Chapter 94: (Antonio true identity)

As Maya dropped her bag and flopped onto the couch beside Vera, Vera couldn't help but notice the weariness in Maya's eyes. She seemed preoccupied, and Vera wondered what was on her mind.

"Hey, Maya, is everything okay?" Vera asked, concern etched on her face. "You seem a bit... distracted."

Maya's expression softened, and she reached out to touch Vera's hand. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. Don't worry about it."

Mrs julia chimed in, "Maya, why don't you take a load off and relax with us? We're just about to watch a movie."

Maya smiled, "Sounds good to me, but i have to freshen up first."

After a while, Maya returned all freshened up. She settled in to watch the movie, Antonio snuggled up close to Maya, "Mumma, can we watch a cartoon? Pleeease?"

Maya laughed, "Of course, baby. Let's find something fun to watch."

“We can't watch a movie without some snacks don't you think?“ Maya said as she stared at Anna in particular.

As Maya mentioned snacks, Antonio's eyes lit up. "Yeah, yeah! Snacks would be great, Anna!" he chimed in, nodding enthusiastically.

Anna smiled and stood up. "Alright, I'll go make some popcorn. Anyone want anything else?"

Vera shook her head. "No, popcorn sounds perfect. Thanks, Anna."

As Anna headed to the kitchen, Maya's gaze followed her.

Just as Anna was about to pour the popcorn into a bowl, her phone rang. She groaned inwardly and wiped her hands on a towel headed out of the kitchen to get her phone.

"Who calls this late?" she said, stepping away from the kitchen counter to get her phone.

Maya saw her chance. She quickly got up from the couch. “Honey mummy needs to drink water, I'll right back.“ Antonio didn't reply because his mind was so focused on the movie and so was Mrs julia and Vera.

Maya seeing that everyone was so focused slipped into the kitchen, her eyes fixed on the snacks. A sly smile spread across her face as she reached for a small container in her pocket.

With swift movements, she sprinkled the content into the popcorn, making sure not to leave any traces behind. She then quickly returned to the living room, resuming her seat beside Vera.

"Who's that?" Maya asked, trying to sound nonchalant as Anna returned to the living room, phone still in hand.

Anna looked distracted. "It's just college work. I'll deal with it later. Let me get the snacks ready."

As Anna brought in the popcorn, everyone dug in,

As they munched on the popcorn, Vera noticed something off. "Hey, does this popcorn taste a bit... different to you guys?" she asked, scrunching up her face.

Maya shook her head. "No, I think it tastes fine. Maybe you're just being picky."

But Anna noticed it too. "Actually, I think Vera might be right. It's a bit... bitter?"

Before they could discuss it further, Antonio suddenly let out a loud cry. "Mumma, my throat is itchy! And my skin hurts!"

Maya's expression changed from calm to alarm in an instant. "Antonio, baby, what's wrong?"

Antonio's face began to swell, and he started scratching at his skin frantically. "I don't know, Mumma! It hurts!"

Vera jumped up. "Oh my god, Antonio, you're having an allergic reaction! We need to get him to the hospital, now!"

Anna's eyes widened in horror. "What did he eat? Was it the popcorn?"

Maya's face contorted in worry and anger. "Anna, how could you be so careless? You're supposed to make a simple snack, and now he's having an allergic reaction! What did you put in that popcorn?"

Anna's eyes widened in shock. "Maya, I didn't do anything! I just made plain popcorn. I don't know what happened."

Vera intervened, trying to calm the situation. "Maya, let's not jump to conclusions. We need to get Antonio to the hospital, now."

But Maya's anger only intensified. "This is all your fault, Anna. You're always to remove my son from the way since he is the thing between me and Marcus. I should have known better than to trust you with my child."

As they rushed Antonio to the hospital, Maya's words cut deep into Anna's heart. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but Maya's accusations stung.

Just then Marcus walked towards them in a blank face.

“Marcus!! Marcus !! Anna wants to kill my son, since you don't accept Antonio as your son, i will leave you alone once his fine. I rather leave you alone, than my son to leave me.“ Maya said playing an emotional card to win Marcus.

“But if any thing happens to my son, Anna i will kill you.“ Maya said in a low tone but scary facial expression.

The doctor finally emerged with a somber expression. "Antonio is experiencing a severe allergic reaction. We'll need to run some tests to determine what caused it."

Maya's face turned pale, and she grasped Antonio's hand tightly. "Just fix him, doctor. Please."

As the medical team worked to stabilize Antonio's condition, Maya's anger seemed to give way to a more calculating look. Anna sensed that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The doctor emerged with a relieved expression. "Good news, Antonio is stable now. We'll need to keep him under observation for a while, but he's going to be fine."

Maya's face lit up with relief, but her eyes narrowed when the doctor turned to Marcus. "Mr. Marcus, I'd like to speak with you privately about Antonio's condition."

Maya's instincts kicked in, and she jumped up. "No, no, no! I need to be there. He's my child, and I have a right to know what's going on."

The doctor shook his head. "I understand, Mrs. Maya, but this concerns sensitive information about Antonio's health. It's better if I speak with Mr. Marcus alone."

Maya's face contorted in anger. "I won't leave! You can't keep me away from my child!"

Marcus intervened, his voice calm. "Let her come with us. She's Antonio's mother anyways, and she has a right to know what's going on."

The doctor hesitated, then nodded. "Very well, let's go to my office."

As they sat down in the doctor's office, the doctor glanced nervously at Marcus before speaking. "Mr Marino, Mrs. Maya... I need to discuss something with you that is really serious."

Marcus's expression was unreadable, but Maya's eyes were flashing with anxiety. "What is it, doctor? Tell us!"

The doctor took a deep breath. "Antonio... is wearing a silicone mask."

Maya's eyes widened in shock.