Page 63 of My Damaged Protector

“I'm good. Where are you?”

Something about the way she asks that question tells me my earlier suspicion hadn't been wrong.

“I'm somewhere I can talk. What's going on?”

There's a long pause on her end, and I know it's because she's thinking of the best way to break the news to me.

Oh God. My heart beats so loudly in my chest it's a wonder it's not out on the floor.

“Auntie?”

“They found your place here, honey.”

Fuck.

“How?”

“I can't say. I was at work when Jolene called and told me that there's paparazzi all over the street. They think you might be coming back.”

God, if they find out where I live, what's to say they've not found out about my daughter, too?

“They did…“ I trail off and glance at Ian, who's not even pretending that he's not listening to my conversation. I clear my throat and lower my voice a little, selecting my words carefully.

He can't know.

Not about Olivia or the current situation. Not right now, anyway.

“Did they find her?” I whisper.

“No, they haven't. There's been no call from the school so far, and I spoke with them last night after my shift. She's fine.”

I sigh in relief.

The media doesn't know about my daughter for now, but how long until they poke around and find out the truth, and everything goes bad?

This is why I keep my life as private as possible.

What am I going to do now?

19

IAN

Sarah is hidingsomething from me.

I don't know what it is, but if she's putting this much effort into keeping it away from me then I don't even want to know how big the news is.

She lowers her voice to speak to her aunt, but I hear her loud and clear.

“Did they find her?”

Her who?

Her mother?

I could have sworn she was dead. But then again, I thought her father was dead, too, but he’s alive though on the verge of death. What if her mother is alive, too?

Her features relax at whatever her aunt tells her, and she lets out a sigh of relief. She cradles her phone against her head, a thoughtful look on her face.

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