Ria burst out into laughter. “You think?”
Oh god. “I’m a monster.”
She shook her head.
“In my defense, you were certainly acting like someone in the employ of my villainous half-brother.” I was trying to justify my actions to myself, but it was only semi-convincing.
She had a comeback, as always. “Any chance that’s because you were acting like someone who was going to kidnap, torture and murder me?”
Yes. She was right. I’d somehow expected her to beg for forgiveness, or offer immediate apologies. I’d forgotten who I was dealing with. She had a tremendous amount of strength... and a tremendous amount of pride. That warm feeling that I didn’t quite understand was rising up in my chest again. Too many mixed emotions.
I had to call an end to this. “My driver will see you home.”
“And what are you going to do? Sit here in this interrogation room and... ponder?”
“I have more than one driver, Ms Moon.”
She looked at me curiously, and a brief shadow passed over her expression. What had I said that had caused her to look like that? Never mind. I needed to be done with this.
I pushed open the door to the room and beckoned the nearest member of my security detail over. “She’s good to go. See her home safely, please. See to her every need, etcetera.”
I didn’t look at Ria as she left. And then she was gone.
RIA
Iwas driven home by Forest’s staff feeling mainly relief. The interaction, as my interactions with Apollo had done, had left a bad taste in my mouth. It was an ugly situation. But at least it was all out in the open now.
Apart from those two pink lines...
Ugh. I’d somehow been able to mostly forget about that uncomfortable revelation. ‘The Tower’ indeed. I’d remembered it briefly when Forest had accused me of trying to get pregnant so Apollo could use the child against him. My anger had flared when I’d remembered it. I’d barely had time to process the news myself, and I felt conflicted.
And that moment that Forest had called me ‘Ms Moon’... It was so like his brother that it sent a shiver up my spine. What had I really gotten myself into?
When I arrived back, Grandmother was full of questions for me. But I batted them all off and retired to my room, feeling miserable.
A few days later, I got a letter from the hospital ‘confirming’ that the outstanding invoices for my mother’s medical treatment had been paid in full, as well as in advance for all future treatments, from a new account.
I stared at it in total bafflement.
I called for my mom out of habit. “Mom, do you know anything about this?”
Then, so she didn’t have to make an unnecessary trip, I went through to her room.
She craned up at me from bed. “What was that, Ria?”
“Do you know anything about your medical bills being paid off?”
She stared at me blankly. I handed her the letter. I watched as her eyes grew wide and round.
“No, child. I have no idea.”
Grandmother, sensing drama, swept through into the room with her eerie grace. “What’s happening here?”
My mom handed her the letter. I scowled, knowing what was coming.
My grandmother scanned the letter and fell to her knees. “A miracle!”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not a miracle, gran. Some anonymous weirdo has decided to gift us money. I want to find out why.”