera. "I'll be right by Ms. Flanagan's side, keeping her in check. Since she's practically your sister and she doesn't have an agent right now, I guess that makes me her semi-agent by default. No scandalous footage of Ms. Flanagan will leak on my watch!" The professional grade of her camera was miles ahead of a smartphone, capturing every nuance of Penelope’s increasingly twisted expression.

As Allison walked away, Penelope’s jaw tightened so much she thought she might crack a tooth.

With a hint of feigned concern, Emma advised, "Oh dear, Ms. Flanagan, don’t get upset. Here, use my comb, tidy up a bit; your hair’s a mess. You won’t look good on camera like that! And that pose isn’t doing you any favors either. Change it up, rest your hand on the armrest, yeah, that’s it. Show us a bit of sorrow, will you? Otherwise, people might think you're celebrating!"

Penelope felt a lump of frustration stuck in her throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it down.

Her fingers curled into a tight fist. "Enough! Emma, do you really think I can’t get Epic Entertainment to fire you?!"

Quick on her feet with the camera still rolling, Emma retorted, "Of course, I believe you. I’m absolutely terrified. I’ve got a 10-year contract with Epic Entertainment. If they fire me for no good reason, they owe me ten times my salary. I’d be sitting pretty. Plus, I could spend my days uploading videos of Ms. Flanagan online, giving you a trending topic every single day, showcasing your 'devotion.' You’d be like a modern-day saint."

Emma’s sarcasm stung Penelope, whose face contorted with anger. But with the camera rolling, she feared her outburst might actually go public. Who knew if Allison would dare to follow through with her threat?

It was clear now that Penelope had underestimated Allison.

She had planned to expose Allison today, to brand her as an ungrateful daughter who abandoned her own mother.

Yet, it was she who was trapped.

Camera in hand, Emma waited until Grace was wheeled out of the operating room. She hurried over to inquire about her condition. The doctor, removing his mask, said, "She’s stable for now." He looked at Penelope. "You’re family, right? Time to handle the bill."

With a twitch of her lips, Penelope stood up and begrudgingly went to settle the payment.

Emma had the nanny stay with Grace in the hospital room while she continued to shadow Penelope.

Exhausted, hungry, and with her plans in ruins, Penelope realized she had ensnared herself in her own trap.