Chapter 148

Agnes

The following morning, I stood in the design department’s fabric storeroom, surrounded by endless bolts of luxurious materials. How long had I been in here? Minutes? Hours?

The sketches for my new dress were complete, and the patterns were cut, but I still couldn’t decide on a color. After the disaster with the emerald gown, I wanted something different, something that would make a statement without reminding anyone of the fashion show incident.

My fingers traced over a bolt of midnight blue silk, then moved to a deep burgundy velvet. Neither felt right. The dress design was bold, almost armor-like with its structured bodice and dramatic lines. It needed a color that would complement the design without overpowering it.

I pulled out my phone to snap pictures of a few swatches side by side when it started buzzing in my hand. The caller ID showed Thea’s school. My stomach instantly knotted.

“Hello?” I answered, moving away from the fabric racks.

“Luna Agnes? This is Principal Davis,” came a stern female voice. “I’m calling about Thea. There’s been an incident, and we need you to come in right away.”

My heart dropped. “Is she okay? Is she hurt?”

“She’s fine,” the principal assured me, “but she’s been involved in a physical altercation with another student. We need you to come pick her up.”

“I’ll be right there,” I said, already heading for the door.

Without hesitation, I grabbed my purse from my office and left. The drive to Thea’s school took fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. My mind raced with possibilities. Thea had never been in trouble at school before. What could have happened?

When I arrived, I was directed to the principal’s office, where I found Thea sitting in a chair outside. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout. A band-aid covered her knuckles on her right hand.

“Thea,” I said, kneeling in front of her. “What happened?”

She looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. “I punched Ryan Miller in the nose.”

I blinked, taken aback by her blunt admission. “You… punched him? Why would you do that?”

Before she could answer, the office door opened, and Principal Davis appeared, a slender woman with graying hair pulled back in a severe bun.

“Agnes, thank you for coming so quickly,” she said, gesturing for me to enter her office. “Thea, you come in too.”

We followed her inside, where I sat in one of the chairs facing her desk. Thea climbed into the other, still pouting.

“I understand there was an altercation?” I prompted, glancing between Thea and the principal.

Principal Davis sighed. “Yes. During recess, Thea punched Ryan Miller in the face. He’s got quite a bloody nose, but fortunately nothing appears to be broken.”

I winced, turning to look at Thea. “What happened? Why did you do that?”

Her lip trembled slightly. “He was being mean. He and his stupid friends.”

“What did they say?” I asked gently.

Thea’s eyes welled up with tears. “They saw the fashion show on TV. The fight between you and…” she hesitated, obviously not wanting to call Olivia her mother. “Her. They were saying dad has two wives and that I could be anyone’s daughter. Ryan said I was probably picked up off the street like a stray dog.”

My chest tightened at her words. Of course the kids at school had seen the incident. It had been all over social media and even on the local news. I should have prepared Thea better for the potential fallout.

“That’s very hurtful,” I acknowledged, “but hitting isn’t the answer.”

“I told him to shut up first,” Thea said defensively. “I told him three times. He wouldn’t stop.”

Principal Davis cleared her throat. “We take bullying very seriously here, and I’ll be speaking with Ryan and his parents as well. However, our zero-tolerance policy on physical aggression means Thea will need to serve a one-day suspension. She can return to school the day after tomorrow.”

I nodded, understanding the policy even if I hated seeing Thea punished when she’d clearly been provoked. “We understand. And Thea will apologize to Ryan.”

Thea’s head snapped up. “But he—”

“Will also be apologizing to you,” the principal interjected firmly. “As I said, we take bullying seriously. But we can’t condone violence, no matter the provocation.”

After signing some paperwork and collecting Thea’s backpack from her classroom, we headed to the car in silence. Thea climbed into the back seat, still pouting.

“I’m not sorry,” she muttered as I pulled out of the school parking lot. “He deserved it.”

I sighed, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror. “Thea, I understand you were hurt and angry. But punching someone is never the answer. There are better ways to handle mean kids.”

“Like what?”

“Next time, just walk away,” I suggested. “Find your friends. Don’t give bullies the satisfaction of seeing you upset.”

Thea went quiet for a long moment, staring out the window. Then, in a small voice, she asked, “Is Olivia really my mother?”

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, trying to keep my expression neutral.

“What makes you ask that?”

Thea picked at the band-aid on her knuckles. “Ryan said I look nothing like her. And… I don’t want her to be my mom. I want you to be my real mom.”

I had to pull over. The emotions were too overwhelming to drive safely. I parked on a side street and turned to face her fully.

“Thea, sweetheart… We’ve talked about this before. I would love nothing more than to be your biological mother. But…” I swallowed hard. “I’ve already had you tested. You’re not my biological daughter, no matter how much I want you to be.”

Her face crumpled, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “But what if the test was wrong? Can we check again?”

My heart broke at the hope in her voice. The desperate wish in her eyes mirrored the one I’d been nursing for years about my own missing daughter.

I bit my lip, considering. Elijah had told me once that he’d had Thea tested, but… Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask him again. And if it would give Thea some peace of mind… “I’ll talk to your dad about it, okay? But for now, let’s try to cheer ourselves up a bit.”

I put the car back in drive and made a decision. “How about we go to the fabric store? I still need to pick out a color for my dress, and I could use your expert opinion.”

By the time we reached the fabric store, Thea’s mood had improved considerably. I pushed the cart while she ran ahead, pointing at various colors and materials.

“What about this one?” she asked, pointing to a bolt of champagne-colored silk with subtle gold threading woven through it.

I pulled it out, holding it up to the light. It was a beautiful fabric, soft and luminous, catching the light in a way that almost made it glow. But it was almost bridal in color—more like a wedding dress than anything.

But… Maybe I could work with it. The gold threading would go well with the armor-like bodice.

“It’s perfect,” I told her, watching her face light up. “Excellent choice.”

We spent the next hour selecting complementary fabrics for accent pieces and lining. Thea picked out a solid gold taffeta for her dress, with some pink accents for the bows and frills. I sent Elijah pictures of the fabric we’d chosen, and while we were checking out, my phone buzzed with a response.

“Why don’t you stop by the jewelry store and pick out some accessories to go with your dress? My card is on file. Get whatever you want.”

I stared at the message in shock. On one hand, it was an incredibly generous offer. On the other, it made me feel a bit like a kept woman, spending his money on luxuries.

But after last night… after we’d finally reconnected in a way we hadn’t in months… I couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through me at his thoughtfulness.

The jewelry store was just a few storefronts down from the fabric shop. It was the most upscale jewelry store in town, known for its custom pieces and exclusive clientele. I felt a bit out of place as we entered, but the salesperson recognized us immediately.

“Luna Agnes! How can I help you today?”

“I’m looking for some pieces to go with a formal gown,” I explained. “Something elegant but not too flashy.”

She nodded, leading us to a glass case filled with necklaces. “Any particular color scheme?”

“Champagne and gold,” I said, pulling out a swatch of the fabric we’d chosen.

She selected a few necklaces for me to try—a simple pearl pendant on a gold chain, a more elaborate gold filigree piece with tiny diamonds, and a vintage-looking gold locket with a small champagne diamond at its center.

I tried on each one, modeling them for Thea, who provided her expert seven-year-old opinion on each. In the end, I selected the locket—the most modest of the three, but the one that felt most like ‘me.’ The saleswoman added a pair of small diamond studs to complete the look.

“And for the young lady?” she asked, smiling at Thea.

Thea peered into the case. “Can I get a necklace like yours?” she asked, glancing up at me.

The saleswoman nodded. “We have a smaller version of the same locket. It would be perfect for you.”

While she went to retrieve it, I glanced at the price tag on my selections and winced. Even the modest pieces I’d chosen were far more than I would have spent on my own. I felt a twinge of guilt, but reminded myself that Elijah had insisted.

When it came time to pay, I mentioned that Elijah had his card on file. The saleswoman’s eyes lit up.

“Of course! Alpha Elijah is one of our best customers,” she said, tapping some keys on her computer. “We’ve prepared many pieces for him over the years.”

Over the years.

I smiled politely, wondering how many of those pieces had been for Olivia in the past. The thought soured my mood slightly, but I tried not to let it get to me. We decided to get our initials engraved on the backs of the lockets, and the saleswoman told us that the accessories would be prepared and I could pick them up in a few days.

As we made our way to the car, another car pulled up beside mine. I glanced through the windshield to see a familiar figure staring at me from behind the wheel.

Olivia.

My stomach clenched, and I instinctively moved closer to Thea, prepared for another confrontation. But to my complete surprise, Olivia merely watched us from the driver’s seat. She didn’t say a word as we got in the car and drove off.