Christine's voice was soft but steady as Star's concern broke the silence.
"Grandma… are you alright?"
Christine smiled faintly, eyes clouded with quiet resolve.
"Yes… I just wanted to say, have a great time. He's already on his way."
Star's heart jolted—she had completely forgotten about her date with Mandume.
"Oh… yes, yeah… right. I'll just finish up quickly. You know how we girls take forever to get ready," she said with a nervous laugh.
Christine nodded knowingly.
"I understand… Star, you're moving to your new home tomorrow, aren't you?"
Star hesitated, the weight of her disinterest evident.
"Yes, Grandma… I'm just not that excited, but I have my family with me. Don't worry—I'll manage."
"That's good," Christine said thoughtfully. "Before you leave, I need to discuss something important. Will you stop by tomorrow?"
Star's suspicion was piqued.
"What is it, Grandma? Is madam troubling you again?"
"No, no… it's about Mandume. You know more about him than he knows himself, and his life depends on you," Christine said, leaving Star stunned and confused.
"Grandma!" Star gasped.
"My dear, I'm sorry for dropping such heavy thoughts. I forgot you have your family now. But don't worry—I'm with him. Take care of my unborn grandson," Christine said softly before leaving.
Alone, Star sat quietly, her mind swirling with plans—especially revealing Maria's truth to Mandume.
What do I do? she wondered. Madam wants Mandume's property. She's pushing him to sign papers, marrying to secure his father's company. But what if he doesn't marry? Or marries someone else? What am I missing here?
She glanced down at her baby bump, a small smile playing on her lips, then stood and slipped into a striking red dress.
Meanwhile, Mandume was confined in a car, blindfolded.
"Are you kidnapping me? Do you know I'm supposed to meet Star?" he demanded.
"Maybe if you'd stayed quiet like I told you, you wouldn't be blindfolded," Olivia teased. "Don't worry, love—I want a date with you too."
Mandume blinked in confusion.
"What?"
Olivia smiled mischievously.
"I have a surprise for you. And you'll still make it to Star—she'll be dressed up and ready for you."
Mandume's frustration grew.
"What surprise? I'm running late. I thought you were backing me up against my mom."
"I am," Olivia said smoothly. "I just want to show you something first, then you go to Star, alright?"
Mandume tried calling Star, but she didn't pick up.
"Oh… Mendu, I'll just call him back," Star said, drying her wet hands.
"Stop bothering Star, she's getting ready. Have some patience, bro," Olivia said.
"Yeah, you're right… We've been driving for a while now. When are we going to finish?" Mandume grumbled.
Elsewhere, Daniels arrived home, pulled out his work laptop, and dove into the tangled mystery behind The Charity Account.
"This company is a mess! This account is a fraud—250k a month going to Dominion Architecture? No way Mandume knows about this," Daniels muttered.
In the quiet of her room, Christine contemplated.
"Now I've planted a seed of doubt in Star. She'll surely come back."
Maria's voice echoed from the doorway, cold and resolute.
"Star won't come back."
Christine turned, tension rising.
"Mom, Star hasn't done anything worth your obsession. She's no saint—just a desperate woman chasing money. I gave her cash, and she left without a second thought."
Christine's eyes narrowed.
"Do you really think you can manipulate me against Star? Try again."
Maria smiled, a calculating gleam in her eyes.
"Mother, I don't instigate—you forget I'm a master of disguise. You see everything but do nothing. I'm Maria Ezra, and I'll keep pushing my plan until it succeeds."
Christine's confusion deepened.
"What plan?"
Maria pulled out a video, showing Davids lying motionless in a hospital bed. Tears welled in Christine's eyes.
"What? What did you do to my son? Why isn't he moving? Where is he?"
Maria's voice was steady, chilling.
"Because I killed him."
Christine staggered, nearly collapsing—Maria caught her.
"That's what you think, right? That I'm evil? I've tried to prove I'm not a villain. I searched for my husband, endured your pain and insults, but murder? Really?" she pleaded.
Maria's eyes sharpened.
"I found Davids, and he's alive. Soon he'll be back with us."
Christine's hope flickered.
"Really? My Davids is alive?"
"Yes, but there's a problem. I don't know how you'll take this—Star isn't coming back to this house or our lives."
Christine frowned.
"What does Star have to do with this?"
Maria's voice hardened.
"I stopped telling you things because you think I'm a liar and a schemer trying to snatch happiness from your son and Mandume. The day Star was hospitalized, she was meddling in Davids's life."
Christine's curiosity sharpened.
"What do you mean?"
"Star knows Mandume is wealthy, that if Davids doesn't return, she can trick Mandume into love, pin her pregnancy on him, and slowly claim his property. She started digging for Davids's whereabouts, revealing the asylum report and stirring drama. I tried to stop her, even tried to terminate her pregnancy. When she found out my husband was alive, she kept quiet and tried to eliminate him."
Christine was stunned into silence.
"Why didn't she speak up after the accident?" Christine asked.
"Because now I have my husband. No one will stop me from saving him, not even you. I've been silent too long."
Christine's voice shook.
"What does Davids's life have to do with Star?"
Maria's eyes gleamed with cold certainty.
"If Davids returns, Mandume will turn back to him. Star wants Mandume to cry on her shoulder."
Christine's disbelief was palpable.
"I don't believe this! I want to see Davids now."
Maria shook her head.
"Davids can't speak. When my men found him, and while fighting Star, he suffered sudden paralysis. He can't move or respond yet. He's still being treated, and the doctors say strong emotions could harm him. Worse, he lost his memory."
Christine sat in stunned silence, the weight of this revelation pressing on her soul.