CHAPTER SEVEN

Penelope's POV

The words stayed glued to my tongue, heavy, ready to spill—but then I looked at him.

Julien stood before me, his sharp green eyes filled with something I couldn't quite place. Relief? Contentment? Happiness?

It struck me like a fist to my gut.

He was happy.

I had expected tension, suspicion, a cold indifference that would make it easier to tell him the truth. But instead, he looked… at ease. And for the first time since I stepped into Madison's life, I saw a side of him that made me understand why I fell deeply in love with him back in high school.

Could I really take that from him? Could I really rip apart this moment with a truth that would change everything?

No.

Not yet.

I needed to make sure Madison was okay first. I needed time.

So instead, I forced a small, breathless laugh and shook my head. "It's nothing," I said.

His eyes flashed with curiosity, but he didn't push. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle, his fingers curling lightly around my wrist. "Come," he murmured. "I have something for you."

He led me toward the back of the building, where a sleek, black Rolls-Royce Phantom was waiting. The driver stood by the door, stiff and professional, his gaze never meeting ours.

Julien opened the door himself, ushering me inside.

I slid in cautiously, sinking into the plush leather seats. The interior was pure opulence—black with gold accents, a starlit ceiling that twinkled like a night sky. It smelled of leather, luxury, and something undeniably Julien.

As the car pulled away from the venue, silence stretched between us. I could feel his gaze on me, heavy, burning.

I kept my eyes forward, but the weight of it was unbearable.

When I finally turned to meet his gaze, I regretted it instantly.

His green eyes were darker now, intense, raking over me as if he were committing every detail to memory. His eyes were hungry on me - no, on Madison.

Undressing me with his gaze.

A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard. 

"W-what is it?" I asked softly. Perhaps, he had figured out I wasn't Madsion, his wife, because we sat so close and he could tell every detail of his wife, and those details were missing on me. 

But, instead, his lips titled in a half smirk, and he murmured seductively, "You're breathtaking." 

My breathing hitched. The way he dragged out those words, his British accent dripping with seduction, left me breathless. I'm almost certain I'd be nothing but a melted wax by the time I reveal the truth to him and go back to my life as Penelope. 

My fingers clenched in my lap.

He wasn't saying it to me. He was saying it to Madison. To the woman he loved, I assured myself.

I was just a substitute.

I forced myself to mutter a small, almost a whisper, "Thank you."

Julien tilted his head, studying me. "You've been quiet," he said, his voice softer now. "Did I do something wrong?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, I'm just… tired."

He didn't push. He simply nodded, shifting his gaze back to the window as the car continued through the city.

By the time we arrived at the house, my mind was a mess of tangled thoughts.

The moment I stepped out of the car, I was hit with the sheer grandeur of it all. The estate was massive, an architectural masterpiece of glass and stone, the sprawling driveway lined with perfectly trimmed hedges. It wasn't just a house—it was a kingdom.

There is a luxurious, modern staircase with gentle curves and glowing, yellow-white LED lights. The stairs lead up to the entrance of a large, multi-level house with large windows and a modern architectural design. 

The modern mansion is near a body of water. The surrounding environment includes palm trees and landscaping that enhance the luxurious feel of the scene. 

I didn't realize I was staring until Julien let out a quiet chuckle beside me. "What?"

I shook my head, still in awe.

He raised a brow, smirking. "You look like it's your first time here."

A nervous laugh bubbled up, but I swallowed it down. "Just tired, remember?"

Julien's gaze lingered for a moment before he led me inside.

The interior was just as breathtaking. Grand chandeliers, polished marble floors, artwork that probably cost more than my life.

He guided me to a private elevator at the far end of the hall. As the doors slid open, I stepped inside, feeling the tension rise between us in the enclosed space.

Neither of us spoke.

The elevator ascended, the soft murmur of movement the only sound.

Then it stopped.

The doors opened to a dimly lit hallway.

Julien stepped out first, his stride slow, deliberate. I followed, my pulse quickening as he halted in front of a large, reinforced door.

I watched as he pressed in a passcode—one he made no effort to hide from me. Oh, wait - Madison. After all, she was his wife. Why would be hide anything from his wife? Maybe the passcode had even been created following a memorable day date in her life. 

I was just a substitute. 

A soft beep, then a metallic click.

The door swung open.

Inside was a vast, dimly lit room, cool air brushing against my skin. But my eyes went straight to the massive vault in the center.

It was a beast of a thing—iron, secure, unbreakable.

Julien walked toward it, his movements slow, calculated. With a few small twists of the dial, the vault clicked open.

My breath caught in my throat.

Stacks upon stacks of crisp dollar bills, neatly arranged in bundles. Millions. Maybe more.

Julien glanced at me, amusement flickering in his gaze as he took in my expression. "It'll be yours soon," he murmured. "One hundred days."

One hundred days until Madison's twenty-fourth birthday. One hundred days until my own twenty-fourth birthday.

My hands trembled slightly at the thought.

But before I could process it further, Julien turned to me.

His fingers caught mine, and before I could react, he slid something onto my finger.

Cool metal.

I looked down, my breath catching.

A diamond ring.

He was kneeling slightly, his expression unreadable.

"Promise me," he said softly, his voice dangerously low. "Promise me you'll be with me forever."

My lips parted, but no words came.

Forever.

The weight of that word suffocated me.

But when I looked at him—at the way he held my hand so gently, the way his green eyes darkened with something unspoken—I found myself nodding.

Julien exhaled, a slow, satisfied sound, before pulling me into his arms.

The embrace was deep, unyielding.

His scent surrounded me, his warmth sinking into my skin.

Before I knew what I was doing, I melted into him.

I shouldn't have.

I should have pulled away, reminded myself of who I was, of the truth I was hiding.

But I didn't.

I let him hold me.

I let myself breathe him in.

And as my gaze flickered past his shoulder, back to the open vault and the stacks of loaded in it, a single thought crossed through my mind.

What if I just don't reveal the truth?