Her mother closed the folder and set it aside. With slow grace, she folded her hands on her lap. “And what exactly do you think I did, Arielle?”
“You buried it,” Arielle said, her throat tight. “You made it disappear. Whatever happened to Celine—whatever the scandal was—you covered it up. And now people think I was part of it. Kairo thinks I was part of it. Why?”
Her mother studied her, silent for a long moment. Then she sighed, as though Arielle had finally asked a question that was inevitable. “Because it had to be done.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is.” Her mother’s voice was calm, firm, not defensive. “It had to be done. For the family. For our name. For everything we’ve built.”
Arielle felt her chest tighten. “You’re admitting it?”
“There’s nothing to admit,” her mother replied.
