Page 35 of The Prince's Secret Daughter
And yet, Helen’s heart ached that Angela was so eager to impress her father, wanting Raj to notice how good she was, and to learn everything she could from him.
She was fighting back tears when a warm hand covered hers. Looking up, she saw Raj’s dark eyes watching her. There was both reassurance and confidence in his eyes. Helen wasn’t sure she understood, but she was grateful for him anyway. He couldn’t know all of the conflicting emotions she was trying to make sense of, but he silently tried to convey…comfort.
Helen offered him a smile, but the energy bunny that was their daughter whizzed around the table. She stood in frontof them, bouncing up and down. “Can we, Daddy? Can we visit the zoo today?”
Raj glanced at one of the guards standing at the door. Then he bent down so that he was looking into Angela’s eyes as he explained, “One of the fun things about being a princess is that you will get to see a lot of the world,” he started off. “But one of the downsides is that we have to be very careful.”
“I’m always careful,” Angela replied, but she was distracted. “And if I’m a princess, shouldn’t I be green, like Fiona?” She glanced up at her mother. “I don’t want to be like the other princesses. They are wimps!”
Raj obviously didn’t understand why she had to be green in order to be a princess. Helen stepped in to explain. “Not all princesses are green, honey.”
“Fiona is green and she’s strong.”
“There are many princesses who are strong. Remember Mulan? And what about Belle?”
Angela started bouncing again. “I could be like Mulan! She’s strong! And she battled everyone!” The bouncing stopped and her nose squinched up. “Belle liked to read. And I like to read. So I guess I could be like Belle too. But she got captured.” She looked up at Raj. “I don’t want to be captured and you’re not hairy.”
Helen and Raj tried to keep up with her four year old mind, not sure where it would go next. But before Helen could reassure Angela that she didn’t need a hairy captor to admire the character, Angela returned to her favorite princess. “Nope. I want to be like Fiona.”
Raj opened and closed his mouth, still confused. “Well, perhaps we could…uh…!”
Helen decided to give him an out. “You know, honey,” she said to Angela, “your daddy is going to teach you a new language. Why don’t you teach him about Fiona and the other princesses?” she suggested. “Instead of going to the zoo, why don’t you and your daddy watch the movies, starting with your favorite and then some of the others?”
Angela’s eyes lit up with that suggestion, clapping her hands eagerly. “Do you want to see them, Daddy?”
Raj nodded. “I would truly enjoy the lessons,” he replied with a slight bow and a formal tone that made Angela giggle as she leaned against Raj’s leg.
Helen watched as Raj’s arm slowly wrapped around her. He was visibly surprised by their daughter’s immediate acceptance and complete faith in his love and affection. Helen suddenly realized that he’d probably never had that kind of acceptance before. As a wealthy, powerful man, he’d most likely never known anyone who would love him for himself, and not the power and prestige that came with his position within the government. He’d never known that kind of absolute trust.
She’d given that to him, she remembered. And he’d walked out of her life without a word.
Swallowing the sadness that suddenly washed over her, she turned away. “While you two watch the movies, I am going to get back to work and see what I can discover. I need to clean out my office and see if there is some way that I can–”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Raj interrupted, standing up and coming over to her. He glanced warily behind him at Angela, suggesting, “Why don’t you find the butler and ask him if the hotel has the movies you want to watch with me?”
Angela raced out of the room without a word. Helen watched as two of the guards followed, not letting the little lady out of their sight.
When they were alone, Helen turned to Raj. But before she could speak, he leaned in and kissed her.
Blinking, Helen looked up at him, unconsciously licking her lips. “What was that for?”
Raj shrugged, taking her hands. It felt very wrong and very right to touch him like this. She’d given herself one night with Raj, but she couldn’t let him hurt her as he’d done last time. This was just about sex, she reminded herself. Don’t get emotionally involved. Don’t let him wound you again.
However, as she pulled her hands away, Helen wondered if it was too late.
“Raj, no matter what, I need to clean out my office. I haven’t worked for Paul long, but there are pictures and small things that I want to pick up.” She took a deep breath. “I want them for my next position, wherever that might be.” Her mouth twisted slightly. “If I can even find another job. Paul is an unexpected rising star in the investment industry at the moment. Everyone is buzzing about him and Nathan.”
“You’re worried that they’re going to ruin your reputation, is that it?”
She nodded. “They’ll be subtle about it. But word will spread that I’m persona non-grata.”
“Then let’s stop him from spreading that bit of rubbish,” he interjected. “Let’s figure out what he’s up to. We already know that he built some sort of building façade. But why? What was his ultimate goal?”
Helen pressed her lips together, considering his offer. “You think we can take him down before he starts spreading rumors about me?”
Raj considered his words carefully as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I think that he’s hiding something. And yes, I suspect that the project he proposed to me two days ago is a scam, although I’m not sure how. The building is genuinely up for sale. But what’s the catch?” He paused, letting Helen consider his words. “Instead of waiting around for Paul and Nathan to tarnish your reputation with false rumors, why don’t you unravel their scam and take them down?” He waited until her eyes shifted from concerned to contemplative. “Figure out what they are trying to sell, then expose them.”
“Won’t that hurt my reputation? I’d be a whistle blower. And we all know how badly those turn out, despite the laws in place to protect them. Whistle blowers are always condemned by the press.”
