Mia’s Secret
Chapter 04 - Mia’s Secret
One hour earlier, Mia Cross had been bored enough to become dangerous.
Adults believed weddings were exciting because they had music, cake, and clothing that hurt. Mia had discovered that weddings were mostly waiting while adults whispered about money.
She escaped the bridal photo room when no one was looking and went searching for her father. In the service hallway she heard Claire’s voice through a half-open office door.
Mia stopped because Claire did not sound like the woman who had practiced smiling at her in the mirror.
“You said the letter was destroyed,” Claire snapped.
A man answered. Mia recognized Owen Beck, Daniel’s best friend and lawyer.
“The clinic sent another copy.”
“Then intercept it.”
“I already did.”
“And the recording?”
“Still missing.”
Mia leaned closer.
Owen lowered his voice. “Once Daniel signs the marital trust amendment, it won’t matter. You’ll control the Beacon Foundation. I’ll control the patents. The girl goes to Bellweather Academy in September, and everyone gets what they want.”
“The girl has a name,” Claire said.
There was a pause.
For one brief second, Mia hoped Claire might be defending her.
Then Claire added, “Use it when people are listening.”
Owen laughed.
Mia felt something inside her become very quiet.
She should have run. Instead, she looked through the crack and saw an envelope on the desk. DANIEL CROSS was written across the front. Beneath it sat a small black recorder wrapped with a faded yellow rescue ribbon.
Mia knew that ribbon.
It had belonged to her mother.
She waited until Owen and Claire left through the opposite door. Then she slipped into the office, took the envelope and recorder, and hid both beneath the sash of her flower-girl dress.
She made it as far as the service corridor before a hand closed around her shoulder.
Grant Holloway smiled down at her.
“Lost?”
“No.”
“Mrs. Cross is looking for you.”
“She isn’t Mrs. Cross yet.”
Grant’s smile disappeared.
Mia ran.
She was fast, but the dress slowed her. Grant caught her near the east wing doors. Claire appeared seconds later, breathing hard, no veil yet, her face transformed by anger.
“Give me what you took,” Claire said.
Mia backed away. “I’m telling Dad.”
Claire looked toward the ballroom. Guests were beginning to enter. Cameras were everywhere.
“Mia, listen to me. That recording will hurt him.”
“You’re hurting him.”
Claire held out her hand. “You don’t understand what you heard.”
“I understand Bellweather is a boarding school.”
Grant glanced at Claire. “We need to move.”
Claire’s jaw tightened. “Put her somewhere quiet until after the signing.”
Mia kicked Grant’s shin and ran through the open east wing. She dropped rose petals as she went. She broke her pearl bracelet against a wall. At the stairwell, Grant caught her again.
He carried her down one flight and placed her inside an old maintenance room.
Claire stood in the doorway.
For a moment, she looked almost ashamed.
“Ten minutes,” she told Mia. “Then this will be over.”
“You locked the wrong girl in the dark,” Mia said.
Claire closed the door.
May you like
Mia waited until their footsteps faded. Then she took the recorder from her dress and pressed play.
Her dead mother’s voice filled the room.
