That night, Vivian showed me something.
But Robert showed me more.
Not when he went pale. Not when his wife insulted me. In the half second before he said my name, his first instinct was not concern for my daughter.
It was fear.
At home, my nanny, Mrs. Alvarez, helped me put Mia to bed. Mia woke briefly as I changed her into pajamas.
“Mommy,” she murmured, “was the lady mad because we weren’t shiny?”
I brushed a curl from her forehead.
“No, sweetheart. Some people make mistakes because they only look with their eyes, not their hearts.”
Mia thought about it.
“She should use her heart next time.”
Downstairs, Mrs. Alvarez made tea and asked what happened. I told her enough.
Her mouth tightened.
“Your daughter saw it. That is the part I cannot forgive.”
Then Marissa called.
She had heard enough to know Robert was panicking.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
The question surprised me. People asked if the company was stable, if deals were safe, if votes would hold. Few asked if I was all right.
“I will be,” I said.
“And Mia?”
“She asked if someone was angry because we weren’t shiny.”
Marissa went silent.