"You could say that," I answered without hiding anything.

Richard lowered his long lashes, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. "Alright, I'll do as you say."

"It's not about doing as I say," I corrected him. "Richard, this is something we agreed on long ago. It's not about one person obeying another."

He looked at me quietly and finally sighed, "Was I once like this in front of you?"

"Like what? Do you mean cold, dismissive, or fake?" I took a sip of coffee. ...