Page 23 of Bound By Her Shocking Secret

Mia went and picked Lexi up and Daniel stood too, answering his phone and speaking in rapid-fire French, too fast for her to grasp everything. He was frowning when he terminated the conversation. Mia had understood enough to know it affected her and Lexi.

‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘The media interest is getting more intense.’

He went to the window and opened the shutters and looked out. Mia followed and gasped. The crowd of photographers had doubled.

‘And this is before we’ve put a statement out.’ Daniel sounded grim.

Mia felt panicky. ‘It’s going to get worse?’

Daniel nodded.

‘What will we do? I can’t stay in here all day every day. Lexi needs to get out and run around.’

‘There’s only one solution.’

Mia was sure she wasn’t going to like this. ‘What solution?’

‘You and Lexi will have to move in with me until things die down a bit. I can protect you both better there.’

CHAPTER FIVE

MIAHADPUTup a fight, but it had been weak and short-lived. She’d had no defence. Not with that baying mob outside. She couldn’t subject her daughter to all that attention and potential danger.

Within hours Daniel had assembled a team of people who had come and helped Mia to pack what they needed. He’d also told her to write a list of things they required for Lexi and given it to another assistant.

They’d gone out through a side entrance and slipped into Daniel’s car before any photographers had noticed.

And now they were in the hushed and exclusive confines of Daniel’s apartment at Place Vendôme. The place was even more intimidating in the daylight. It looked vast. And also, more worryingly, very child-unfriendly. Especially for a toddler who had a mind of her own and could disappear faster than snow on a hot stone.

‘What is it?’ Daniel asked. He must have seen something on her face.

Mia looked around with Lexi in her arms. She was tired after all the unexpected activity over the past few hours and her head rested on Mia’s shoulder, her thumb in her mouth.

‘It’s just...not really designed for a small person.’

Daniel frowned. Then his eyes drifted to Lexi and understanding dawned. ‘Of course. Tell me what we need to do.’

Mia’s chest tightened at the use of the wordwe. All her life the onlywehad been her and her mom, and her and Lexi. But now it was different. A feeling of vulnerability swept over her again. She didn’t like it. She felt exposed. Out of control.

‘Short of redesigning the whole apartment?’ she said, half joking. ‘For a start it needs to be made child-proof. Sharp edges are out—she’s low to the ground and prone to falling over a lot. And we need a play area. She can sleep in my room. But first she needs to eat.’

The butler appeared and Daniel said, ‘Go with Paul to the kitchen and talk to the chef. He can make whatever you need.’

Her head still spinning at the speed with which their lives had been turned upside down, Mia dutifully followed Paul to the kitchen—a vast, gleaming space full of state-of-the-art equipment with an elegant dining area. There was no highchair yet, but the friendly chef made something simple for Lexi and she sat on Mia’s lap while she fed her.

After that Mia sensed Lexi was approaching being overtired and would come perilously close to having a small meltdown if she didn’t get some rest. But no way was she going to go down while everything around them was so different. The little girl was torn between exhaustion and wanting to explore.

Mia found Daniel in his study, a bright room full of bookshelves and a massive desk with three computers. He stood up when she came in and her arms tightened reflexively around Lexi.

‘I need to take her out for a walk. She’ll sleep in her stroller. I could do with some fresh air too.’

‘I’d go with you, but I can’t at the moment. I’ve got some people coming shortly, to have a look at the apartment and see what they can do to make it as safe as possible.’

The power of unlimited funds. It made Mia think of the small trailer where she’d grown up with her hard-working mother. She’d been constantly bruised from hitting the edges of tables and doors.

‘Okay, thank you.’

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