Christina said calmly, "I would never sell my body in exchange for wealth and status. But you and Mom aren't wrong—Finley is someone I can take advantage of. Aspen is useless now, so I'll be the one to take over this alliance with Finley."

Irene beamed with excitement. "Then what are we waiting for? Christie, call him right now and invite him over for dinner. I'll cook a feast myself—we have to treat him well!"

Christina hesitated. "Inviting him to the house might not be the best idea. I think it'd be better to meet at a restaurant instead."

Irene quickly objected, "A restaurant? That won't show enough sincerity! Think about it, Christie. If we invite Finley to our home, it sends a message that we value him. Once he's in a good mood, he'll be much easier to manipulate!"

Leroy chimed in, "Exactly, Christie! Have him come over—I can drink with him too. As long as we keep him happy, you won't even have to sacrifice yourself. We can just use Finley's influence as our family's safet