At first, Kylie was pretty indifferent about the whole thing, but as the chat went on, her cheerful smile faded, replaced by a look of sadness, shock, and confusion in her eyes.
As their discussion progressed, Kylie's complexion turned pale. When Andrew came back and noticed his wife like that, he freaked out and called her name in a panic.
It took a while, but eventually, Kylie snapped out of her trance. She glanced around and saw Olivia and Andrew watching her with concern.
When she tried to find the two women who had been talking, they were nowhere in sight. It looked like they had left while she was lost in thought.
"Honey, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Andrew asked, looking really concerned as he held Kylie tight, worried about his dear wife.
Kylie, realizing what was going on, quickly replied, "Let's just head home. I'm not in the mood to shop anymore."
She then turned to Olivia and said, "Sorry, Olivia. We'll hit the stores another time."
"Of course, Mom. Your health comes first," Olivia responded, pausing for a moment before adding, "And don't worry, Mom. My sister isn't like what those two said. You know her well."
Kylie glanced at Olivia, who had a worried expression mixed with a slight smile and reassured her, saying, "I understand, Olivia. There's no need to fret."
Andrew was puzzled by their conversation and the sudden mention of Zara, but he chose not to inquire further, focusing instead on his wife's well-being.
Without much thought, the three of them headed back to Mayledge mansion. Olivia went to her room with Gia assisting her with the bags from the car, while Kylie and Andrew made their way to their own room, where Andrew asked Ava to bring some coffee for Kylie.
Once inside Olivia's room, she spun around joyfully with Gia in her arms, exclaiming, "Gia, today is such a wonderful day!"
Seeing Olivia spin around joyfully made Gia feel a bit of that happiness too, but she still chuckled and said, "Young Miss, I'm not as young as you. I can't keep up with your energy. Can you let me be?" as Olivia continued to twirl her.
"Huhh..." Olivia giggled as she finally let go of Gia.
Once she regained her balance, Gia turned to Olivia and asked, "Young Miss, you look so cheerful today. Did you have a good time with Sir and Madam?"
"That's not the main thing, Gia," Olivia replied, her smile brightening.
Puzzled by Olivia's response, Gia tilted her head and asked, "Then what is it, Young Miss?"
Olivia grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "Looks like my plan to make that girl look bad actually worked," she said, her smile radiating a sense of achievement.
"Wait, you mean...?" Gia squinted at Olivia, trying to piece it together.
"Exactly, Gia. I had it all figured out for our shopping trip today..." Olivia began to explain her scheme to Gia.
It turned out that the two women gossiping about her daughter's misbehavior were just part of Olivia's strategy to plant negative ideas in Kylie's head about those kids who had been brought back from a foreign place.
She aimed to create a rift between the family and Zara, but based on how everyone reacted to Zara, it seemed that Kylie, with her gentle nature, was the only one she could approach to set her plan in motion.
While she could also attempt to sway Hendry and Jack, her initial focus was on Kylie, as their closer relationship made her feel it would be easier to influence her.
After formulating her strategy with Kylie, Olivia took action by hiring actors using her lookalike sim and phone. They were to portray a mother complaining about her daughter's troublesome behavior after sending her away.
Her goal was to paint a picture of a daughter raised without parental guidance, suggesting that such a background inevitably leads to a troubled child.
Olivia aimed to make Kylie see Zara in a negative light, so she had the woman share all the bad things her daughter was up to, emphasizing how Zara ignored family advice. This was all to plant some doubts in Kylie's mind about Zara.
While the two women chatted, Olivia's eyes were glued to Kylie, completely focused on her, eager to catch every little change in Kylie's expressions.
Her goal was to see if this tactic would push Kylie away from Zara, make her look down on Zara's actions, and ultimately get Zara out of the picture so Olivia could reclaim her spot as the family's favorite.
Gia was taken aback by Olivia's scheme; she hadn't anticipated such swift action from her. Yet, as she reflected on her own feelings, a smile crept onto Gia's face.
As Gia gazed at Olivia, she opened her mouth and spoke with affection, "You've really grown up, my dear. You know how to take care of yourself now. It seems like I might not be needed as much anymore." Her voice carried a touch of sadness.
"Gia... why do you think that?" Olivia replied, stepping closer to her. With a bright smile, she reached out and took Gia's hand, saying, "You're like family to me, and you'll always be by my side. Remember that. I will always need you, and you can't go anywhere, alright?"
Gia returned Olivia's gaze with a warm smile, gently stroking her hair while a hint of moisture glimmered in her eyes, which she quickly concealed.
"I'll always be here for you, my dear. Even if I ever leave this family, you'll always be in my thoughts."
"What are you saying, Gia? Who would ever think of sending you away from this home? No one would be brave enough to do that with me around to protect you," Olivia said, her expression showing a touch of anger as she comforted Gia.
Gia beamed at Olivia and replied, "Of course, Young Miss. No one would dare oppose you."
Olivia felt a surge of happiness at Gia's response, excited about her clever plan. Little did she realize that her scheme would only cause her mother to grow more attached and worried about Zara, rather than pushing her away.