Anna looked at him bitterly between her tears.
"That woman you just described is my mother. I know that, because minutes before Sarah pushed me down the stairs, she appeared to me, looking sad. And with my physical features, but I knew it wasn't me. I think I forgot about her..."
"Wow, I think Sarah deserves what you're going to do to her after all. She used the image of her mother, whom she murdered, to seduce a werewolf. She was... Dishonest and cruel."
Anna looked at him, her face still in tears.
"She betrayed Mom before she killed her. I won't be able to live knowing that she walks the earth while destroying lives."
Adonis hugged her and Anna let herself be comforted by the warmth of those friendly arms.
...
They arrived back at the mansion, and as soon as Anna had said goodbye to Adonis, she entered the house through the kitchen door and asked for Ian, as there was no one else in the pool. Judith looked at her with fear in her eyes, which set off a warning light in Anna. Something wasn't right.
"Ian's in his room, with the boss." She said and turned to the pots on the stove.
Anna couldn't remember, afterwards, how she had managed to get to Ian's room so quickly. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him with his arms folded, sitting on the bed and looking grumpy. Adam had a dark look on his face and was keeping his hands in his trouser pockets. They both seemed to be in a silent war.
"What's going on here?" Anna asked suspiciously, and as soon as Ian saw her, he ran over and hugged her, holding her legs. Anna looked inquiringly at Adam.
"I found him with this in his hands, behind the change house, by the pool." He said, and showed Anna a half-eaten marijuana cigarette.
Anna pulled Ian away from her and stared at him in disappointment.
"What were you doing with that?"
"Nothing, Mom. I found it lying on the floor." He said, but Anna knew it wasn't true. However, she was shocked. She had never seen Ian lie. He liked to follow whatever Max presented as morally right in front of him.
"I've already asked him who gave it to me, but he refuses to say." Adam said, feeling tired.
"Adam... Can you leave us alone?" Anna asked gently, and pointed with her chin at the camera, without Ian noticing, and saw when Adam looked at the place, and understood what she meant. But he thought something was wrong with Anna, too. She knew he didn't need a camera to see and hear what was being said there.
"Of course." He said, despite everything, and hurried off.
Anna took Ian's hand and led him to the bed, where they sat side by side.
"So, Ian? Do you want to tell me who gave you this?"
"Mom... I was playing hide and seek with the other kids and I found a place that smelled really bad. I was just leaving when a woman came and gave it to me and said that if I smoked it I'd be very happy. She said that if I told anyone you would die."
"What was this woman like, my son?"
Anna asked, but she already knew who it was. It was one more thing she would take revenge for. Wouldn't she give up trying to torment her? She listened silently to her son describing Sarah to her. She would never forgive her. Not even after she was dead. She had used her mother's image to seduce a young man and now, more of that.
"Ian... Do you remember that Mom and Dad warned you not to accept anything from strangers? And also that you shouldn't believe anything they say?"
"I know, Mom. But she seemed desperate for me to take this thing. I took it out of pity, but I didn't put it in my mouth. I just took pity on her."
"All right, Ian, but don't do it again. Did you see how angry Uncle Adam was? Why didn't you tell him the truth? When did I teach you to lie?"
Ian stared at her with his head tilted slightly, as Adam did.
"Do you really want me to remind you, Mom?"
Anna remembered that she had asked him to pretend to stay with Uncle Adam, and felt her face burn, even more so because Adam was listening to everything they were saying on the computer. And she learned in that instant that she had to be careful what she said around Ian, he was very shrewd and thought like an adult. Her Tayme, too, was like him.
"Forget it, my son. You didn't even have to lie, did you? And why did you lie to him? Were you afraid of his reaction? Did you think he would hit you?"
"I was afraid, yes. But not of him hitting me. I know he wouldn't do that. But he would kill his wife and be disappointed in me."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because he's going to kill Alexandre, just because he didn't raise his glass for a toast... Alexander is very stupid. Why didn't he pretend to agree?"
Adama vaguely remembered Adam saying that Ian supported his decision.
"And you think your uncle is right to act like this?"
"Yes. It's silly. But he has to show respect and loyalty to my... Uncle. What he did was defy my uncle's authority, as if what he ordered wasn't important."
"But the motive is too trivial to kill himself. Don't you think banishment would be a fairer punishment?"
Ian frowned thoughtfully.
"No, Mom. Uncle Adam doesn't let anyone leave his business alive. It's a job for life. Alexander knew that when he came to work for Uncle Adam, but... maybe, this time, he should make an exception."
"Why?"
"Because Alexander's son told me that when he grows up, he's going to avenge his father's death."
Anna took a deep breath. Ian didn't know that the boy wasn't talking about Alexander, but about his biological father.
"You should talk to Adam about this." Anna said, imagining that Adam needed to hear this from his own son.
"I'll talk to him after my bath, okay? I'm tired, and I miss Helen... It's very hot here."
Anna noticed that Ian was losing his way, and knew it was a sign of sleep. He hadn't remembered Helen for a long time. She let him take a shower, picked out some light clothes that Kate had provided for him and, after putting them on the bed, went down to the office.