She had watched with heart throbbing pain for months as her daughter suffered terribly from the disease. Making her loose weight and her youthful vibes.
"Mom, Leo has not called for days. Do you think he has abandoned me because I'm sick?"
As madam Cypher was still caught in the memories of the past, she heard Maya's gentle but depressed voice.
A pang of pain hit her heart.
"You child, how can you say such a thing? You and Leo have always been childhood sweethearts. To crown it all, he is your fiance. Your betrothed. How can he desert you, you know how much he loves you" she paused before continuing in the most gentle voice.
"He's in Italy for your sake, he promised to make sure you will be healthy again. Don't you remember? If not for him, we wouldn't have been able to find that wench again. Who knew where she ran off to" she said.
She was really thankful that they were able to find Kahlan through Leo's connection with many Italian big fishes. They were looking for Kahlan for weeks without any progress but Leo found her whereabouts in just a day.
He was truly a bona fide son of the powerful Smith family. She couldn't wait to become his mother in law.
"Besides, who knows, he might marry you immediately after you get better" Madam Cypher said with a smile trying to lift the spirit of her depressed daughter.
"Mom!" Maya blushed, twirling the corners of her clothes with a sweet smile playing on her lips. Leo was her everything and the thought of him kept her going. She didn't want to die yet, she had to become his legal wife. The only woman in his life.
She imagined Leo in his usual white, with his handsome face staring down at her. Anytime Leo looks at her, his eyes was always filled with love and affection that made her limbs numb. Saying those gentle and sweet words she loved hearing always made her heart flutter and race without her permission. She couldn't wait to see him again, she couldn't wait to tell him how much she loved him.
"So you can put your mind at ease darling. You should be happy having such a man as your fiance. Don't worry, mummy and daddy won't let anything happen to you" Madam Cypher continued smilingly, looking at her daughter with affection and love in her eyes.
Madam Cypher observed her daughter attentively, who was shy to the point that the tips of her ears had already turned red.
Luckily she anticipated this reaction from Maya, she heaved a sigh of relief patting her chest. She should talk more of Leo often to lift Maya's spirit.
Maya has been hard to please since she got sick. Sometimes, she got really exhausted nursing Maya. At times, she gets so difficult that there was no thinking what she could do next.
She threw tantrums here and there, provoking everyone to anger. Even the slightest noise could irritate her, making the entire mansion silent, desolate and devoid of laughter.
Her home has been in chaos for months, everybody was running around looking for ways to save Maya. Her husband has aged a lot within the space of six months.
He tossed and turned every night on the bed worried about their daughter's condition.
She sighed, she hated to admit it but Kahlan was the only remedy to their situation. Why?
"Mom. How is the plan going? Leo said she has completely fallen for him. Let's just push through with the plan. I'm sick of sitting, and lieing all day";
Out of the blue, Madam Cypher was awakened from her thoughts after she heard Maya's words. Maya face looked impatient, her watery red eyes shimmering with menacing cruelty.
Madam Cypher frowned slightly, "We can't handle this matter carelessly Maya. We have to be very careful, all the plans has been set in place...we just need her to bite the bait"
"Why should we worry about an insignificant person like Kahlan?" Maya asked unperturbed "She is obviously a village slut, what does she know? She should be thankful we are putting her to a good use."
Rhetorically speaking, she never cared about her so called half sister and always viewed Kahlan beneath her.
Phony enjoyed bullying Kahlan when she was bored but to her Kahlan was just an insignificant person that wasn't even worth her attention. Even a glance from her to Kahlan was placing Kahlan on a pedestal for everyone to fawn on.
Why then should she be bothered when a nameless person like Kahlan could be used to save her precious life. Yes! She viewed Kahlan as worthless and couldn't be deemed worthy of her attention.
"This concerns you Maya, we have to be meticulous. Also, carrying out the plan smoothly is of utmost importance. Do you think I would let Leo, my potential son in law go over to Italy just to seduce that brat to make her fall for him in vain?"
"Think about it Maya, if we don't make her trust Leo into luring her to bed and into making her carry a child, she might get rid of it. So we shouldn't handle this with sanction. She is not important her, the baby is" Madam Cypher said with a fiendish aura, her grim face snarling dangerously.
"Mom! What nonsense are you spouting? There's no way I'm letting that hillbilly sleep with my man! Never!"