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With one last lingering glance, Evan released my hand and stepped back, allowing me to enter The Oasis—certainly an apt name. I checked in at the front desk, and an attendant escorted me to a private dressing room where a thick white robe and slippers were waiting. The attendant was still there when I emerged in my spa attire, and she smiled serenely as she led me down a hall into a treatment room.
When the doors closed behind me, I allowed myself a moment to bask in the serenity, the soft notes of ambient music and the scent of essential oils whisking away any lingering unease. If there was any better place to have this conversation, I wasn’t aware of it.
For the first half-hour, I relaxed into the luxurious experience, sitting in a massage chair while getting a soothing facial. I savored every second of it. This was a welcome respite from the storm that might await me, and I’d no intention of squandering it.
After the facial, the same attendant led me into the salon, where I knew Rosalind was currently scheduled for a pedicure. If my timing was right, she’d be soaking her feet at this very moment, with nowhere else to go.
I stepped inside as Rosalind’s eyes lifted casually, clearly not expecting to see me standing before her. She jerked upright, nearly dropping her mimosa.
“Well, well,” she said with a drawl, recovering quickly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Look who we have here.”
“Rosalind,” I said with a small smile. “Fancy meeting you here.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, please, I’m not surprised you found me.”
I shrugged, keeping my tone casual as I took the spa chair next to her. “Coincidence, actually. Evan is here on business, and I came along. After everything that happened,” I said, forcing a shaky laugh. “You know, with the kidnapping? He thought I deserved a little pampering.”
Rosalind’s eyes flickered with unease at the mention of the kidnapping, but she tried not to display any other emotion. Silence fell between us, save for the soft splash of water as our feet shuffled against the basins. I watched Rosalind. She might act as if she didn’t care, but her eyes couldn’t hide the turmoil.
“I didn’t know about any of that until it was over,” she said bitterly. “I wasn’t there. By the time I found out, you’d escaped and thrown everything into chaos.”
I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. That was my cue. It was now or never. “Are you seriously okay with this, Rosalind? With everything that’s happening? The things your father has done?” I lowered my voice, taking a risk when I said, “The way he’s using you?”
She scoffed, a harsh, brittle sound which echoed around the salon. “Of course not,” she snapped, her gaze sharp on mine. “Do you think I wanted to get pregnant? To ruin my figure and endure months of misery?”
I fought to hide my grimace. How could she think that way about giving life to such a precious little girl? I would never understand but still needed to keep her talking.
“Then, why did you?”
She glared at me. “Like I had a choice.” She sighed, a hint of vulnerability creeping into her tone for the first time. “My father was furious when he found out the baby was a girl. He acted like it was my fault. He still wanted to use her, of course, but he was convinced things would’ve gone smoother if I’d given him a male alpha heir.” She sneered. “That’s all he’s ever wanted.”
Evan’s story from earlier popped into my mind, and impossibly, I found myself feeling sorry for this woman.
“But he didn’t think about what I wanted. As usual.” Rosalind’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I never wanted kids. He said I wouldn’t have to raise the baby. But now things aren’t going his way, he’s forcing my hand with the custody case. He’s telling me I’ll have to be a mother now.”
I felt cold fear at the thought of Rosalind taking Sofia from us, but I tried my best to stay focused. “Why? What’s this really all about, Rosalind?”
“It’s about Evan. What else could it be? My father is convinced that if he gets Sofia, Evan will follow. That’s what he really wants: the power he’ll gain having Evan under his thumb. He knows how protective Evan is of her, and he believes Evan won’t want to be separated from his child. He’ll do whatever’s necessary to be with her, including giving in to his demands.”
Her words hung in the air. It was true, Evan would never let Sofia go. If it came down to it and the Hawthornes won custody, would he bend to their will? Would he give Tomas exactly what he wanted?
“Why are you telling me this?” She was being so forthcoming, I wondered if Evan were right and this was a trick.
But when Rosalind looked at me, her hazel eyes, so similar to Sofia’s, flashing with desperation, I knew she was being genuine. “Because I want out, Mariah.”
I’d expected venom, hatred, pettiness. What I hadn’t expected was honesty. I watched Rosalind, her face pinched with the stress and the pressure she was under. This was a woman trapped in a situation she didn’t want to be in, just like we’d suspected. I wanted to push her for more, but I needed to play this part very carefully. What happened next would be vital to getting her on our side.
I waited patiently, and when she spoke again, I barely contained my sigh of relief when she opened up to me.
Rosalind’s gaze dropped to the soaking basin, her toes idly swirling in the water around her feet. “I have someone I’m in—” She cleared her throat. “Someone I’m interested in. But with all this bullshit going on, we can’t really be together. Having a baby on my hip won’t help matters, either.”
I swallowed hard as I thought of what to say next.
“So don’t,” I said, watching her closely as I carefully played my next card. “Don’t take custody. You could drop the lawsuit, run away with your lover, start fresh.”
Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. “I can’t, Mariah. I can’t just leave.” She looked defeated, her shoulders slumping.
“Why not?”
