Taja Wilson doesn't belong on a yacht in the South of France. She's not supposed to be a nanny. And she's definitely not supposed to fall for her hot, brooding, single-dad boss. But even if she can resist Micheal's growling accent, his sweet daughte...
"You know who Xavier's accomplice is?" "By all means, tell us!" I could hear a pin drop. Everyone in the room - Elijah, Chloe, and Madame Jadín included - stares at the Interpol agent. "It's one of the crew member on your yacht... a man named Roland." Micheal's expression dropped. "What! How could he? I trusted him?!" I shake my head. "Roland? I don't even know what to say. I mean, We've lived with him for weeks. Was he plotting this the whole time?" "How do you think I feel? I've known the man for years!" Madame Jadín turns toward the Interpol agent. "What sort of evidence did you find, anyway?" "Our friend Roland has an encrypted phone that he's been using to make transmissions off the yacht. He claims to have nothing to do with the crime, but we're taking him into custody until we can crack his device."
Micheal shakes his head. "Let me speak to him." Agent Darwin shakes head. "It's best we keep you separated for the time being. We have to focus on retrieving your daughter." Micheal looks like he's about to snap at the man, so I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We've got to focus on the positive. We will have Zoe back soon. Now that they know she'll be in Venice, it's only a matter of time." "I'll relax when she's safe in my arms again, and not before." Elijah nods. "So what's our next step?" "While my team extracts information from Roland, we head to Venice. We'll begin the operation tonight." "Bon. Let's get my little girl back safely." Everyone files out of the dining room. Chloe brushes past me roughly, bumping into my shoulder. "Excuse me. I need to make a phone call."
I brush off Chloe's rudeness and join Micheal in his room, where he packs a bag for him and Zoe.
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"I don't know what to bring. What clothes will she want in a situation like this?" "Micheal, she'll like whatever you bring." "But what if she's cold? What if they don't match?" I shake my head a little. "Then we'll figure it out when we get there. It'll be fine. Let me help you - this is too stressful to do alone." I pick out a few of Zoe's favorite outfits and throw them into Micheal's bag. "I think that's everything. We need to hurry if we want to get to the plane on time." "We?" "We. You don't have to come to Venice, but this is ordeal would be so much easier with you by my side. Besides, I imagine Zoe would be quite disappointed if I came to rescue her without you." I ponder for a little. "I'm dying to hug her again." "That makes two of us. I'm desperate to hold you both in my arms."
Micheal sets the suitcase aside and takes me by the shoulders. I stare deep into his stormy eyes. "Just promise me you're doing this for the right reasons, though." He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "This will be difficult. I don't want you to come out of obligation, or just for me." "Micheal, I'll come because I care about Zoe. You know that. I know you know that." Micheal sighs. "I know you like her and you've bonded with her, but this is beyond the scope of anything I'd ask of you. To be there for a traumatized child... that is a serious commitment." I meet Micheal's eyes. His gaze carries the heavy weight of his statement. (All I can tell him is the truth.) "Micheal, Zoe is more to me than a paycheck. And she's more to me than some kid I know. Even in this short amount of time, I've started to see her as..."
