Twin Cupids at Work Daddy Come Home novel Chapter 125

When Julian finished talking, Madeline’s face stayed blank, not even a hint of happiness. “What if I can’t leave with my child?” she asked, voice low.

“Then you’ll do as I say. When I call, you come. Whatever I tell you to do, you do it. That includes sharing my bed.”

She’d be nothing more than a thing he owned, a toy he could put away or take out whenever he pleased.

Madeline’s whole body stiffened. Her lips went pale as she snapped back, “This is the Capital. You expect me to escape with a child out of a city where you control everything? Julian, you’re just making this impossible on purpose.”

He could drag her back with a single word. This wasn’t an opportunity, it was a trap.

Julian didn’t bother denying it. “Yeah, I am making it hard for you.”

He reached out, his cold fingers brushing softly down her cheek. “Madeline, I want you to learn to give in to me. You get one shot at this. Make it count. I’ll give you a one-hour head start. I won’t chase or touch you for that hour. Run, hide, whatever you want. After that, you have two hours. If I don’t find you by then, you win. Are you in?”

“So, if I can avoid you for two hours after the first hour, I’m free?” she asked, needing to be sure.

“That’s right. I’ve already made it easier for you, Madeline. Freedom is right in front of you. Can you grab it?”

Madeline squeezed her hands so tightly her nails bit into her palms. Her heart was pounding, trembling with every beat. What was she supposed to do?

Maybe this was the only chance she’d ever get to take Noah away from the Graysons. But she knew, just like that card game earlier, when you go up against someone with all the power, the odds are stacked against you. She barely stood a chance.

Julian didn’t let her think for long. “So? Have you decided? Are you playing or not?” His patience was running thin.

Madeline clenched her jaw, her mind racing. Just as he was about to lose patience, she said, “Alright.”

He watched her leave, not even glancing back. Julian stood alone in the empty room, emotions swirling inside him, violent and impossible to name. Was she really that desperate to get away from him? Even knowing she was almost certain to lose, she still said yes.

His face darkened. He slammed his fist into the mirror so hard it cracked.

After a while, he picked up his phone. “Pull all the guards from the hospital. If Madeline shows up, let her take the kid.”

He hung up and tossed the phone to the floor. She wasn’t getting away. As long as there was anyone she cared about in this city, she’d never be free of him.

Madeline left the club and slid into her car. The second she shut the door, she hooked up her phone and called Casey. If she was going to get Noah out, she needed help.

Next, she called Brenda. There was no guarantee Julian wouldn’t go after people close to her, drag them into this mess to force her back. For Brenda’s sake, and her own, she had to make it through these two hours.