Page 21 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

Maybe when the dust settled and they came to an agreement about visitation et cetera, Mia could finally break out of this limbo she’d been in for two years and get on with her life. While Daniel Devilliers got on with his too. Surely over time she would be able to interact with him without feeling as if he could see right under her skin to where her blood hummed whenever he came close. To where her blood was humming even now, when he wasn’t even close.

Mia cursed silently as she thumped her pillow and tried to get to sleep. But sleep was elusive, and when it did finally come it was full of dreams filled with carnal images that left her gritty-eyed and filled with a sense of aching frustration as dawn broke the next morning.

It had taken Mia a while to get going that morning. She was tired, and still unsettled after the last encounter with Daniel, and Lexi was fractious, so neither of them was on the best of form by the time Mia had buckled Lexi into her buggy and was heading out for a walk to the park and the playground.

But she was totally unprepared for the barrage of flashing lights and shouted questions as soon as she opened the door of her building. They were caught on the threshold, with half of Lexi’s buggy on the other side of the door.

Mia was so shocked and stunned she couldn’t move. Questions bombarded the air around her.

‘Is Daniel Devilliers the father of your baby, Mia?’

‘Where is Daniel? Did he know about the baby when he got married?’

‘Are you back together?’

‘Are you looking for a settlement?’

The only thing that broke Mia out of her stasis was the sight of one of the photographers pointing his lens directly at Lexi. Mia reacted with the fierce instinct of a mama bear. She pushed down the buggy’s hood and rain cover and moved back inside the building.

As she did, she heard a sort of commotion at the back of the crowd. She saw a couple of photographers being bodily moved out of the way and then a figure appeared, tall and dark. And grim. Very grim.

Daniel.

He came to the doorway, his dark grey gaze moving over Mia and down to the pram. ‘Are you okay?’

Mia nodded. ‘I... I think so. We were just going out. Who...? What?’

How did they know?

Daniel said, ‘I’ll explain in a minute. Go back up to the apartment. I’ll follow you.’

Before she could respond he turned around to face the mob, effectively shielding Mia and Lexi from sight, blocking the doorway. He spoke in rapid French to the paparazzi, and all Mia could make out was some reference to sending out a statement. Or an announcement.

She went to the lift and pressed the button. Daniel was still talking to the crowd in a clipped, authoritative voice.

When Mia was back in the apartment she put Lexi down with a bunch of toys to amuse herself. She went over to the window and sucked in a gasp. There was now what seemed to be hundreds of paparazzi outside. Cars trying to drive by were beeping. People were stopping, looking. One of the photographers had moved back and was now pointing his camera up at the building. He shouted something and pointed directly at Mia.

She pulled back, closing the shutters.

Lexi looked up. ‘Mama?’

Mia bent down and lifted her up, a sick feeling pooling in her belly. ‘Shh...it’s okay, sweetheart.’

There was a sharp rap on the door and Mia went and opened it. Daniel came in, immediately and effortlessly dominating the space. He was wearing dark jeans and a dark top under a battered leather jacket. His jaw was stubbled. A sly voice whispered that perhaps he hadn’t had time to shave after a night in bed with his date...

At that moment Lexi clapped her hands and said, ‘Man!’

Mia pushed aside her rogue thoughts. ‘What on earth was that all about...? Why were they asking those questions? And how did you know to come?’

Daniel took his phone out of his pocket and did something to the screen before handing it to Mia. She put Lexi down and Lexi immediately toddled back over to her toys, seemingly oblivious to the tension.

Mia looked at the phone and the blood in her face and head drained south. She saw grainy pictures of her arriving in Place Vendôme yesterday evening, being admitted to Daniel’s apartment.

And one blazing headline:Qui est Mia Forde?

Who is Mia Forde?

She looked at Daniel. ‘How do they know my name? How do they know I even have a baby?’

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