Lavina hardly came out of the room she had been staying in at Wayne Manor. The only few exceptions were when Martha took her to the garden or to the living room but mostly, she refused on going out.

Bruce kept his distance but made sure to check up on her regularly. And the fact that he was so concerned and caring towards her made her feel twice more guilty.

The only other visitor she had was Lauren Hoult, the psychiatrist who came to see her on alternate days at first but as she had started to get better, the gap between those visits increased. Lavina had not told Lauren anything about her past or present directly but the woman was clever enough to figure out that Lavina was entangled in far deadlier webs than it could be deemed appropriate to share with anyone else.

So when Alfred told her that she had a visitor and only mentioned that a friend of hers had come to visit, Lavina was very surprised.

It could be Andrea, she thought, recalling that Bruce had told her that she had returned to Gotham a few weeks earlier. Aside from her, Lavina couldn't think of any other friend who would come to visit her.

However, when she came to the living room and saw the blonde hair of the woman seated over there, she felt a wave of unease course through her. It was Samantha and each time the woman had come to visit her, it had only ended unpleasantly.

She didn't know how Samantha could have figured out that she was at Wayne Manor. Christopher was the only one who knew and he couldn't have told her about it even if she went to ask him herself.

 But then her presence there complicated things too.

Unlike earlier, Bruce now knew that she was the one with whom Lavina had cheated on him. And if he happened to return at that moment, it would only make everything even more awkward between them.

She knew she had to make her leave and her eyes flickered toward the clock, knowing Bruce would come home shortly. She had to get Sam to leave before he came back.

She didn't let her irritation show as she approached her and Samantha turned to see her, standing up from her seat.

Lavina saw that there were cuts on her face that had started to heal while a deep gash on her head was still bandaged. "Sam, what happened to you?"

"Your owls attacked me," her voice was cold as she replied and her greyish-blue eyes were also indignant, "did you send them to hurt me, Lavina?"

"No, of course not," she was genuinely shocked to hear that; her owls kept to the sanctuary mostly and had never before attacked anyone, "did you go to my house?"

"Yes because you weren't showing up to any of the meetings and I wanted to know why," the sternness from her tone had abated but her eyes hinted that she still didn't trust Lavina's words, "those ghastly birds almost plucked my eyes out."

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry," she spoke up but paused, not knowing what else to say to her in consolation. It was truly awkward between them ever since Samantha had started to steer out of Lavina's control and right then, the elder woman felt it would be futile to resume with anything.

"Why are you staying here?" Samantha asked but her tone changed with contempt as she resumed, "did you and Mister Wayne get back together?"

The words stung and Lavina retrieved her gaze, "no. He deserves someone a lot better than me."

"At least you're honest in this case," she remarked, "when are you coming back?"

"To my house or to the meetings?"

"Both."

Lavina thought for a while, pondering on all she had missed due to staying detached from the Court for too long. She couldn't afford to let Bruce suspect that she was involved with the Court hence she couldn't do anything related to it while under his roof.

In that case, she might have to return very soon if she had to maintain her hold over the Court. But she wasn't sure whether Bruce would let her go or not.

And even though there was one way to make him let go of her forever, she did not want to take that route.

She couldn't bring herself to hurt him anymore.

"Lavina, I have asked you a question."

She looked up, dark irises meeting the speculating bluish grey of Samantha's eyes, "I will return soon... As soon as I can manage."

Her brow furrowed in slight alarm, observing Lavina with an even more cautious stance, "you don't seem yourself today."

"I've not been myself for weeks... Maybe months... Even I don't know how long has passed since I had been truly myself."

Sam would have said something but paused upon hearing footsteps. The two turned to see Bruce step in and his pale blue eyes had widened in surprise to see Samantha there.

So far, Bruce had only been polite towards her during the brief encounters they had had at business galas and former gatherings. But right then as he greeted them coldly, she felt something was off.

Stealing a glance towards Lavina, she saw that the woman was equally uncomfortable at his sudden arrival. Still, Samantha smiled at Bruce politely and nodded her head in acknowledgment, though he didn't return the gesture and merely climbed up the stairs without even a word addressed to either of them.

She had noticed the unnerving change in his outlook and waited until he had left. Turning to Lavina, she remarked, "did you tell him about us?"

"Why are you asking?"

"He was looking at me as a rival, he wouldn't have done so if he was unaware," she laughed dryly, "to think both of us have been fooled by you in this department."

Lavina sighed, quite worn out by the entire meeting, "Sam, I don't want to talk about it."

"Do you really? You were the one who started it."

"And you are the one who keeps bringing it up again and again," she mumbled, "at times it feels like you do it on purpose to annoy me."

She stepped closer, watching Lavina's eyes flash in a warning. Her hand rested lightly upon the elder woman's arms as bluish-grey eyes looked up at her in an unfathomable impression. 

"Why don't you come to my place someday, Lavina? I have a lot to show you."

Lavina froze as those delicate lips touched her cheek lightly but shortly after the sound of a door being slammed was heard, catching Lavina off guard. Her eyes flickered up, realizing that Bruce must have been in the corridors of the upper floor, going to his study and could have seen the little act Samantha had just pulled.

By the triumphant smile on Sam's face, it was evident she had done it on purpose. "I'll wait for you," she remarked vaguely and left without another word.

But she had clearly created a situation that Lavina truly didn't want to face yet knew she couldn't escape from either. The only way out was to leave Wayne Manor then and there because if she stayed any longer, it would only steer her into deeper trouble.

And leaving the Manor without a word or reason would hurt Bruce and Martha who had cared for her so much in the past few weeks. Lavina was caught in that awkward situation and didn't know how to get out of it.

***