Chapter 5 Nightmare
993 Words
The Madox family had spared no expense for Julian's welcome party. Thomas had gone to extremes, wishing he could polish every single leaf on the estate until they gleamed.
Rosa, trying to steer clear of the Sterling family, timed her arrival at the Madox Mansion to perfection.
But her attempt at a discreet entrance was abruptly interrupted when a splash of vibrant yellow swooped in from behind.
Hannah Madox's exuberant voice rang out as she pulled Rosa aside. "Rosa! Sweetie, I need a huge favor. You've got to tell everyone we've been inseparable lately, got it?"
Rosa immediately understood.
Hannah's tardiness meant she'd been out partying rather than helping with the setup.
"Come on, spill it. Where have you been? I need the whole story to cover for you," Rosa urged.
Hannah tossed her hair with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Maldiva Islands... Met a few... no, an incredibly charming guy."
Rosa said with resignation, "Your family must be used to your lifestyle by now. What are you afraid of?"
Hannah's tone shifted to one of dread mixed with admiration. "But Uncle Julian is back! He's the ultimate nightmare for all us kids in the Madox family."
"That bad, huh?" Rosa's curiosity was piqued.
Hannah looked as though she might explode. "Nightmare doesn't even begin to cover it! He's barely older than me, but I have to call him 'uncle'. At school, his name is practically legendary. Everyone's always comparing me to this perfect Julian, Mr. Untouchable."
She ran her fingers through her hair anxiously. "And get this - he's a ruthless tyrant at home and work, but to the outside world, he's practically Prince Charming! The whole school adores him, and he's never even had a scandal. He's been the boogeyman for all us, a nightmare we'd rather forget. You dodged a bullet by not going to our school, Rosa. Otherwise, you'd have been hearing 'Julian this, Julian that' day in, day out. We finally caught a break when he went abroad, but now he's back! I've got to be on my best behavior, or I'll never hear the end of it from my friends about letting Uncle Julian down."
“An orange Hermès Kelly in lizard texture,” Rosa said, naming her price.
“Done!” Hannah agreed without hesitation. “As long as we can keep it a secret!”
“Keep what a secret?” Rosa and Hannah turned to see Grandpa Thomas approaching with a man beside him. Thomas was all smiles. “I heard Hannah got into some trouble, so I rushed right over!”
“Grandpa!” Hannah said, clinging to Thomas’s arm and putting on a sweet act. “Your granddaughter has been such a good girl this month, spending all her time with Rosa learning about business.”
Rosa didn’t hear what Hannah just had said; all her attention was fixed on the man Thomas had brought over.
He looked to be in his thirties, with sharp, defined features and an air of calm authority that made him seem like a god from Greek mythology.
When he caught sight of her, surprise flickered in his deep-set eyes, which glimmered with a cold intensity.
Rosa's heart started racing for no apparent reason.
It wasn’t attraction or admiration; it felt more like being prey in the sights of a predator.
Julian Madox.
In that instant, Rosa recognized him—the youngest son of Thomas Madox, the most enigmatic second-generation member of the Madox family.
Just as Rosa was about to say something, his gaze slid past her.
His profile was striking, reminiscent of an ancient Greek sculpture, which felt oddly familiar.
Before she could place him, an annoying voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Rosa, you finally made it! Elijah and I are getting engaged—hope you’re not upset!”
Rosa turned to face the speaker.
Kayla, Elijah's lover.
With a cold smile, Rosa replied, “You don’t get to call me Rosa.”
She knew Kayla’s friendliness was just a way to manipulate her.
Kayla, a mistress, was in a tricky position here, and her greeting was meant to show everyone that she and Rosa were on good terms, as if she had earned Rosa’s forgiveness. That way, when she married Elijah, she wouldn’t look too bad in the headlines in Phenara City.
Rosa scoffed, “You slept with my husband and now you're pretending like nothing happened? Are you serious?”
Kayla’s expression soured as Rosa spoke nothing but the truth.
Kayla always claimed that she started pursuing Elijah only after Rosa and Elijah divorced, but Rosa knew they had been an item long before that! In fact, on the night of Rosa’s wedding, Elijah had reached out to Kayla to comfort her!
“I didn’t!” Kayla put on her usual facade, feigning innocent. “You can’t just slander us because you have issues with me!”
“Really?” Julian chuckled lightly. “Weren’t you two already acquainted long before? In high school, Elijah even had a Sterling family crest ring he wanted to give you.”
“How do you know that?” Kayla gasped, taken aback.
That was her secret with Elijah!
“You shameless bastards,” Hannah chimed in, defending her friend. “We don’t want you here!”
Julian waved his hand, and a Madox family servant politely escorted Kayla out.
“Thank you,” Rosa said to the three Madoxs. “Sorry for causing you trouble.”
“Speaking of trouble,” Julian turned to Hannah, “what exactly are you trying to hide from Rosa?”
“Don’t mention it” Hannah said.
“Let me take a guess,” the man said, smiling and showing off his handsome features. “Is it about drunken nights in Phantasm or couples’ diving in the Maldives?”
Bingo.
In that moment, Rosa understood why Hannah viewed her uncle as a nightmare.
To him, they were practically transparent.
- Writer
