I step back from Olivia, my hands raised to stop her advance. The sight of Gabriel's mother standing half-naked in my reception hall fills me with something between disgust and pity.
"Put your clothes on," I say firmly.
She freezes, confusion flickering across her face. "I don't understand."
"I said put your clothes on."
"But I thought—"
"You thought wrong."
She stands there for a moment, exposed and vulnerable. Rain continues hammering against the windows like nature's applause for this twisted performance.
"You're rejecting me?" she asks, genuine bewilderment in her voice.
"I'm refusing to participate in your humiliation."
Her face crumples. She grabs her blouse from the floor and clutches it against her chest.
"I don't know what else to offer you," she whispers.
"Your dignity isn't for sale, Mrs. Donovan."
"Then what do you want from me?"
