“She agreed to stay,” I said, changing the subject. “One week trial.”
“Good.” Kael crossed his arms. “But you need to give her space, Gideon. Real space. Not the illusion of it.”
“I am giving her space. This entire suite is her space.”
“That you’ve filled with everything she could possibly want so she never has to leave it and ask you for anything.” He gestured at the room. “You’re trying to control her environment. Make it so perfect she doesn’t want to go anywhere. But that’s not what she needs right now.”
“Then what does she need?”
“Time,” he said. “Freedom. The ability to ask for things instead of having them anticipated. Agency in a situation where she feels like she has none.” He paused. “I know you want to fix what Ashford did. You can’t. She has to do that herself.”
“I can
