Page 15 of Cinderella's Secret Baby

“I’ve decided to go to my cousin’s.”

CHAPTER FIVE

ONEOFHUNTER’Sdark brows pulled down and in. Not in an aggressive or angry way. More an indication that he was concentrating or trying to solve a puzzle. It was as though he were studying the behavior of an animal that didn’t make sense to him.

“This is too much,” she expounded.

He lived in a two-story mansion in the top of Toronto’s most expensive building. The toilet lid had lifted as she entered the powder room, for heaven’s sake. The seat warmed itself. He had bought out a vineyard and owned real art. Not cheap prints, but actual originals by famous dead people.

No wonder he had set a one-night limit when he invited her into his room at that B and B. No wonder he had never tried to call her and had brushed her off so unceremoniously when she reached out to him. Bringing her here wasn’t about trying to “protect” her and Peyton. He washidingthem. He was trying to protect himself and this lifestyle of his.

“You and Dad are making decisions for me that aren’t yours to make,” she added, resenting it all over again. She kept thinking,If I had just said no, if I had insisted on going to yoga, none of this would have happened. Her father would have been forced to tell her what he wanted to do and none of this would have happened.

Hunter’s lips parted as though he was about to say something.

“This isn’t fair. It’s notright.” She hurried to talk over him, but she was distracted by his mouth. She had forgotten how full his bottom lip was. It was wide and undeniably masculine. Powerfully sexy. Everything about him was screaming superiority and affluence and seductive appeal, from his clean-shaven jaw to his shiny shoes. It was disconcerting. Intimidating.

His natural air of authority tempted her to trust him and let him take over, which scared her. This baby they’d made had already consumed her life, and Peyton had come about because Amelia allowed herself to leap into a brief infatuation. At least when Hunter had offered one night and that’s all she’d given him, it had been an even exchange.

Today she was seeing the endless resources he had at his disposal. Independence was one of the few she had left, so she was exercising it.

“You can’t take over my life,” she insisted, even as she felt as though she was talking to a cat. A big, dangerous jungle cat that only noticed her because she was making noise. He was flicking his tail with boredom, letting her chatter and squawk because he wasn’t hungry yet, but he had the weight of his paw on her, making it impossible to get away. “We share a baby, but we can work out how to share her in a way that doesn’t involve you keeping me here like some prisoner in a tower.”

His chin dipped in the barest hint ofYou think not?

“My cousin’s husband works in Parliament. He’ll know how to handle reporters and keep photographers off the lawn.”

Hunter only brought out his phone and dialed, setting it to speaker when someone named Carina answered.

“Status update,” he prompted.

“They’re calling my flight. One sec.” Presumably, Carina found a place to speak where she wouldn’t be overheard. When she came back on the line, her tone was hushed and rushed, pulling no punches. “It’s trending. Obviously, there’s been a race for scoops by the online editions. The general tone is that Eden is a victim, you’re a cad, Amelia is the other woman.”

Amelia’s mouth fell open with affront.

Hunter touched his lips and nodded, indicating she should stay quiet and listen.

“Eden has put out a brief statement confirming the wedding was called off. We’ve requested she coordinate a more detailed statement with our team, but we’ll see if she complies. We have also confirmed the wedding is off, making no comment on the baby rumors. We’re promising further information in due course and have requested privacy at this time. We’ll know better on Monday how this affects stock prices. The anticipation is a drop of six points. There’s an emerging narrative that the Waverly scandals are more of a family-wide issue, not just Irina, so recovering stock value could take time. Most of the directors were at the wedding. Did you talk to any of them? Some are asking for an emergency meeting.”

“I know who’s asking,” Hunter said. “Put that off at least a week so stock price can level.”

“Will do. The nurse should arrive within the hour. How confident are you that the baby is yours? Vienna had the idea for your grandparents to take Amelia’s father to their cottage.”

“Confident,” he stated, holding Amelia’s gaze so unwaveringly, her breath halted in her lungs. “They should do that and plan to stay at least a week, likely two.”

“Done. When can I sit with Amelia? We need everything they might dig up on her family so we can get ahead of it. And photos. The ones from the winery are making it too easy for attack. Once we’re on an apology tour, we’ll get family photos and a feature, but right now I suggest staging something for paparazzi that shows her being a protective mom and you being the helpful dad.”

Amelia recoiled, unable to find adequate words to express her outrage and disgust.

“See if Vienna’s stylist is available,” Hunter said. “If not, find someone and come straight here when you land. See if one of the visitor units is open so you can stay in the building.”

“Will do. Final call for boarding. See you soon.”

He ended the call, brows lifting in a very annoying, supercilious way.

“Carina was also on vacation, visiting family in Nova Scotia.”

“Now it’s my fault her vacation has been interrupted?”

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