Twin Cupids at Work Daddy Come Home novel Chapter 453

Julian didn’t spare it a single glance. He ignored it like it wasn’t even there.

Helene stepped outside, her nerves buzzing, but anger burned hotter than fear. She wanted payback, no matter the cost. This was their fault. They’d pushed her to this point.

Julian finished work much later than planned. By the time he looked at the clock, it was past nine. Madeline had messaged him about thirty minutes earlier, saying it’d take her a little over an hour to get there. He called her, letting the phone ring seven, eight times before she finally answered.

Her voice, as always, was cool and a little distant. “Hello.”

“Are you still at work? I can come pick you up.”

“No need. I drove myself today. Otherwise, I’d have to leave my car at the office, and that’s just a pain tomorrow,” Madeline said, cutting him off before he could argue. “I’m almost done here. If you come, I’ll just end up waiting for you anyway. So, really, don’t bother.”

She made it clear there was no room for discussion.

Julian just smiled, one eyebrow raised. He closed the file in front of him, stood, and headed for the door. “Alright. Drive safe.”

“Yeah.”

She hung up right away.

Julian stared at his phone for a moment, amusement flickering in his dark eyes, then headed to his room and into the bathroom.

Downstairs, Helene was still lingering. When she heard the faint sound of a door closing upstairs, she took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and made her way up. After a quick glance to make sure no one was paying attention, she slipped into Julian’s bedroom as quietly as she could.

She didn’t know Christian had seen everything. A lifetime of experience made him sharp, and he could read Helene’s intentions in a second.

George, nearby, frowned. “Sir, should I have someone escort Ms. Fortner out?”

Helene just couldn’t sit still. Even after all the trouble she’d caused, she was still trying to mess with Julian. She really didn’t know when to quit.

“It’s alright,” Christian said, lifting a hand to stop him. “Madeline’s on her way, isn’t she?”

“It’s Mr. Grayson’s treatment day. Ms. Monroe should be here soon,” George replied.

Christian narrowed his eyes. “Let Helene be. It’s just petty drama. She can’t stir up anything serious.”

He had given up on pushing Julian to marry Helene. The truth was, Helene’s behavior had made it obvious she wasn’t fit to be mistress of the Grayson family. She was too petty, too small-minded. Like with the incident over the banquet hall—it was nothing, but she’d made a huge deal of it just to spite Madeline. Foolish, really, and embarrassing for the whole family.

Still, Christian didn’t care if Julian kept another woman around. A man in Julian’s position had plenty—money, power, women. One more didn’t matter. In fact, he preferred Julian to have options, as long as he didn’t get too attached.

If Helene’s presence kept Julian and Madeline at a distance, all the better. Christian was fine with Helene staying, so he let her in and didn’t stop her.

When Madeline finally arrived, a servant was waiting at the door for her.

She knocked twice, gently. No answer.

The door was open a crack. Carrying her medical kit, Madeline pushed it wider. A light, sweet fragrance drifted out, making her frown.

It was the scent of an aphrodisiac. The smell was oddly familiar.

Madeline was sensitive to things like this—herbs, spices, scents. She recognized it right away. It was the same one Raine had used on her in the hotel room. Potent stuff. She’d only been in that room a few minutes, but her whole body had felt feverish, restless. Anyone with weaker self-control would have lost their mind.

A cold realization crept in. Madeline pushed the door open further, her face going still.

Inside, Helene was sitting on the bed, slowly fastening her bra. When she spotted Madeline, she clutched her chest, pretending to be embarrassed, then got off the bed, picked up her clothes from the floor, and gave Madeline a sly, defiant smile.

Helene had a body that made people look twice. Black lace hugged her curves, barely covering anything. She put on her clothes one by one, not caring at all that she was being watched.

From the bathroom, water ran. Julian was showering.

It looked like something had just happened.

The servant with Madeline stood frozen, wide-eyed and stunned.