Page 16 of Cinderella's Secret Baby

“I’m saying it would be rude if you decided not to be here when she’s on her way to meet with you.”

“Like I have a choice!” she cried, becoming teary as she heard again,Amelia is the other woman.

“You always have a choice,” he said in a tone that sounded patronizing. Pitying. “You can leave if you insist, but until I know otherwise, Peyton is my daughter. Therefore, it’s incumbent on me to protect her. If your leaving puts her in danger—”

“Don’t you dare threaten me,” she warned, insides beginning to quake.

“It’s not a threat. It’s reality. This is what we’re up against.” He indicated his phone and everything Carina had revealed. “Let me protect both of you.”

She refused to believe her life was spiraling this far out of her control. Surely Carina was exaggerating?

“Where’s the diaper bag?” she asked, looking to the door to the lounge.

“You should find everything you need for Peyton upstairs.”

“I want my phone.”

“To confirm what’s being said?” He shook his head gravely. “That wouldn’t be productive, Amelia.”

She held his stare while pressure built in her chest and throat and behind her eyes.I’ll do what I want. You’re not the boss of me. This doesn’t have to happen this way.

“This is all your fault!” she blurted childishly.

“And I’m taking responsibility.”

“Oh—!” She spun and hurried back to the foyer where she hovered her hand over the bag, then snatched it up before starting up the stairs.

Peyton was overdue for a change and was still wearing the short-sleeved onesie Amelia had put her in this morning. Here in this air-conditioned palace, she needed warmer clothes.

At the top of the stairs, Amelia glanced in the first open door and found a tastefully decorated guest room brimming with deliveries. Boxes and shopping bags were spilling out of the floor of the closet. Clothes in infant sizes hung from the rail. A playpen was set up in the corner and next to it stood a high-end changing table with a bumper around its padded top. Its shelves were stocked with diapers and creams and wet wipes—all the organic, biodegradable, skin-sensitive brands.Big spender.

She pulled a cotton sleeper from her diaper bag and placed Peyton on the table.

Hunter leaned in the doorway. His long jacket was abandoned somewhere, but he still wore his snug vest and tailored trousers. The suit emphasized the power in his shoulders and wide chest. His shirt strained against his biceps as he folded his arms.

“You’re just going to stand there and continue to intimidate me?” Amelia asked.

“Is that what I’m doing? I thought I was observing a caretaking procedure.”

“You want to learn how to change her?”

“So I can evaluate the nanny’s competence once I hire one, yes.”

“I look after her myself. If you’re not prepared to do that, why would I grant you any access at all?” she asked with peevish superiority.

“It was a joke.” He came to stand on the pedal of the waste basket, holding the lid open for her. “And, look. You’re allowed to be angry.”

“Gosh, thanks.” The wet diaper landed with a dull thud in the bottom of the can.

“But it doesn’t change anything. I’m furious, too,” he said in a tone that was almost conversational.Nice weather, eh?

Behind his eyes, however, there was a flash of incendiary fury that made her suck in a breath that burned.

“Gaining custody and the right to provide for her is something Ihaveto do,” he said in an implacable tone. His pensive look skimmed her face, then shifted to Peyton. “It’s not performative. I didn’t arrive here the way I thought I would, but I’ve always known what kind of father I wanted to be.”

Amelia’s pulse skipped, and she paused in securing the fresh diaper. “What kind is that?”

“Present,” he said flatly. “One who does the right thing. One who protects his child instead of putting his own whims and desires first.”

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