The Billionaire's Twins Play Matchmaker novel Chapter 40

Movie Night

Julius poured melted butter over the bowl of steaming popcorn before lightly shaking salt over it all. It might have been quicker to pop it all in the microwave but that popcorn lacked a certain flavor. Air-popping it and mixing it like this was how he remembered doing it when he was a kid and it brought back the movie nights they used to enjoy when he was little.

“Hurry up, daddy!” Aria called impatiently from the living room. She and her brother had been excited when he brought up the idea of movie night. It seemed Macey hadn’t instituted any special nights like that to entertain them. When they wanted to play a game they had game night, when they wanted to watch a movie they had movie night.

When he first arrived in Paris he went along with it. After all he didn’t have anything scheduled and no work to do. Instead he filled his days spending time with his babies and wife. They naturally saw fit to give him a proper tour and even introduced him to their favorite street performer. He didn’t mind playing tourist. But things were different now. As soon as he started setting up the new office calls came in and he was suddenly very busy.

It didn’t take long for the twins to start chaffing with the idea of sharing their parents’ attention. They were especially distressed with sharing their father they only just met themselves. That was when he suggested official movie and game nights making it easier to ensure they had plenty of time together. He didn’t think the twins would be very interested in it but they immediately embraced it.

Chuckling he set down the salt and carried the two bowls out of the kitchen. Their new apartment was not all that different from their previous one. Like the old one the kitchen, dining room and living room were part of an open concept with no clear delineation from one to the next. Unlike the old apartment their new one had three bedrooms. The third bedroom had been prepared to function as the baby’s nursery.

At first Julius considered getting a house or an even larger space so all three kids would have their own rooms but Macey thought the expense too high and the twins loudly declared they wanted to share their room. For now, it was all right. Depending on the sex of the baby they could change to rooms as it grew up. If a boy the baby and Caden could eventually share a room, if a girl then Aria would be sharing a room. But he was getting ahead of himself. It was still a good two weeks before the baby would be born and there was plenty to do.

Monday he had his meeting with Herr Leon about his new business proposal. He had only just finished setting up their foreign offices and already they were being inundated with calls. It seemed the DaLair reputation preceded him or perhaps it was Leon’s doing. Leon was a respected businessman all across Europe so having him introduce Julius to some colleagues opened doors that would have otherwise remained closed.

Not that he really had to worry about work. If he wanted to he could easily retire and live the rest of his life comfortably even while raising three kids. In fact when he first moved to Paris to be with Macey and the kids he treated it as something of an extended holiday. For weeks he leisurely toured the city with Macey or just the twins if she had a previous engagement. Though on the surface it appeared as if he was just having fun he was familiarizing himself with his new home. Learning the language took longer but it gave him ample time to spend with the twins as well as reconnect to Macey.

They had been apart for six years and he wanted to make up for every single minute not just with her but the twins who had never met him. If not for the fact his father told them about him they wouldn’t have even known his name.

The thought soured Julius’s mood. It wasn’t that he was ungrateful toward his father. If not for Augustus’s intervention it is difficult to say want might have happened to Macey and the kids. But while he took care of Macey he never once told Julius the truth. Even knowing how desperately Julius was searching for her Augustus remained silent. And not just silent, he actively hid her and helped her slip out of the country underneath Julius’s nose.

Julius couldn’t help but feel betrayed. His children were five years old before he even laid eyes on them all because of his father. At the same time his father had been seeing them regularly. Augustus had been there for their birth and made trips to see them on their birthdays and holidays in addition to speaking to them through video calls.

While his father was having fun with his children Julius had been snared by the worst kind of harpy, one that had almost destroyed his last chance with Macey. If he had only known a little sooner it would have saved so much trouble down the line. In reality though, he had no one to blame but himself.

When he first married Macey he still considered her a friend of the family. He had numerous relationships with a variety of girls and women all of whom were obsessed with his wealth. None of them loved him. To say he was disillusioned with the idea of love was putting it mildly. When Augustus proposed he marry Macey Julius had been against it. After all she was like a cousin, almost a sister, with how close they had been growing up.

On the other hand she was safe. She had grown up alongside him and his brother and was like family. Her only connection to high society was the DaLairs themselves. She didn’t have allies or ulterior motives. Macey was loyal to his family and wouldn’t connive behind his back or so he thought.

So he agreed to the marriage. It never occurred to him she would genuinely be in love with him or that she had been for some time. Perhaps if he looked more closely he might have realized the truth sooner. Their wedding was a formal affair but not overly extravagant. He figured it was because his father didn’t want to overdo it since it was an arranged marriage of sorts but now he knew it was due to Macey’s influence.

After seeing how she planned their vow renewal ceremony it was clear she had a way of controlling Augustus no one else could. There was no telling how many of his ideas she shot down to ensure their nuptials were tasteful and practical. Not even Rose had such a success when it came to holding the reins on the DaLair patriarch. Paging through their wedding album Macey was the epitome of the blushing bride with a gentle, bright smile. It was clear their wedding was a day she had been longing and waiting for a long time. How could he have been so blind?

The early years of their marriage he recalled were awkward. While he had previous relationships Macey hadn’t had a single one. Their wedding night in particular had required some careful coaxing to even get her to join him in the bed. He’d had a few too many drinks greatly lowering his own inhibitions. In fact it was fair to say he was more than a bit horny. The memories were dim but he remembered he had still been careful with her and made certain she enjoyed their first time together as well as every time that followed after.

Macey had no problem taking on domestic chores while he went back to work. He recalled both his father and brother were surprised to see him at work the very next day. At the time he hadn’t thought anything about it; after all their union was out of convenience not love. Still it was strange they hadn’t gone anywhere or had a proper honeymoon. Now that he thought about it there had actually been a few rumors concerning their marriage because he had gone back to work so soon. It seemed a lot of people took that as a sign it wasn’t going to last long or that it had all been for show.

After marrying him he would have expected Macey to be invited to a number of high class events as a way to strengthen ties to the DaLairs and secure their support but she hadn’t. In fact Macey didn’t attend any event Rose was not also a part of and he was fairly certain only Rose received a proper invitation. Did that mean no one believed Macey was a proper DaLair in the first place?

Macey didn’t complain and he wasn’t interested in needless parties anyway so he couldn’t be bothered by it. Though he did recall March complaining once or twice asking him if he didn’t care people were being so disrespectful to his wife. Julius brushed it off saying if it didn’t bother her than it wasn’t worth worrying about. But maybe it had bothered her. Macey was smart. She had to know she was being snubbed and yet she said nothing despite the fact she was a DaLair. One word from her and the entire family would have boycotted events hosted by those people. In fact maybe Augustus had done just that.

Thinking back he did recalling walking in on a conversation between his father and a business associate concerning a gala of some sort. The details of the event were lost to him but Julius quite clearly remembered his father saying, ‘I don’t think I will be going. If my dear daughter isn’t welcome then there is no point in showing my face.’ After that Macey started receiving proper invitations at least to some events.

He wasn’t sure when the rumors of her cheating on him started. They always attended events together and Macey didn’t know anyone there aside from his family so she never wandered far from Rose, March or himself. But somewhere along the way people started calling her shameless for hanging onto his family to improve her station. Then someone started a rumor she was actually flirting with other men who promised to buy her favors.

Having known so many women like that in his past it was enough to enrage him. Instead of asking her about the rumors he simply turned his back on her. Was it the overwhelming sense of betrayal that someone he deemed a close friend would do that to him or the idea his entire family had been duped? He wasn’t sure which stung more but it led to him drinking more and ignoring her any time she tried to talk to him not that she tried often.

Macey had always been so full of life and laughter when they were kids. But not long after the rumors started she became pale and quiet. Perhaps the rumors weighed heavier on her than he had thought. It was like she was being eaten up on the inside by them. No doubt she hadn’t wanted to burden him with her problems but he was her husband. Who would support her if not for him?

James Goodwell. The world’s most shameless flirt and the worst example of chauvinistic male to ever exist. The only thing longer than his list of failed businesses was his list of sexual conquests. In fact he seemed to take a woman’s wedding band as a personal challenge to seduce them giving no thought to how it ruined them afterwards.

He knew better than to challenge March and never targeted Rose for his sick games. But with the rumors swirling around Macey and Julius’s own inaction he no doubt smelled blood in the water. It was a rare opportunity to get one over on a DaLair so targeting Macey was definitely not an accident.

As far as Julius knew Macey had never been hit on before and thinking back to that night he could picture the pair quite clearly. James stood too close leering as he took stock of her. Macey had always been gorgeous and possessed a natural beauty that certainly earned her jealous glares from other women. She never bothered with diets and she had no interest in unattainable beauty standards. For her beauty was accepting one’s natural body type and hers was tantalizing curvy a fact he realized as James grasped her hand and slobbered all over it.

Macey’s usual gentle expression turned to revulsion in an instant and she jerked her hand away from him in disgust. Her face flushed with embarrassment and rage and she might have been ready to give him a piece of her mind if Julius hadn’t suddenly appeared.

He should have just hit the bastard but in his anger he had been blind to Macey’s indignation. Instead of pummeling her solicitor like he should have he dragged her away and…he hit her.

Julius froze mid-step as the memory came flooding back. He had actually raised his hand against her. Cold suddenly assailed him and he felt himself go pale. How could he have done that? What was wrong with him?

“Daddy,” Aria called. “Daddy, what’s wrong?”

Aria and Caden were camped out on the floor in front of the TV waiting for their popcorn. The N*****x movie of their choice was already cued up and just needed them to select play for it to begin but they had been told they couldn’t until everyone was ready.

Macey and her large belly were seated on the couch behind them. Julius insisted she sit and relax while he got their snacks in order. He had already brought them drinks. The twins’ colas sat on a pair of coasters with straws tucked in the glasses. They were allowed them on the promise they would be careful not to spill. Seeing Aria’s worried gaze Macey shifted looking over her shoulder to see Julius frozen mid-step and pale as a ghost.

“Julius?” Macey asked. “Julius, what is wrong?”

Her voice stirred him from his stupor. His blank gaze drifted to hers and he let the memory slip away. Julius licked his lips wanting to say something to put them both at ease but found himself without a voice. What could he say to her after he had been so stupid?