“Keep it safe.”
“I will.”
She kissed my cheek and walked out holding Jenna’s hand.
When the door closed, the room felt colder.
I turned to Bianca.
“Did Adrian tell you Claire was his wife?”
“No.”
“But you called her that.”
“He reserved the suite for his wife and son. Then Claire arrived with Noah. I assumed—”
“You wanted to assume.”
She met my eyes.
“Yes.”
The honesty surprised me.
“Why?”
Color rose along her neck.
“Because he made me feel important.”
There it was.
Not a grand affair confessed in dramatic detail. Not a scheming villainess announcing victory.
Something smaller and sadder.
“He called late,” Bianca continued. “He asked me to handle things no one else could. He said I understood him. He complained that home was complicated.”
“Did he touch you?”
“No.”
“Did he promise you something?”
“No. Not directly.”
“But you hoped.”
Her eyes filled, though she did not cry.
