Her eyes filled.
“I never wanted to hurt you.”
“But you were willing to.”
The distinction silenced her.
I pointed toward the envelope.
“You are going to tell the lawyer everything you know about Daniel.
You are going to stop communicating with him unless the lawyer advises otherwise.
And you are not going to sign or submit anything else using my information.”
She nodded, crying silently.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“And the towel?”
She looked up, confused.
“What?”
“You used my discomfort as a weapon.
You knew I had asked you to stop, and you continued because you wanted to provoke Andrew.”
She lowered her head.
“I thought I could make him slip.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel said every man had a price.”
I looked at Andrew.
He was standing quietly beside the table, his expression unreadable.
“Did you believe him?”
I asked.
Kayla whispered, “I wanted to.”
That answer hurt more than any excuse could have.
