I say nothing, letting her go on.
“I think that was her way of getting as far away from me as possible. And I figure it was a just punishment for what I did to you. I ended up losing both of my daughters.”
I don’t know how to respond, so I don’t say anything at all.
Thankfully, there’s a knock at the door.
“Yes?” I ask, turning around.
Oscar pokes his head into the room, his expression tensing as he puts together that he just walked in on a serious conversation.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” Liza says, “we were just chatting.”
He nods. “Well, then. You have a visitor, Miss Thea. Miss Amanda Reed.”
“Huh?” I turn my body around fully. “Amanda? She wants to see me?”
“Indeed. Specifically asked for you. Shall I tell her you’re indisposed?”
Part of me wants to say yes. The last time I spoke with Amanda, she wasn’t exactly kind to me.
But curiosity wins.
“Go ahead. I’ll finish up here,” Liza says.
“Okay,” I say to Oscar. “I’ll see her. The sitting room?”
He nods. “I’ll have tea brought in.”
Amanda is already seated when I arrive. She’s perfectly composed in a cream blouse and tailored slacks, her hair in achic and effortless-looking chignon. She stands when I enter, offering me a professional prim smile.
“Thea. Thank you for seeing me.”
“Amanda.” I scan the room quickly, as if I might be walking into a trap. “This is unexpected.”
I take the chair across from her, keeping both my expression and my posture neutral.
She sits back down. “I’m sure it is. Listen. I wanted to apologize for my behavior a few weeks ago. I was out of line.”
The words sound rehearsed. Then again, it’s likely that a lawyer like her doesn’t say anything she hasn’t carefully planned out.
“You were,” I agree.
She glances aside for a moment before turning her attention back to me. “I let my personal feelings interfere with my professionalism. That’s not acceptable.” She pauses. “Gabriel and I have a history, as I’m sure you know. And seeing him with someone new—seeing him care about someone in the way he clearly cares about you—it brought up some complicated emotions.”
I study her, looking for the catch. Because there’s always a catch with women like her.
“Not to mention, it wasn’t just unprofessional, it was rude. Rude and insulting. I had no right to speak to you that way. So I wanted to say that I’m sorry. In person.”
Before I can respond, Oscar steps into the room and pours two cups of tea. As he pours, he gives me a private little look, one thatsays,Would you like me to cut this short?I quickly shake my head, and he nods discreetly.
The steam from the tea drifts up to my nose, and I get a little queasy. It’s just a tinge of nausea, but strong enough to make me shift in my seat. I put it out of my head as Oscar departs, leaving Amanda and me alone again.
“I appreciate the apology,” I say.
She clears her throat. “I also wanted to say that I respect what you’re doing, coming forward and standing up to Kolya. It takes courage.” Amanda leans forward slightly. “And I want you to know that I’m on your side. Whatever you need—local support, documentation, anything—I’m here.”
