Vanquished (The Encounter #3)(21)

“There’s no easy way out for me here, Julien. We both know that. I might appear fragile, but I’m also determined and strong. I don’t give up easily, even more so now. I simply can’t afford it.”

“I never doubted any of that, Isobel,” he said. “You will have my full support in whatever path you choose to take,” he uttered before clearing his throat and adding, “But I have an idea that might be more feasible and less arduous of a journey.”

My breath caught as I waited for him to enlighten me with his idea, but I was disappointed when he didn’t continue on.

“And what is that solution exactly?” I had weighed everything, and nothing came that would be more reasonably sound than what I had just suggested.

Julien stared right into my eyes. “We get married.”

WHAT? My heart stopped beating.

Did he just—he f*cking did.

Fick. Fack. Fuck.





Chapter Twelve





“Have you gone mad?” My eyes were as wide as saucers as I hissed at him across the table, conscious that other patrons could hear our bizarre conversation. There was no other way to put it, though. For him to even dare suggest such a mad idea was … it was … well, f*ck.

Hugo would be livid. Hell, he would most likely kill us both. I wouldn’t doubt it.

While I seemed beyond perplexed from what he had just stated, Julien was the total opposite. In fact, he appeared as cool as a cucumber, which made me a tad suspicious.

“How long have you considered this lunacy?”

He shrugged. “Since somewhere in our flight across the Atlantic Ocean.”

Well. Hell.

“And you just decided to enlighten me right now?” I was having difficulty controlling my temper-filled reaction. It was absurd. How could he even fathom such an idea? I was carrying his best friend’s twins for f*ck’s sake!

“Yes, because of this very same reason,” he readily supplied with his expressionless face, while I, on the other hand, was rendered beyond dumbstruck. “The idea is mad—I admit as much—but you also can’t deny the fact that it’s the one that makes perfect sense. By doing so, you and the twins will be safe from harm. No one will ever know that I didn’t father them. At the end of the day, what matters most is safety. Not only will you acquire that by marrying me, but you can sleep soundly at night, knowing you and your children have security. You admitted that you’re willing to sacrifice anything at all costs. This is the best solution; you can’t deny that.”

The best solution. Security. You and the twins will be safe from harm. His words rang in my ears as I stared at him, overwhelmed, befuddled.

“I seriously don’t know what to say. This is …” I trailed off, having difficulty finding the right words. “He’s going to kill us if we go this route. He’s going to kill us.”

Hugo’s darkly handsome face flashed before me, sending me into a spiral of guilt and shame. His best friend was trying to convince me that marrying him would be beyond beneficial for us all, all except him.

“You’re putting everything on the line. How is this marriage going to benefit you? This is about your life, too. By doing so, you can definitely kiss your friendship good-bye with him. It could jeopardize so many things—from acquaintances to potential businesses … the list goes on and on.”

“I’ve thought about that—what man wouldn’t—but I can only focus on one matter and how to solve that without risking you or the twins. I can’t be selfish, thinking about how this marriage would benefit me. It’s my love for Hugo that’s making me do this. If the situation were reversed, he would do the same for me. I don’t doubt that for a moment. That aside, for us to preserve and contain your condition, I advise we should wait before disclosing the truth. It could be years, decades even, until we can tell him if you so wish it. However you decide to cross that particular bridge is purely up to you.”

“I …” Shaking my head in disbelief, I licked my lips, still reeling from it all. At the same time, I could see the future he painted for me. Whichever decision I chose to pursue, I was already betraying Hugo. “I need time to think this through if that’s fine by you.”

He smirked, looking confident as ever. “I never expected your answer instantly, Isobel. In that sense, I suppose I know you enough to know that you’ll be losing sleep trying to figure out what to do. But I’m quite confident you will choose the best one, the only one that will successfully resolve all your problems.”

He was blatantly pointing out that the outcome was inevitable, yet he was giving me the courtesy of breathing room to get accustomed to the idea.

“How noble of you, Julien. So I guess you won’t need my answer then, since you already stated that you know me well enough to know which one I’ll eventually choose.” As much as I wanted to keep on being incensed at the idea, I knew this was the perfect solution, as he had so graciously put it.

“Very well. Thank you for not fighting me on this. We’ll resume discussing the details at the end of our trip to Miami.” He continued on with his speech about making it seem as if he and I had begun to date after Hugo went on his merry way. He insisted that we make it look as if we were having an affair, and the moment I begin showing, we would begin making arrangements for the wedding and so forth.