“But with better hair,” Eva adds solemnly, which sends them into fresh fits of laughter.
Adrian, who’s been quietly observing throughout dinner, finally speaks up. “Thank you,” he says simply. “For everything you’ve done for our family.”
Eva’s expression shutters slightly. “I haven’t done anything that demands gratitude.”
“You have,” he says firmly. “Maisie’s treatment, the rent money Robin sent, the…opportunities you’ve given Robin. I know it’s because of you. So thank you.”
For a moment, Eva looks completely at a loss for words. I realize this might be the first time anyone has thanked her for something that wasn’t business-related.
“You’re very welcome,” she says finally, her voice softer than usual.
After dinner, we head back to the hotel, where Eva has booked a series of suites with more rooms than our entire apartment building. The kids’ eyes go wide at the velvet drapes and crystal chandeliers.
“Order all the room service you can handle,” Eva tells Alicia and Dane. “My treat.”
Their faces light up like Christmas morning.
“Honestly,” Adrian says, sinking into an armchair so comfortable that I’m seriously considering trying to smuggle it home, “all I want is sleep.”
I study his face, noting the exhaustion he’s trying to hide. He’s been working two jobs and taking care of everyone in my absence, while I’ve been swanning around a gothic castle and indulging myself in Rome.
“Go to bed,” I tell him firmly. “Sleep. We’ll handle everything else.”
He doesn’t argue, which tells me how tired he really is.
That leaves Maisie, who has somehow convinced Leon to play a car-chase video game with her on the suite’s enormous TV and state-of-the-art gaming consoles.
“This is illegal,” Leon points out as her character steals another vehicle.
“It’s just a game,” Maisie giggles, expertly evading digital police.
“Hmm.” Leon’s expression is perfectly serious. “I see I’ll have to teach you the importance of obeying the law.”
His voice drips with irony, and I have to bite back a laugh. Eva catches my eye and shakes her head in amusement.
“Don’t worry,” Leon tells me when he notices my expression. “I’ll make sure she understands that crime doesn’t pay. You ladies go off and enjoy yourself.”
Eva and I slip away to the balcony with glasses of wine while Leon continues his “law and order” education of my little sister. The city sparkles below us, a sea of neon and possibility.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I say softly, settling into the chair beside hers. “But thank you. This is such a gift. Not just to me, but to them.”
Eva stiffens slightly, staring into her wineglass. “Don’t thank me.”
“Why not?”
She’s quiet for so long I think she won’t answer. When she speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper.
“I’ve done nothing but bad things in my life. I brought worse into yours.” She looks up at me, and in the neon glow I can see something raw and vulnerable in her amber eyes. “What have I really done for you, Robin? I bought you. I abused you.”
“Eva—”
“I’m not a good person,” she continues, her accent thickening as she seems to become more emotional. “I’ve built an empire on violence and fear. But somehow you…” She gestures helplessly between us. “You make me feel like I could be something else. Someone else. But I’m not. I’m exactly what I’ve always been.”
I set down my wine and turn to face her fully. “We didn’t start under the best circumstances,” I say carefully. “I won’t pretend otherwise. But I feel like we’ve built something better since then. Something positive. Am I wrong?”
Eva shakes her head slowly, but I can see the conflict in her expression.
“Look at tonight,” I continue. “Look at how you were with my family. The way you made them feel welcome and special and important.”
