Jasper had raised her well. Nina never should’ve doubted that.
And suddenly she felt herself spiraling.
Her heart ached brutally at the thought that this girl—this beautiful, gentle girl—was the child she had brought into the world.
If only she hadn’t acted out of fear back then… if only she’d looked past her pain… everything could’ve been different.
Nina reached for her purse without thinking, then froze when she felt her fingers shake.
Taking her pills in front of her daughter—bad idea.
“So… maybe we could at least exchange numbers?” Lynn suggested suddenly, her voice a little eager.“I’d love to take you out to dinner to thank you properly.”
“No, no,that’s really not necessary,” Nina rushed to refuse, waving her hands slightly.“I’m honestly just glad you’re okay, but…”
She paused, swallowed.
“…you don’t have to.”
Lynn’s face fell for a moment; she sighed quietly.
“All right. But if you ever…” She hesitated. “…if you ever change your mind, just tell my dad. I’d be happy to.”
Nina nodded again, but inside she felt herself fold inward.
Fold from the knowledge that, in this room, she was nothing but a liar, a woman Lynn was thanking for saving her life, without knowing the truth of how her life had begun.
“If you get hungry,” Lynn said with a soft smile,“help yourself. There’s enough for Dad and for you too.”
Nina didn’t know what to say—she only pulled the bag a little closer to her out of reflex.
“Then I’ll go,” Lynn added, taking a step toward the door. But she didn’t get to touch it—the door suddenly swung open on its own.
Jasper walked in.
He stopped in the doorway, and everything in him went still. His eyes landed on Lynn first… then on Nina. His face hardened instantly.
The silence that followed pressed against the walls, thick and heavy. No one moved.
Lynn broke it first, her voice overly bright—as if she were trying to smooth over the awkwardness.
“Dad, I just dropped off your dinner. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
She cast a quick glance at Nina, checking—almost anxiously—that things were okay, then hurried past her father. She paused in the doorway, looked back for a second:
“Goodbye.”
The door closed behind her, and what remained inside the office was nothing but weighted, suffocating silence.
Scowling, Nina pushed herself up from his chair sharply.
“So Lynn works here?” Her voice was tense.
Jasper didn’t answer right away. For a moment he looked like he was deciding whether he should answer at all. When he did, his gaze was cool and distant.
“You’re not here to discuss where Lynn works,” he said flatly.
Nina nodded. She understood.
