That's how reciprocity works.
Ines wasn't the type to refuse easily, so she agreed.
Timothy stood up and said, "Please, come with me."
Jessica, unable to leave the villa and uninterested in meeting Timothy's guest, made her way down to the basement.
The basement housed the collection room.
Inside, Timothy's precious treasures were displayed-rare items he'd collected over the years.
Jessica rarely came down here, but the place was always spotless. She only checked in during the damp season to make sure nothing was getting musty; she never paid much attention to the objects themselves.
Her heart and mind were filled with thoughts of Timothy-these items were just his trappings, things that added to his aura.
She didn't want them, nor did she envy them.
The only thing she wanted-greedily, desperately was for Timothy to love her.
With nothing else to do, she wandered among the displays, letting her eyes linger on the items.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps.
unmistakably Timothy's
And another set-his guest.
Jessica always tried to stay out of sight. She'd heard Mabel mention that Timothy sometimes showed his collection to visitors-sometimes
bring things to
slipped into a small storage room nearby, hiding
Ines into
moment Ines stepped in,
had it that Timothy Lawson was a man of impressive means, but seeing
treasures displayed with exquisite taste-paintings, antiques, gold and
free to
eyes widened
today
God she'd
saw the state she was in after getting
work with you-and now I see your reputation
hard it hurt,
grandmother, the person who'd
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