Noa sat in her dimly lit apartment, her fingers drumming rhythmically against the arm of her chair. The dinner with Liora had gone even better than expected. She had planted the seed of doubt and opportunity in Liora's mind, and now it was time to water it.
Picking up her phone, Noa dialed her father. His voice came through on the third ring, smooth and calculating.
"Noa," he greeted. "I assume you have something important to share?"
"Of course," Noa replied, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Liora is soft, just as we thought. She's practically begging for a solution to her vineyard's problems. I made her think expansion and investors might be her way out."
"And she believed you?" her father asked, his tone sharp with interest.
"She's halfway there," Noa said confidently. "She's too trusting, and Ziv will seal the deal. He'll recommend the investors you arrange, and she'll jump at the opportunity. It's perfect."
Her father chuckled. "I'll make the arrangements. The investors will be ready as soon as she takes the bait."
"Good," Noa replied. "We can't afford any mistakes. Once she signs with your investors, the vineyard is as good as ours."
Her father's voice turned colder. "You sound sure of yourself."
"I am," Noa said firmly. "Liora's too easy to manipulate. She wants to save her family's legacy, and we're giving her a way to do it. She won't see it coming until it's too late."
While Noa schemed, Ziv was already preparing his next move. He knew that Liora trusted him, and he planned to use that trust to guide her exactly where he and Noa wanted. The thought of betraying her nagged at the back of his mind, but he quickly shoved it aside. This wasn't about emotions—it was about survival.
He spent the morning researching talking points he could use when Liora came to him. She would, of course, ask for his opinion on the idea of investors, and he would make sure she believed it was the only way to save her vineyard.
Liora stood in the vineyard later that day, staring out at the endless rows of vines. Noa's words from the dinner echoed in her mind. Sometimes all it takes is the right vision and the right people to back you up.
She chewed her bottom lip, a sense of unease creeping over her. Expanding the vineyard seemed like a risky move, but she couldn't deny that the business was struggling. Was Noa right? Could investors be the solution?
That evening, as she sat at the kitchen table with her father, she hesitated before bringing it up.
"Dad," she began cautiously, "I've been thinking about something."
Her father looked up from his papers, his expression curious. "What's on your mind, sweetheart?"
"Investors," Liora said quickly, before she could change her mind. "What if we found people willing to invest in the vineyard? It could give us the resources we need to grow."
Her father frowned. "Investors? That's a big step, Liora. Are you sure that's the direction we should take?"
"I don't know," she admitted, her voice soft. "But things aren't getting better, Dad. We have to do something. I was talking to Ziv about it, and he might know some people who could help."
Her father's frown deepened, but he didn't dismiss the idea outright. "Alright," he said finally. "If Ziv thinks it's a good idea, we'll explore it. But we need to be careful."
True to Noa's prediction, she went straight to Ziv the next morning.
"I've been thinking about what Noa said," Liora began as they walked through the vineyard together. "She mentioned investors, and I brought it up to my dad. He seemed open to the idea if it's the right people. Do you know anyone who might be interested?"
Ziv hid his smirk behind a mask of concern. "Investors could be a good idea," he said thoughtfully. "I actually know a group that's worked with small vineyards before. They're reputable, and I think they'd be interested in something like this."
Liora's face lit up with hope. "Really? You think they'd help us?"
"I'll reach out to them," Ziv promised. "Let me do some groundwork, and I'll get back to you."
Later that day, Ziv called Noa.
"It's done," he said simply. "Liora brought up the investors, and I pointed her in the right direction."
Noa's voice was laced with satisfaction. "Good. Once she meets with them and signs the deal, the vineyard will be ours. She won't even realize she's handing it over until it's too late."
"You're sure this will work?" Ziv asked, a rare note of doubt creeping into his tone.
"It will," Noa said confidently. "Liora is desperate, and desperate people make mistakes. This plan is flawless."
Ziv ended the call, unease prickling at the edges of his mind. Noa's confidence was contagious, but part of him wondered what would happen if Liora ever found out the truth.