Page 25 of His Highness's Hidden Heir

When he had rebuffed her again, she had made herself move on to prove that she could. She seized his refusal to see her as an excuse to delay telling him about the baby, sold her mansion in California and leased a flat in Zurich until she began to show. Then she moved into this private clinic where she wrote between swimming and yoga and birthing classes.

She didn’t love regurgitating her past for financial gain, but the generous advance had been a nice boon while she’d been waiting on Hadley’s settlement. He had paid a pretty penny for her shares in X-Calibur and included an additional settlement to avoid a forensic audit and an investigation into his PR practices.

Lexi would always be sad that things had ended on such a sour note with him and Janet. In her heart of hearts, she had always hoped she and her father’s children would develop a closer bond, but there was something cathartic in letting go of that dream as she started her own family with her baby.

Now that was finalized, she could settle up with Vijay—and Magnus. Then, and only then, would she insist Magnus speak to her so she could tell him about the baby.

She wouldn’t let his dating life get in her way, either. Yes, she looked him up often enough to know he was wining and dining every eligible heiress around the globe—amid rumors that he was in search of a wife. That stung, too. And if he’d seemed serious about any of them, she might have felt guiltier about keeping him in the dark, but as he was photographed in various places with various women, her pride had hardened her silence around their baby.Herbaby.

After today, however, she would be out of Magnus’s debt. She had put an offer in on a house in France where she and her baby would reside when not on set. Between the book she was writing, and the movie, and other investments, she had enough income to raise their child without Magnus’s involvement.

It will be fine, she kept telling herself.

Her baby didn’t need a close relationship with its father. She hadn’t had one. Not at first. Her father hadn’t wanted anything to do with her until her career had taken off and, frankly, she would have been better off if he’d stayed out of her life.

So she could almost convince herself there would be a bright side if Magnus preferred to hide the fact he’d fathered her child.

It would hurt, though. It would crush her on their baby’s behalf.

But she and the baby would be fine. Somehow, someway. She would make sure of it.

She checked the time. Almost ten. She made her way to the foyer, where Vijay would have to wait for her since guests were discouraged within the residential part of the clinic, to protect the privacy of its wealthy, high-profile clientele.

The clinic was a beautiful chalet-style building situated above a quiet village in the Alps, one that could easily be mistaken for an upscale spa with its kidney-shaped pool and serenity garden and five-star chef. It had treatment rooms for massage, a gym and three very well-equipped exam rooms, plus two birthing suites and an emergency OR. Between the midwife, the nutritionist and her doctor, Lexi was being very well cared for.

The receptionist was on the phone, but she held up two fingers, then pointed down the hall, indicating Vijay was waiting in room two of the visitor parlors.

Lexi nodded and turned the corner, surprised to see Vijay outside the closed door.

“Ms. Alexander,” he greeted politely as she approached. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine. You?”

“Fine, but mine was a real question. Is everything going well? No high blood pressure or other concerns that could affect our meeting?”

“My back hurts when I sit too long. And I’m getting to the stage where I need the powder room constantly,” she added wryly.

He didn’t crack a smile, only nodded gravely.

“I’ll use it before we start. I believe there’s one in there.” She pointed at the door he had yet to open.

“I need to explain something before we go in. When we started our arrangement in Paris, you agreed—”

The door was abruptly pulled inward, creating a vacuum that nearly pulled her soul from her body and into the towering figure that blocked the opening.

Magnus.He was broader and more imposing than she remembered. Angrier.

Lexi had an impression of a dark suit and a green tie and a sensation of all the blood leaving her head. She watched his impossibly blue irises sweep down to her middle. An inward thump might have been a kick from their baby, but it might have been the impact of her heart landing on the floor.

His gaze came back to hers, rife with accusation.

Her vision disintegrated at the edges. Had she forgotten to breathe?

“Ms. Alexander.” Vijay’s hand closed tightly around her upper arm.

She tried to grasp on to him, but her limbs had turned to overcooked pasta. A ringing sound filled her ears—

The sight of Lexi’s undeniably pregnant figure was still hitting him when Magnus realized her color had drained. Her eyelids fluttered and her eyeballs rolled back.

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