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"I heard you," her aunt growls, "and I read it right here."

"Then I don't know what you expect me to say."

"For God's sake, Claudia," she mutters, irritated. "I expect you to at least say it won't happen again and have the decency to show a little remorse. It's a matter of respect for everyone else here, do you understand? Everyone here shows up on time, does their job, and earns their paycheck every single day. When you're late, you're telling them they're beneath you—that you're better than them and don't need to get up early to live like a damn queen."

That gets a reaction from Claudia. Laia, who has been staring at her own hands and telling herself that if she doesn't look at anyone she'll become invisible, catches out of the corner of her eye how the woman beside her shifts in her seat, uncrosses one leg and crosses the other with that effortless elegance that makes time seem to stop when you watch her. Laia dares to look up and sees her swallow, the line of her perfect jaw tightening.

"I'm sorry," she says at last, holding her aunt's gaze.

The comment surprises Laia for two reasons: first, that she would apologize at all, and second, that she seems to mean it—another thing about this woman that throws her off, because she doesn't behave like the complete egomaniac someone like her ought to be.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Laia for wasting her time."

Elvira has her hands folded on the desk, a habit of hers during meetings when she's angry, but what Laia can't see is that she's squeezing them tight, her stomach knotted with a sadness she can't let show. After years without seeing her niece, having to be this hard on her hurts, because this isn't the relationship she'd imagined if they ever reconnected—but she hadn't expected Claudia to be this difficult either, and if she's going to help her, she has to hold firm.

"She doesn't need to apologize…" Laia starts, and stops when her boss's sharp golden eyes—so much like her niece's now that she notices—land on her.

"I'm sorry." Claudia looks directly at her when she says it, and Laia has to fight the urge to burst into tears and hug her at the same time when she sees her expression.

She has never seen anyone look the way she does in that moment—like a lost child, one of those kids who goes through life feeling like they're doing everything wrong without knowing what to change to make people happy.

"Okay. Thank you."

Claudia gives a small nod and turns back to her aunt.

"Good. With that said, it seems you've shown some interest in administration. Do you like it? Invoicing, management?"

"No."

Claudia's answer is so direct that her aunt is speechless for a few seconds.

"No?" she asks, taken aback.

"You said I have to rotate, didn't you? I like doing things right. That's all."

Laia glances at her boss, who can't hide her surprise, and for a moment feels a wave of relief at seeing that she isn't the only one who struggles to understand Claudia's behavior.

"That's good. Your parents will be glad to hear it."

"I'm not doing it for them," Claudia says. "Are we done? I'd love to get back to Cecilia and see her face when she realizes you still haven't fired me."

Laia can't hold back her smile despite everything, and Elvira has to concentrate hard to hide hers.

"Yes. We're done."

Claudia stands, pushes her chair back to the table, and walks out. Laia does the same but pauses for a moment in front of the desk.

"Is it necessary for me to be present at these meetings?"

"Yes." Elvira doesn't even look up. She opens her laptop and gets to work, the meeting over as far as she's concerned.

With a sigh of resignation, Laia turns and steps into the hallway—and stops when she sees Claudia still there. She's standing next to the window, hands at her sides, gaze lost somewhere on the floor. She doesn't notice Laia's presence, or anyone else's, because she's completely somewhere else, as if she's gone off to another place and left her body behind.

"Claudia…" Laia murmurs, getting no response.

She approaches carefully and rests a hand on her arm.

"Claudia," she tries again—and even then, Elvira's niece takes a few seconds to come back from wherever she's been, because she doesn't react right away, and when she does, she turns slowly, as if moving takes effort. "Are you okay?"