She looked at me for a long moment.
“Adrian.”
Just my name.
No surprise.
No tears.
No question about why I had come.
“You knew I would be here,” I said.
“I knew your company was sponsoring the competition.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
A faint, humorless smile touched her lips.
“Tell you what?”
I glanced toward the stage.
“About them.”
Marianne followed my gaze.
Chloe and Sophie were speaking with the judges while photographers gathered around them.
“They’ve been alive for thirteen years,” she replied. “You had thirteen years to ask questions.”
The words struck harder than any insult.
“I didn’t know you were pregnant with twins.”
“You knew I was pregnant.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
She was right.
Thirteen years ago, I had known Marianne was expecting a child.
I had simply decided that the child no longer belonged in the life I wanted.
