Adam looked at the ringing phone in his hand. He saw Sophia's name on the screen.

Annie stood in the room watching him. Her arms were crossed. She was waiting for him to leave.

Adam answered the call.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hi Adam," Sophia's voice came from the phone. "Did I wake you up?"

Adam looked at Annie. Annie turned and walked out of the room. She closed the door behind her without making a sound.

"No, you didn't wake me up," Adam said into the phone.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Sophia said. "After yesterday."

"I'm fine," Adam said. "I'm just busy with some family things right now. Can I call you back later?"

"Oh. Of course," Sophia said. "Talk to you later then."

Adam said, "Okay, bye." He ended the call.

He put the phone in his pocket. He walked out of the room and closed the door. He saw Annie standing in the hallway looking out a window.

Adam walked over to her. He stood beside her.

"You didn't sleep last night," he said. It was not a question.

Annie did not look at him. She kept staring out the window. "It's none of your business," she said.

Adam did not argue. He just said, "Come on. Let's go get some breakfast."

Annie was surprised. She finally turned and looked at him. She was about to say something. But Adam had already started walking towards the stairs. After a moment of hesitation Annie followed him.

They went downstairs to the kitchen.

Ricky was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. Rachel was standing by the stove making coffee. She saw them come in together.

A smile appeared on her face. "It's so good to see you two getting along," she said.

Adam ignored the comment. He looked at Rachel. "When are we going to see George and his family?" he asked.

Rachel poured a cup of coffee. "We are going to their house for dinner this evening," she said. "So you need to be ready. I want you to make a good impression."

Adam nodded.

Ricky lowered his newspaper. He looked at Adam. "Just don't do anything stupid," he said. Then he went back to reading his paper.

Adam did not reply. He went to the cabinet and took out two bowls. He started making breakfast for himself and for Annie.

Annie watched Adam as he moved around the kitchen. He seemed comfortable as if he had done this many times before. He poured cereal into the bowls and then added milk. He placed one bowl in front of her at the table.

Ricky looked up from his newspaper again. He watched Adam for a moment. Then he folded his paper and placed it on the table. He looked at Rachel.

"So the plan is still on for tonight?" he asked.

Rachel brought two cups of coffee to the table. She gave one to Ricky. "Of course it is," she said. "George was very impressed with Adam yesterday. Everything is going according to plan."

Ricky took a sip of his coffee. "I still don't like it," he said. "This whole thing feels risky."

"Every good plan has risks," Rachel replied. "But the reward is worth it. Think about it Ricky. All of George's wealth. It could all be ours."

Adam and Annie ate their breakfast in silence. They listened to the conversation.

Adam finished his cereal. He stood up from the table. "I'm going to get ready," he said. He did not look at Ricky or Rachel. He walked out of the kitchen and went back upstairs.

Annie finished her breakfast a few moments later. She also stood up to leave.

"Annie," Rachel said. Annie stopped and looked at her mother.

"Make sure Adam looks presentable tonight," Rachel said. "It is very important that he makes a good impression on Samantha."

Annie just nodded. Then she also left the kitchen.

Later that evening Adam was in his room getting dressed. He put on the new clothes that Rachel had bought for him. He looked at himself in the mirror. He did not recognize the person looking back at him.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Adam said.

Annie came into the room. She was also dressed for the dinner. She looked at Adam.

"You look different," she said.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Adam asked.

Annie did not answer. She just said, "It's time to go. They're waiting for you downstairs."

Adam took one last look in the mirror. Then he followed Annie out of the room. He was ready for the next part of the plan. He was ready to meet Samantha again.

Annie watched Adam as he moved around the kitchen. He seemed comfortable and efficient, as if he had done this simple task many times before. He poured cereal into the two bowls and then added milk from the carton in the refrigerator. He placed one bowl in front of her at the table without a word.

Ricky looked up from his newspaper again. He watched Adam for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he folded his paper neatly and placed it on the table. He looked at Rachel.

"So the plan is still on for tonight?" he asked, his voice low.

Rachel brought two cups of freshly brewed coffee to the table. She gave one to Ricky. "Of course it is," she said, her own voice a confident whisper. "George was very impressed with Adam yesterday. Everything is going according to our plan."

Ricky took a slow sip of his hot coffee. "I still don't like it," he said, staring into the black liquid. "This whole thing feels very risky."

"Every good plan has its risks," Rachel replied smoothly. "But the potential reward is more than worth it. Just think about it, Ricky. All of George's vast wealth. His entire business empire. It could all be ours if this works."

Adam and Annie ate their breakfast in a tense silence. They listened to the hushed conversation of their parents, their spoons clinking softly against the ceramic bowls.

Adam finished his cereal quickly. He stood up from the table. "I'm going to get ready," he said, his voice neutral. He did not look at Ricky or Rachel. He simply walked out of the kitchen and went back upstairs to the room he was temporarily sharing with Annie.

Annie finished her own breakfast a few moments later. She also stood up to leave the room.

"Annie," Rachel said, her voice stopping her daughter in her tracks. Annie stopped and looked at her mother.

"Make sure that Adam looks presentable for tonight," Rachel said, her eyes sharp. "It is very important that he makes a good impression on Samantha. Everything depends on it."

Annie just nodded without a word. Then she also left the kitchen, the weight of her mother's expectations heavy on her shoulders.

Later that evening, Adam was in his old room getting dressed. He put on the new clothes that Rachel had bought for him the day before. They were expensive and uncomfortable. He looked at himself in the mirror on the back of the closet door. He did not recognize the person who was looking back at him. He looked like a stranger in his own skin.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Adam said.

Annie came into the room. She was also dressed for the dinner. She was wearing a simple dress, but she looked elegant. She looked at Adam.

"You look different," she said, her voice quiet.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Adam asked, adjusting the collar of his new shirt.

Annie did not answer his question. She just said, "It's time to go. They are waiting for you downstairs."

Adam took one last look at his reflection in the mirror. He saw not himself, but a character he was about to play. Then he followed Annie out of the room. He was ready for the next part of the plan. He was ready to meet Samantha again. He knew that this dinner was a crucial step, and he could not afford to make any mistakes. He had to be perfect. He had to be charming. He had to be the man that Rachel wanted him to be. At least on the surface.

Adam and Annie walked down the stairs together. Ricky and Rachel were waiting for them in the entryway. Rachel looked Adam up and down, giving a small nod of approval. Ricky just looked impatient, jingling the car keys in his hand.

"It's time to go," he said, his voice flat. "We don't want to be late."

The car ride to George's house was quiet. Ricky drove, his eyes fixed on the road. Rachel sat in the passenger seat, occasionally glancing back at Adam. Adam and Annie sat in the back, a wide space between them. Annie spent the entire time looking out the window, watching the city lights blur past.

Adam could feel the tension in the small space. It was a familiar feeling from his childhood, a silence that was heavier and louder than any argument. He stared out his own window, his mind working. He was not thinking about the dinner or about making a good impression. He was thinking about his own plan, about the pieces he was moving on a much larger board. This dinner was just one of those pieces. A necessary step.

After several minutes, Rachel broke the silence. She turned in her seat to face Adam.

"Now, when we get there, I want you to be charming," she said, her voice low and instructive. "Compliment George on his home. Ask him about his business. He likes to talk about his business."

Adam simply nodded. "I understand," he said.

"And when you talk to Samantha," Rachel continued, "be polite. Ask her about her interests. Find some common ground. It is very important that she likes you."

"I know," Adam said. His response was short, giving nothing away. He was an actor playing a part, and he knew his lines.

Ricky made a frustrated sound from the driver's seat. "Rachel, let the boy breathe," he muttered. "You're going to make him so nervous he won't be able to say anything at all."

"I am just making sure everything goes smoothly," Rachel snapped back, not looking at her husband. She turned her attention back to Adam. "Just follow my lead. I will guide the conversation."

Adam nodded again. He saw the brief flash of annoyance on Ricky's face in the rearview mirror. He saw how easily Rachel managed him. He filed the observation away. It was all information. Everything was information.

Soon, the car turned into a different part of the city. The modest houses of their neighborhood gave way to large, sprawling mansions set far back from the road behind tall gates and manicured hedges. Each house was a fortress of wealth and power.

The car slowed down and pulled up to an impressive set of wrought-iron gates. Ricky pressed a button on the intercom. A moment later, the gates swung open silently, inviting them in. They drove up a long, winding driveway to a house that looked more like a modern palace than a family home.

The car came to a stop in front of the large, brightly lit entrance. The front doors opened before they had even gotten out of the car. George was standing there, a wide, welcoming smile on his face. Beside him stood his wife, Anastasia, and their daughter, Samantha.

Adam took a deep breath. The performance was about to begin.

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