The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 183

Mia's POV

"Nate," I said finally, my patience wearing thin, "if you know something that affects me and my children, you have a moral obligation to tell me. Not in riddles, not in vague warnings, but directly."

The silence on the other end of the line stretched on for so long that I checked my phone screen to make sure we were still connected. We were.

"Nate? Are you still there?"

A heavy sigh filtered through the connection. "I'm here."

"Then talk to me," I pressed.

Silence. And silence.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Getting angry wouldn't help, and it certainly wouldn't get Nate to open up.

"Look," I said, softening my tone, "I need to be honest with you about something. There's a reason I'm pushing so hard for answers."

Another pause. "What is it?"

I closed my eyes, preparing for his reaction. "When I was in Paris, I went to see the Jardin House."

The sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line told me everything I needed to know.

"You knew," he said flatly. Not a question.

"Yes," I admitted. "I didn't set out to invade your privacy, Nate. Bernard Leblanc mentioned a residential project that caught my eye during our meeting. I was curious about the architecture, so I asked Henri to drive me there. It was only when I arrived that I realized the connection."

"Who told you?" His voice had an edge I'd never heard before.

"An elderly neighbor walking his dog. He told me about the American doctor who built the house for his wife, only she died before it was completed." I paused, giving him a moment to process. "He called it 'a monument to what might have been.'"

His response surprised me. "You could stay there, you know. At the Jardin House."

I almost dropped the phone. "What?"

"The house. It's just sitting there, empty. It was designed to be lived in, not to be a mausoleum. You could use it... for as long as you need."

I struggled to process his offer. "You want me to live in the house you built for your late wife?"

"You need somewhere safe in Paris," he said, as if that explained everything. "The Jardin House has top-notch security, it's private, and it's big enough for you, your mother, and the twins when they arrive."

I shook my head, trying to make sense of this bizarre turn in the conversation. "Nate, you're not making any sense. Why would I uproot my entire life, leave my home, and move to Paris right now? I'm seven months pregnant with twins. My due date is in January."

"Yes, Mia," he insisted

"Nate," I said carefully, "what do you know that I don't?"