Chapter 3
At five in the morning, everyone in the Dubois family mansion was awakened by a violent knocking at the door.
I looked down from my second-floor window. A long convoy of cars almost surrounded the mansion. A team of well-trained men in black suits and sunglasses emerged from the vehicles.
I leisurely sipped my tea to perk up, knowing it had nothing to do with me anyway.
Until I saw the person who stepped out of the lead car.
I choked on my tea.
Oh, crap!
Just as I was about to hide behind the curtains, I met a pair of charming eyes that crinkled with amusement.
I dragged my luggage and scrambled downstairs. Halfway down, Alex grabbed my arm. “Something’s not right outside. Don’t run around.”
Before he finished speaking, the door swung open.
Julian Thorne wore a mask, his hat brim pulled low, revealing only a pair of slightly narrowed, alluring eyes. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Alex and me wrestling, and the curve of his eyes deepened. The angrier this man got, the brighter his smile became.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I shook off Alex’s hand and practically launched myself into Julian’s embrace. “You were in such a hurry to see me?”
“My wife just returned to the country and immediately met up with her ex-husband. Who wouldn’t be in a hurry?”
A wave of guilt washed over me, silencing my retort.
Alex’s voice, thick with suppressed anger, broke the silence. “Chloe, who is he?”
Julian raised an eyebrow, giving Alex a sidelong glance. “Clearly, the current one.”
Alex was about to say more when the sound of a wheelchair rolling broke through. Isabelle laughed lightly, covering her mouth. “How thoughtful of Chloe to hire actors overnight for our entertainment. It really is quite amusing.”
Alex’s tense expression relaxed, a “I knew it” look crossing his face.
“Tch.”
Julian couldn’t help but chuckle. The next second, he saw the red swelling on my forehead, and his smile froze.
“Acting, huh? I like it.” Julian crooked a finger, and a swarm of bodyguards surged forward. “Next up, we’re going to demonstrate how to teach these rotten relatives a painful lesson.”
In the ensuing chaos, Julian swept me up with one arm and turned to leave.
I hooked my arms around his neck. “Quite the dramatic entrance.”
“Hmph, I was in such a rush to catch you, I didn’t even bother with much fanfare.”
“Oh, poor you,” I teased.