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Chapter Forty-Four

Lilianna

I closed my book at the sound of a car door shutting outside.

Through the living room window, I could see a sleek black sedan parked in our driveway.

A woman with perfectly styled auburn hair and a sharp business suit stepped out, her movements efficient and purposeful as she gathered a leather briefcase from the passenger seat.

"That's Mara," Julian said, appearing beside me at the window. His hand found the small of my back, a gesture that had become as natural as breathing. "Are you ready for this?"

I took a deep breath, watching as Mara approached the front door with confident strides. "As ready as I can be," I replied, though my stomach fluttered with nervous energy.

The doorbell chimed, and Christopher appeared from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "I'll get it," he said, flashing me a reassuring smile before heading to the door.

Christopher pulled the door open just as Mara raised her hand to knock. She stepped inside like she belonged there, her presence instantly filling the space with a quiet intensity. Her eyes flicked over each of us in a single sweep—assessing, measuring—but not unkindly. Just… precise. Calculated.

“Good morning,” she said, her voice smooth and polished, with a cadence that made it impossible not to listen. “Thank you for making time for this.”

Julian stepped forward and offered his hand. “Thanks for coming so quickly.”

“Of course,” Mara replied, shaking his hand firmly. Her gaze slid to me, and I straightened instinctively. Not out of fear—just the sudden awareness of being studied. “Lilianna, it’s nice to officially meet you.”I nodded. “Yes. It’s nice to meet you too, in person that is.”

She offered me a small, respectful smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes but didn’t feel fake either. “I’ve heard a great deal about you already.”

“Hopefully not all from my parents,” I muttered under my breath.

To my surprise, she chuckled. “No. From people with far better judgment.” That earned her a genuine smile from me, and something in her posture relaxed. She wasn’t here to coddle or lecture. She was here to handle this—with sharp eyes and sharper strategy.

We led her into the sitting room, where Nicolaus had already arranged the coffee table with printed documents, his tablet, and a neat row of sticky notes color-coded by topic.

The fireplace crackled softly behind us, casting a golden warmth through the room as we all took our seats.

Julian and I sat on the small couch, his thigh pressed to mine, his presence grounding.

Nicolaus sat on one side of the armchair with his legs crossed, Mara taking the other.

Christopher dropped onto the opposite couch with a mug of tea and his usual lack of formality, though I could see the flicker of focus in his eyes.

Mara set her briefcase down and flipped it open, retrieving a crisp folder. “I want to start with the most time-sensitive issue: the conservatorship petition your parents attempted to file.”

I felt Julian’s hand close gently over mine as my stomach tensed.

“They’ve backed off for now,” she continued, “but that doesn’t mean they’re finished.

We have about a week, maybe ten days, before they try another angle—likely through emotional appeal via media.

It’s already started subtly, as Nicolaus warned you.

Whisper campaigns. ‘Family concern’ articles. Soft framing to test the waters.”

She opened the folder and passed me the first page—an article clipped from a gossip blog. The headline read: Heiress Gone Quiet—Wycliffe Family ‘Concerned’ for Daughter’s Well-Being.

“They didn’t name me,” I said, reading the article with a mounting sense of disbelief. “But they don’t have to.”

“No, they don’t,” Mara confirmed. “It’s strategic. These are breadcrumbs. Designed to stir curiosity and public sympathy without exposing themselves to scrutiny. They want people asking questions before you ever get to answer them.”

"So what's our counter-strategy?" I asked, surprised by the steadiness in my voice. "I won't let them paint me as unstable or manipulated."

Mara's eyes flickered with something that might have been approval.

"We have several options, each with their own risks and benefits.

" She pulled out another sheet, this one filled with bullet points in a neat, precise hand.

"First, we continue what you've already begun—organic social presence showing your independence and growth.

No direct references to family or conflict. Just you, living well."

Julian nodded beside me. "Lilianna's account has already gained significant traction. Over twelve thousand followers in less than a week."

"Impressive," Mara acknowledged with a slight nod. "But we need to be strategic about content. Your parents will be watching for any sign of vulnerability or impulsivity they can weaponize."

She gave a hum before glancing back at me, “I think posting some more behind the scenes of you with the guys, you don’t have to show your face if you don’t want to. Like pictures of them doing things around you as you spend time together.

"That's smart," I said, warming to the idea. "Show them that I'm not isolated or controlled. That I have genuine relationships."

"Exactly," Mara confirmed. "We want to establish a visual narrative of normalcy and happiness. Your parents are betting on portraying you as either a victim or unstable. Happy, candid moments with people who clearly care about you, undermines both angles."

Christopher leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "What about the cooking lesson this afternoon? We could document some of that—nothing staged, just natural moments."

"Perfect," Mara said, making a note. "Domestic activities, learning new skills, laughter. It shows growth and stability." She looked back at me. "The key is authenticity. Don't perform for the camera, just let it capture genuine moments."

Miles, who had been quietly listening from his position by the window, spoke up.

"What about the legal side?" Miles asked, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of concern. "If they can't make the conservatorship stick, what's their next move?"

Mara's expression grew more serious. "Financial pressure. They could claim you're being financially exploited, that the courting arrangement was coercive. They might also try to invoke old contracts or agreements they claim you signed as a minor."

"I never signed anything," I said quickly, then paused. "At least, nothing I was aware of."

"That's what they're counting on," Nicolaus interjected, his fingers moving across his tablet screen.

"I've been reviewing your family's legal history.

There are several documents with your signature from when you were sixteen and seventeen—mostly social events, charity commitments, that sort of thing. "

My blood ran cold. "I remember signing things for galas and fundraisers but they always said it was just permission slips or attendance confirmations."

"That's likely what they told you," Mara said, her voice softening slightly. "But we need to operate under the assumption that some of those signatures could have been on documents with broader implications. Financial arrangements, trust agreements, even medical authorizations."

Julian's hand tightened over mine, his thumb tracing small circles on my skin. "We've already started a comprehensive audit of all documents bearing Lilianna's signature," he said, his voice calm but with an edge of steel. "Our legal team has been working through them since yesterday."

"Good," Mara nodded approvingly. "In the meantime, we need to establish Lilianna's current financial independence." She turned to me. "Do you have your own accounts now? Separate from your family?"

"Yes," I replied, though my voice wavered slightly. "Julian helped me set up accounts when I first arrived. But honestly, I'm still learning how to manage my own finances. My parents controlled everything before."

"That's actually an advantage," Mara said, making another note. "It demonstrates your transition to independence rather than suggesting you were already making poor financial decisions they needed to intervene in."

She flipped to another page in her folder. "Now, let's discuss timeline. Based on the pattern of their previous actions, I expect they'll escalate within the next two weeks. Probably around the time your social media presence reaches a critical mass—maybe twenty-five thousand followers."

"Why that number specifically?" Christopher asked.

"It's the threshold where brands start taking notice, where influence becomes measurable," Mara explained.

"Your parents will want to act before Lilianna establishes herself as independently successful.” Pausing to let me adjust before continuing.

"But controlling the narrative has its advantages.

If we share your story on your terms, we remove their ability to weaponize it against you.

" She tapped her manicured fingernail against the paper.

"The public loves authenticity, especially from those they perceive as privileged. "

Julian leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "What exactly would we reveal?"

"Not everything," Mara replied. "Just enough. The basics of your family's manipulation, Lilianna's decision to forge her own path, and the fact that this arrangement—" she gestured between Julian and me, "—while unconventional, was entered into with full awareness and agency by both parties."

I shifted uncomfortably, the idea of revealing even that much making my stomach twist. "I don't know if I'm ready to share all of that with strangers."

Mara's eyes softened slightly. "You don't have to. That's the beauty of controlled narrative—we decide how much to share and when. The goal isn't to air your family's dirty laundry; it's to establish your agency before they can strip it away."