Page 52 of Best Kept Secret

Anil's voice was grim. "Pari was just a few months old. Mira was overwhelmed—she didn't know how to take care of a baby. CPS believes Mira had shaken the baby. She was crying nonstop, and Mira...she lost her temper. But they didn't have proof, and couldn't give us Pari."

Seema opened the folder, flipping through the pages until she found what she wanted, then slid a report toward me. "It's all documented. They were concerned Mira wasn't feeding Pari properly, that she wasn't keeping her safe. CPS monitored her for months, Beau. You can read it yourself."

I stared at the papers in front of me, my pulse pounding in my ears. My hands shook as I picked up the documents. The words on the page blurred, but I could see enough.

Neglect.

Unsafe environment.

Possible harm to the child.

The lines jumped out at me, each one like a punch to the gut.

No. This couldn't be real.

But it was right in front of me.

Seema's voice was soft, coaxing, as if she understood the war raging in my head. "We only want what's best for Pari. She's our granddaughter, and we love her. We just want her to be safe."

I looked at the report again, my heart pounding. I didn't want to believe it, but it was right there. In black and white.Neglect. Unsafe. Possible harm.

"I've never seen Mira do any of this to Pari," I muttered, the anger rising in inside me like wildfire.

Anil walked to me, and placed a hand on my shoulder. "We know. We thought the same thing until we found out the truth. We only want to help."

My mother, who had been silent until now, spoke up, her voice almost gleeful. "You need to get rid of Mira, Beau. She's dangerous. She's been lying to you."

I clenched my jaw, my hands trembling as I stared down at the report. This woman—the one I'd let into my life, into my daughter's life—had been hiding a CPS investigation from me. Had she mentioned CPS before? Maybe. But she'd never said a word about being deemed a potential danger to my child.

"I'll take care of it," I muttered, picking up the entire file the Sen's had brought, gripping it tightly.

"Please." Seema got up and folded her hands, pleading, "Can we see Pari? We miss her so much."

I wanted to slam something. Hurt someone. Mostly myself for falling for Mira. Her innocence and reticence was all an act. She probably thought she could get more if she married me, didn't she? What other reason would she have to not just come balls out and ask me for money? Also, she was living in comfort now. Her life was fine.

"Asha worked hard. Mira partied all the time. She didn't get into any university. Her high school grades were bad," Seema continued. "She was smoking weed and behaving erratically.Finally, we had to let her go. She moved in with Asha. Kept getting fired. Asha was a good sister. Doing her best, you understand. We failed Asha. We failed Pari."

"Look, I need to sort this out with Mira. Once that's done, we'll set up some time for you to see Pari."

Had Fallon seen this because she was a psychologist? Why hadn't I listened to her? Because I'd been thinking with my dick—because I'd been too busy falling in love. Yeah, I had been—in love with Mira. I owed her for taking care of my daughter, and the fact that she loved her only made me want her more. Was all of it a lie?

I clutched at the file in my hand.

The Sens nodded, gratitude flooding their faces. "We trust you'll do the right thing, Beau," Seema said softly. "Thank you for hearing us out."

I barely nodded as I left my mother's house, my mind a storm of anger, confusion, and disbelief. The drive home was a blur.

And then my phone buzzed.

I looked down, seeing Mira's name flash across the screen:I got the job. We should celebrate.

She sounded so happy, so excited, and it made me sick.

I texted back: Just get back.

Mira:Is everything okay?

Me:Yes.

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