"I said water. Why are you bothering yourself with the fruits" Anabel said.
"It's an error to come to my house for the first time and drink only water." Sylvester said. "At least take some fruits." He served it on a small mobile table and pushed it close to her.
Anabel hesitated and took a bite of the apple. "Thank you very much."
"It's nothing." Sylvester replied.
As they continued to chat, Vanessa seamlessly slipped into her role as Sylvester's cousin, sharing stories from their supposed childhood together. She was so convincing that Anabel found herself relaxing, her initial suspicions slowly fading away.
Vanessa's laughter was infectious, and she had a way of making Anabel feel included in the conversation. At one point, Vanessa excused herself to use the bathroom, leaving Anabel and Sylvester alone for a moment. Anabel turned to Sylvester. "You never mentioned Vanessa before. She seems lovely."
Sylvester shrugged. "She's jovial and friendly. We don't see each other often, but when we do, it's always a good time."
Anabel smiled, feeling more at ease than she had when she first arrived. "I'm glad I got to meet her. Family is important, and it's nice to see you have a good relationship with your cousin."
Sylvester nodded. "Yeah, it is. I'm glad you two are getting along."
When Vanessa returned, she continued to play her part flawlessly, engaging Anabel in conversation and making her feel like part of the family.
About ten minutes later, Anabel checked her watch and looked up at Sylvester, "I think I need to go now."
"You want to go? Why don't you sleep over?" Vanessa asked.
"You want me sleep stay over?" Anabel asked.
"Yeah."
"No, not today. I need to go." She replied and sat up from the couch.
"Anyway, thank you for coming." Sylvester said and escorted her outside. She got into the car and waved goodbye to Vanessa, who returned the gesture with a warm smile. "It was great meeting you, Anabel. I hope we see each other again soon."
"Me too," Anabel replied, feeling genuinely happy.
As soon as Anabel's car drove away, Sylvester exhaled a long, relieved breath. Vanessa, who had been maintaining her perfect act, let her façade drop, and her expression transformed like someone who was irritated.
"That was spectacular," Sylvester said when they got inside the house "You played the cousin role like you were born for it. You are so talented. Maybe you should join Hollywood."
Vanessa laughed. "You don't need to be surprised. Acting isn't all that difficult when something big is coming out of it. She's a very big fish."
"Well, I think we are so close now. Once Anabel trusts me and agrees to be my girlfriend, I will have more access to her."
"Yeah, but remember you will start small. Like Innocent requests for financial help."
"And then," Sylvester interjected, "We will ramp it up. Bigger sums, more frequent 'emergencies.' She will be so invested in the relationship, so convinced of my love, that she will never suspect a thing."
"Poor Anabel. She has no idea where she's walking into. We are about to drain her dry, and by the time she realizes it, it will be too late."
"Yeah, We are about to reap where we didn't sow." Sylvester said and kissed her on the lips.
"So what about Max. I haven't heard from him. I thought you put him in her company for a reason." Vanessa asked.
"Yeah, He's doing fine. I don't need him to act now. There is time for everything. When the time comes, I will tell him to strike."