"You really do care deeply for Miss Galloway, going to such lengths against your own wife for her sake."
"Then again, if Attorney Henson hadn't forced her way in and pressured you into marrying her, you and Miss Galloway could have been together openly this whole time."
Bryce said nothing. His silence was confirmation enough.
Rosamond's hand, raised to knock, shook so violently she couldn't control it. The shock tore through her like a physical blow.
So it had been Olympia all along. And Bryce had approved every bit of it.
He must have given Olympia her private photos. Let her doctor them. Let her frame her.
All because Rosamond hadn't handed over the Pinnacle Corp case the way Olympia wanted.
What Brian said. Bryce's heart belonged to Olympia?
But he had told her, to her face, that Olympia was just the girl next door. Like a little sister.
He had been lying to her all along.
The color drained from Rosamond's face. In that instant, it was as if ice water had been poured over her from head to toe, soaking through to the bone. Her heart went cold with it.
——
She clenched her jaw, forcing the tears back by sheer will.
She had just turned to leave when the door swung open. Brian stared at her, wide-eyed:
"Attorney Henson, what are you doing here?"
Bryce heard the commotion and stepped forward, reaching for her hand:
"Rosa, how long have you been standing there?"
Guilt flickered across both their faces, terrified she had overheard.
Rosamond forced the faintest trace of a smile:
"Just got here."
Bryce exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders almost imperceptibly. He shot Brian a look. Brian caught it, nodded, and slipped out of the room.
Rosamond pretended she hadn't noticed the exchange. She let Bryce lead her by the hand into his office.
She looked at him, swallowing the storm raging inside her, and said quietly:
"I saw your interview this morning."
A flash of panic crossed Bryce's eyes, but he recovered quickly:
"I'm sorry, Rosa. I know you want to ask why I didn't speak up for you."
"The interview this morning was supposed to promote a company product. The whole thing caught me off guard. I didn't know how to respond without making it worse."
Rosamond cut him off. Her voice wavered:
"So you chose to say nothing at all?"
"Because of your silence, the whole world thinks it's true now. You're the one who wanted those photos taken. Why won't you admit it?"
Bryce's voice dropped: