"I didn't talk about the child, I was referring to the child's mother. I observed that she was mentally drained, her tone urgent, constantly swallowing saliva and twice she pressed her hand against her throat. When I shook hands with her, her palms were sweaty too. This is likely due to anxiety from the exhaustion of taking care of the child."
Edward Wheeler had intended to put Kiara in her place, but who knew this little girl would be so formidable, deftly avoiding his heavy blow and returning one of her own!
If she had given a standard response about the child, it would have seemed too unoriginal, especially since Edward Wheeler had already given a comprehensive answer. However, she was able to extend the discussion to the mother's issue, which was extraordinary.
"Then why didn't you mention that earlier?"
"First, I hate nepotism, and second, I especially hate nepotism when I'm not getting paid for it."
