Twin Cupids at Work Daddy Come Home novel Chapter 486

Madeline’s cheeks burned as she hurriedly set the clothes aside, her hands moving as if they’d touched something hot.

That was when she heard it—a door opening somewhere outside. Instantly, her senses sharpened. Someone was coming in.

She frowned, every muscle tensing. Julian had people watching the place, but that didn’t mean no one else could get through.

Glancing at her clothes, Madeline hesitated for a split second before pulling them on. Wearing something was definitely better than standing there with nothing.

She quickly dressed and scanned the bathroom for anything she could use as a weapon, grabbing whatever felt solid and clutching it tight.

The lights in the main room were off. Everything beyond the bathroom door was pitch black. Madeline stood behind the glass, her nerves stretched tight, listening. There wasn’t a single sound. The silence made her even more anxious.

Then a shadow crossed the glass. Madeline gripped the doorknob, heart racing, and yanked the door open. She raised her makeshift weapon, ready to defend herself.

Before she could move, a strong hand caught her wrist. A familiar scent flooded her senses, and an arm wrapped securely around her waist.

“Why are you so nervous?” came a low, familiar voice.

Madeline’s heart thudded wildly. In the darkness, she found herself looking into eyes she knew all too well.

She let out the breath she’d been holding. “Julian, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Her voice came out shaky, but there was a hint of teasing in it, too.

Julian reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “Sorry, I should have let you know I was coming.”

“You said you’d pick me up in a couple of days. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

He sighed quietly and rested his chin on her shoulder. She could hear the tiredness in his voice when he spoke. “I missed you. That’s all. So I came.”

Madeline watched him in the darkness, feeling something was off. She couldn’t see his face, but there was just something different about him tonight.

Before she could say anything else, Julian lifted his head and kissed her.

He bent down, pressing a soft kiss to her brow. His voice was rough, almost broken, every word trembling with regret.

Today, he’d finally felt what it was like to be doubted by everyone, to be attacked from all sides. It stung worse than anything.

Back then, when Madeline was framed, she’d begged him to believe her. She’d pleaded for his trust, but he hadn’t given her anything. She must have been so desperate.

She was only twenty-three, eight months pregnant, alone and outnumbered. No one believed her. No one stood by her. And he’d actually helped the people who hurt her, dealing her the most painful blow of all.

Thinking back, Julian felt sick with himself.

Damn it!

He really was the worst.

Madeline looked at him, and the guilt hanging over him was so heavy, she wondered if he was about to drop to his knees right there.