“Do they?”
Oh. Shit.
“Yes. Apparently, there was quite the bidding war.” Dex glanced at me proudly, then back at the canvas.
So Liam didn’tknow.
He hadn’t decided for me, tried to take away the risk. I’d made that assumption, and I’d punished him for it.
Of course Dex didn’t recognize Eliza from the painting… they’d never actually met, not even on the night we’d broken in. It had just been Liam and Ben there.
Dex looked at me again.
“Funny how you were drawn to it, too. I guess I have taste.” He laughed lightly. “It’s one of those pieces that stays with you. Feels like it’s holding something back.”
I nodded.
“Sorry for the wanky art-speak,” he added. “That sounded ridiculous. What do you like about it?”
I paintedit.
“The girl,” I said. “She looks fragile, but she’s not. You can see it in her eyes, her posture. But the image is all blurred around her, closing in. Like she’s sitting in a sort of cage that expects her to be a certain way, but you know she’s waiting until she—”
“What?” said Dex. “Don’t keep a guy hanging.”
Until she can live the life she was meantto.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “Make her own decisions. Make mistakes. So life feels real, not like someone’s smoothing the edges off without her permission.”
Did I really try to make everything safe all thetime?
That was what I’d accused Liam of.
But he hadn’t.
Ihad.
“I guess you really do know a thing or two about art.”
“Sorry, Dex,” I said. “I’ve got to go.”
*
To: Employee Relations, Novexia
Attention: BonnieMarchand
I am writing to clarify and correct the statement I submitted regarding my interaction with Mr. Liam Roth on Monday, July7.
On rereading the document, I recognize that while the factual sequence described is accurate, the emphasis and framing overstated my discomfort and the extent to which I felt my consent or professional autonomy had beencompromised.
I want to be clear that my interaction with Mr. Roth was consensual, and that no pressure, inducement, or threat was made, either implicitly or explicitly. My concern at the time arose from uncertainty and anxiety following his formal introduction to the company, not from any conduct on hispart.
I regret that my earlier statement may have created an implication of misconduct. That was not my intention, and it does not reflect my consideredview.
I am submitting this clarification to ensure the record accurately represents my experience andintent.
AndreaJones
