Page 22 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

Daniel was grim. ‘I suspect one of the security guards who overheard our initial conversation at the party. Whoever it was must have sensed a story, leaked your name and the paparazzi dug up the rest. I’m making sure I get to the bottom of it. The press have been watching me more since the divorce, so that’s why you were caught arriving last night. It’s my fault.’

She looked at him, a suspicion forming. ‘Youmade sure they saw me arriving.’

She cursed her naivety. A man like Daniel never gave up until he got what he wanted. She should know. Lexi was proof of that.

He shook his head, his jaw clenching. ‘Not intentionally, no. I wouldn’t do that. I hate those vultures.’

Mia stopped. She had to grudgingly admit that it wasn’t his style. He was ultra-discreet.

‘I’m going to release a statement,’ he said.

Mia’s insides froze. ‘Saying what?’

He looked at her. ‘That we are happy to announce that we have a child together from a previous brief relationship and that we would appreciate privacy at this time.’

Mia was suspicious. ‘That’s all?’

Daniel nodded. ‘There’s no point trying to deny it. They’ll only go digging and find out the truth anyway—and any other dirt they can find.’

Mia shivered to think of the invasive media picking apart her early life. It wouldn’t be pretty. She’d grown up in a trailer park. Perfectly respectable, of course, but coupled with her association with Daniel Devilliers it would undoubtedly be portrayed in the worst light possible, to maximise damage to Devilliers.

Mia had never told Daniel anything about her past beyond very superficial stuff. Maybe now was the time to—

‘My security team will get rid of the paparazzi, but now they know where you live, and that we have a child together, I can’t see them leaving you alone for long, Mia.’

Mia promptly forgot about filling Daniel in about her past. ‘We’ll be under siege.’

‘Yes, I’m afraid so.’

She sat down on the arm of her couch.

Lexi had been amusing herself, but walked over to Daniel now, and held out a unicorn. ‘Man play?’

Mia held her breath, watching as Daniel went down on his haunches.

He took the unicorn from Lexi. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Hossy!’

‘Do you want to show me where she lives?’

Lexi nodded her head vigorously and grabbed Daniel’s hand. She started pulling him over towards her play area.

Mia stood up. ‘Lex—’

But Daniel quelled her with a look, telling her that he didn’t mind, and for the second time in as many days Mia had to contend with the fact of having brought Daniel into their lives, and with the realisation that no matter how much or how little he engaged with them, there was now a new paradigm.

And she didn’t like how watching him interact with Lexi was making her feel. Seriously vulnerable.

Okay, so he obviously wasn’t used to kids—he was talking to Lexi as if she was a very small adult—but for a man who’d professed to having no interest in having children he was making an effort, and he wasn’t looking too uncomfortable.

In fact, Mia could imagine all too well that with a bit of time Daniel might actually prove to be quite natural with his daughter. And that was something she would never have expected in a million years.

A ringing noise made Daniel pluck his phone from his pocket.

Lexi said imperiously, ‘Me say hello.’

Daniel shook his head. ‘Not this time,chérie.’

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