That was when I noticed the little silver recorder beside her teacup.
Its red light was on.
Patricia followed my gaze.
“Don’t worry, dear. I simply prefer to keep records of important conversations.”
I suddenly understood the arrangement.
If I refused the money, she could edit the conversation to make me appear greedy or unreasonable. If I accepted, she could show Ryan the recording and claim I’d agreed to abandon him.
Either way, she planned to control the story.
But Patricia had made one mistake.
She had assumed I was still the frightened young woman who cried in her bathroom after being insulted at dinner.
I wasn’t.
I had spent the previous evening talking to Elaine, who had told me something else.
Before cutting her off, Patricia had sent Elaine a letter claiming Ryan’s father had left the family because Elaine had encouraged him to abandon his son.
Elaine had never believed it.
