Page 51 of Best Kept Secret

"Please call me Anil."

I nodded, but the irritation stayed lodged in my throat. "Well then, Anil, what the hell is this about?"

Seema's face softened, almost as if she were hurt by my bluntness. "We came to clear the air about...Mira. And Pari."

"I know that my lawyers have let you know that I have claimed paternity and the court orders to update Pari's birth certificate are on their way, which, since you're a lawyer, you know is just a formality."

Anil sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Beau, you have to understand. Our intentions were never to take Pari away fromyouor harm your family. We just wanted to protect her."

"Protect her?" I raised an eyebrow, my voice flat. "From what? Mira's done nothing but take care of that little girl."

"That's whatshewants you to believe," Seema said quietly, glancing down before meeting my eyes again. "But Mira has taken advantage of this situation, from the very beginning."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, the unease creeping up my spine as I looked between them. "Mira's been doing her best. Asha made her guardian. She's following her sister's wishes."

Anil and Seema looked at each other.

"Tell him what you told me," Mama urged.

I wanted to snap at my mother to stay the fuck out of it, but I was already in deep here; might as well get this conversation done with so I could go home to my girls.

"That's where you're wrong," Anil cut in, shaking his head. "Asha didn't want Mira to be Pari's guardian. She wasn't thinking clearly. She was ill, Beau. Weak. And Mira used that—she manipulated her own sister when she was vulnerable."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I pushed the nausea down, trying to stay level-headed. "Manipulated her? You expect me to believe that Mira—who gave up everything for Asha—was just...what? Taking advantage of her?"

Seema's voice was soft but sharp, like a blade hidden under silk. "Yes. Asha would have never agreed to her being Pari's guardian if she were in her right mind. She was sick. AndMira...she wanted custody. Not because she loved Pari, but because she thought it would give her leverage over us."

I stared at her, my hands curling into fists at my sides. "Leverage? What the hell are you talking about?"

Anil's face was full of concern, like a father trying to do what was best for his family. They seemed like decent enough people, and I couldn't understand why Mira and Asha…well, according to them, just Mira, had such a problem with them. I should've probed more, I thought, but I hadn't because Mira went pale every time her parents were mentioned.

"Mira came to us, Beau. After Asha passed, she asked us for money in exchange for giving us custody of Pari."

"What nonsense is this?" I blinked, my brain struggling to process. I couldn't believe this. Mira hadn't taken a dime from me, had been circumspect about making sure my money was only spent on Pari.

Seema nodded, her expression pained. "She was desperate. She knew we had the means to care for Pari and thought she could profit from it. But when we refused...well, you see where we are now."

I stared at them, my heart pounding. I wanted to believe it wasn't true, that there was no way Mira would do something like that. But why would they lie? These were her parents. Why would they make this up?

"And where are we now?" I prodded.

"She foundyou, didn't she?" Mama interjected. "Now, I know she's tryin' to trap you, Beau and—

"Mama," I warned cutting her off, "Stay the F out of it."

"Beau," she raised her voice, scandalized that I'd saidF.Well, get the fuck over it!

"We don't want to cause trouble," Seema said sympathetically. "But, we can't in good consciencenottell you about Mira. Weintended to reach out after the lawyers got in touch. And then your mother kindly invited us over. We're so grateful, Donna."

I shook my head. "Nothing you're saying sounds like Mira."My Mira!

"I know it's hard to believe," Anil said sadly. "But there's more. Mira...she's not who you think she is. She's hurt Pari. When she was a baby."

My blood ran cold. I froze. "What?"

Seema reached into her bag and pulled out a folder, setting it on the coffee table in front of me. "CPS investigated her. Child Protective Services in Atlanta. They were worried Mira wasn't caring for Pari properly. There were…incidents."

I stared at the folder like it was a live wire, the words "CPS" and "investigated" rattling around in my brain. "Incidents?" I forced the word out, my throat tight.

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