Chapter 5 - SOMEONE WAS WATCHING
Daniel was out of his chair before I finished reading the message.
“Lock the door.”
“It’s locked.”
“Windows?”
“This is the third floor.”
He was already checking them.
I hated how familiar it felt.
Ten years ago, Daniel had been the person who made me feel safest in any room.
Now he was moving through my apartment like no time had passed.
Mia stood near the hallway.
“What happened?”
“Nothing,” I said.
Daniel looked at me.
I gave him a warning stare.
Not in front of her.
He understood.
“Someone sent your mom a stupid message,” he said.
Mia folded her arms.
“I’m ten, not four.”
That was definitely Daniel’s child.
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Then another message arrived.
A picture of the bridal salon.
THIS ENDS IF SHE LEAVES CHICAGO.
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Send both to me.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“I’m not handing my life over to you because somebody scared me.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“That’s exactly what you’re doing.”
“I’m asking you to let me help.”
“I helped myself for ten years.”
“And you shouldn’t have had to!”
The room went quiet.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“I know you survived without me.”
His eyes moved toward Mia.
“I’m not trying to take that away from you.”
“Then what are you trying to do?”
“Be here.”
Simple words.
I didn’t know what to do with them.
The next morning, we went to a private clinic.
Mia insisted.
She sat between us in the waiting room swinging her feet.
Daniel kept looking at her when he thought she wouldn’t notice.
She noticed everything.
“So,” Mia said, “what do you do?”
Daniel blinked.
“Me?”
“No, the lamp.”
I covered my mouth.
Daniel smiled.
“I run a manufacturing company.”
“Do you make stuff?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Medical equipment. Industrial equipment. Some boring things.”
“Rich people always say boring when they mean expensive.”
His eyebrows went up.
I looked away before he caught me smiling.
A nurse called us.
The swabs took less than five minutes.
The waiting took two days.
During those two days, Brooke Mercer called me seven times.
I blocked her.
She emailed the salon.
She told Claire I was “pursuing an engaged man for financial gain.”
Then somebody leaked the story online.
LOCAL CEO’S SECRET WIFE APPEARS AT FIANCÉE’S BRIDAL FITTING.
By lunchtime, reporters stood outside the salon.
Claire locked the doors.
“I’m sorry,” she told me.
“You’re firing me?”
“No.”
She looked guilty.
“That almost makes it worse.”
“Elena, I’m trying to protect you.”
“From customers?”
“From someone else.”
I stared at her.
Before she could explain, my phone rang.
The clinic.
I answered.
“Yes?”
A woman confirmed my name.
“The paternity results are available.”
Daniel had arrived ten minutes earlier and stood across the showroom.
I put the call on speaker.
“The probability of paternity is greater than 99.99 percent.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Mia, sitting beside Claire’s desk, whispered, “So that’s it?”
Daniel knelt in front of her.
“If you want it to be.”
She looked at him.
“You’re my dad.”
His voice broke.
“Yes.”
Mia stared at him for several seconds.
Then she asked something no test could answer.
“Why weren’t you there?”
Daniel’s face collapsed.
Before he could respond, Claire grabbed my arm.
“Elena.”
“What?”
She was staring through the salon window.
A black sedan was parked across the street.
Claire went pale.
“That man…”
“What man?”
She whispered, “He worked for Vivian ten years ago.”
I looked outside.
May you like
The driver saw me watching.
Then he smiled.
