Page 59 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

Daniel’s careless remark broke the last remaining barrier around Mia’s heart. She’d spent the week trying to pretend that she could endure a purely physical relationship if she felt as if she was in control. But any sense of control was rapidly fraying at the edges. Maybe if he hadn’t said the wordsfairy talewith such derision she wouldn’t feel so reckless right now.

She wanted to dent that arrogant cynicism.

She turned to Daniel, an unstoppable force rising inside her. ‘Actually, I answered it well because I wasn’t making it up.’

Daniel’s hand stilled on his loose tie. He looked at her. ‘What?’

‘You heard me.’

Mia’s heart was thumping. Daniel said something to the driver, who put up the privacy partition, cocooning them in the back.

Then he shook his head. ‘You’re going to have to say that again.’

‘What I said to that interviewer... I meant it. I didn’t have to lie or make it up. I love you, Daniel. And, believe me, I wish I didn’t. Because things would be so much easier. But I do. And I have done ever since we met. Even though I thought I hated you for a while...after the baby... I didn’t really.’

Daniel looked shocked—stricken. ‘But you agreed to this marriage on the basis of mutual desire...respect...you knew I wasn’t offering more.’

Mia suddenly felt deflated. ‘I know... And I thought I could do it, for Lexi’s sake. But when we got married I couldn’t help hoping that perhaps things might change. I was wrong.’

Daniel was shaking his head. ‘My background broke me, Mia. I can’t promise you—’

‘More. Yes, I know.’ Mia cut him off, not wanting to hear him spell it out.

She knew she’d crossed a line now, in articulating her feelings. But she couldn’t continue to be physically intimate and yet have no emotional connection. Daniel believed he was broken. She couldn’t fix him if he wasn’t willing to be fixed.

She shook her head. ‘I can’t do this, Daniel. I’m sorry. I thought I could, but it’ll destroy me to continue a charade...and I don’t think that’s good for Lexi either. You know what it was like to have unhappy parents. I won’t do that to her, and I don’t think you want to either. She’ll still have two parents who love her, because I know you love her.’

‘What are you saying, Mia?’

They were pulling up outside thesalon. Mia put her hand on the door handle. ‘I think it’s best if we divorce. I’ll obviously wait until you and Devilliers deem it a good time. But I want a divorce, Daniel. I want to have a chance at finding happiness, even if you don’t. As you said yourself, I’m no pushover and I’m not swayed by money. So I’m not going to change my mind.’

Daniel watched Mia get out of the car and walk into the apartment. He couldn’t move. He felt numb. He couldn’t believe what she’d just said. She didn’t mean it. She couldn’t.

Love.

Having that responsibility for someone else’s happiness made Daniel feel a blackness descending over him. The only person he’d ever loved had died. And that grief and toxicity had spread outwards, infecting everything. Love only brought pain, grief, abandonment.

They didn’t need love. And after the launch tonight he would show Mia—convince her that what they had was enough.

A few hours later Mia was ready for the launch party. She hadn’t even been aware of being got ready. She’d stood still as the team had worked around her, allowing her to feel hollowed out, which suited her fine. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She’d done enough talking today.

She was made up to resemble the way she looked in the campaign. Her hair was smoothed and slicked back, caught in a low ponytail. Her dress was strapless and black, down to her knee, with a slit up one thigh. So far, so simple—except that it was leather.

When Mia saw herself in it, her eyes almost fell out of her head. ‘I can’t wear this,’ she whispered in shock. It clung to her body like an indecent second skin. It was pure...sex.

‘Madame, it is...sublime.’

Mia shivered in spite of herself as a purely feminine thrill went through her.

The woman in charge of the jewellery brought over the necklace Mia was to wear tonight—a very stark and bold piece. A huge ruby set into a gold neckpiece that coiled around her neck and trailed down to sit just above her cleavage. It was eye-catching.

Mia took off her other jewellery: her engagement ring and wedding ring. She felt a pang, because she’d worn them for such a short time, and probably wouldn’t be wearing them for much longer.

At that moment Daniel appeared in the doorway, in a black tuxedo. Every inch the sexy, suave billionaire. The shocked expression from earlier was gone. Now he looked impassive.

Her silly heart clenched. Had what she’d said made any impact or had her words almost literally rolled off his back?

The moment Daniel looked at Mia in that dress, the numbness encasing him since she’d stepped out of the car earlier was obliterated by pure electricity.

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