Chapter 36

At the dinner table. Marsha was all smiles, effortlessly charming as she poured wine for Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, and made sure their plates had just what they liked—medium-rare steak for him, grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes for her. "Dad, Mom, I still remember all your favorites," she said sweetly, settling back into her seat with a practiced grace. Mr. Johnson glanced at the attentive Marsha, then at Liliana, who had barely touched her food. A satisfied look crept onto his face, as if silently reaffirming his decision to bring Marsha into the family. "That's thoughtful of you," he said, his tone warmer than usual. "You've always paid attention to the little things." Neither of the Johnsons was particularly hard to please—but they'd clearly fallen for Marsha's polished performance. "Mom, you mentioned you haven't been sleeping well lately," Marsha added, smoothly shifting her gaze. "So I had a lavender diffuser set up in your room. It's supposed to help with restlessness." Mrs. Joh