Mr Hayes arrived without ceremony, the door swinging inward before Laura could decide whether to answer. He wore the same composed expression he'd worn at the auction: a measured smile, eyes that catalogued damage and found it entertaining. Behind him, the city hummed; inside.
"You were spectacular tonight," he said, stepping across the marble as if it were his own stage. "The bidding, the interruption, especially the slap, ohhh I personally love that part. Everyone remembers a scene and people love a spectacule
Laura kept her face still. She had rehearsed a dozen comebacks on the drive home, but none of them fit the rawness of the moment. She had seen him at the auction; she had watched him watch her. That knowledge made his presence sharper, more deliberate.
"You were there," she said, after a pause continued "You saw it."
