Chapter 15: An Uneasy Alliance
Audrey
Julian walked back up the stairs to my apartment, running a hand exhaustedly through his dark hair. The sirens outside were growing louder as local law enforcement arrived to flush out the paparazzi.
"They're leaving," he said, collapsing onto the sofa. "Security will be here in twenty minutes to guard the perimeter. No one will get within a mile of this inn without my authorization."
I sat in the armchair opposite him. The reality of the situation was settling over me like a suffocating blanket. "This isn't over, Julian. They'll wait at the bottom of the mountain. They'll follow my guests. They'll fly drones. My life here... it's ruined."
"I am so sorry, Audrey," he whispered, genuine torment in his eyes. "I brought this to your door. I will fix it. I promise you."
"How?" I asked hopelessly. "Madison has given them blood in the water. They won't stop until they drag my name, and my children, through the mud."
Julian leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. "There is one way to kill the story instantly. To protect the boys from ever being dragged into a scandal."
I narrowed my eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"A united front," he said carefully, gauging my reaction. "Madison's entire narrative hinges on the idea that our marriage ended in a bitter, explosive disaster because of her. If we step out into the public eye—just once—as a reconciled, happy couple, her story dies. It becomes the desperate lie of an obsessed former employee. The media loses interest, the board backs off, and the paparazzi go away."
I stared at him, appalled. "You want me to pretend to be your loving wife for the cameras?"
"I want to protect our sons," Julian countered fiercely. "If the media finds out about the twins right now, in the middle of a scandal, they will hound them for the rest of their lives. If we present a boring, reconciled marriage, we control the narrative. We introduce the boys to the world on our terms, safely, later."
He was right. God, I hated that he was right. If the world thought we were happily repairing our marriage in a quiet mountain retreat, the dramatic scandal would evaporate.
"A fake reconciliation," I murmured, the bitter taste of irony in my mouth. "For how long?"
"Just until the European merger closes and Madison's legal team is crushed. A few weeks. A month at most," Julian promised. "We give an exclusive, controlled interview to a friendly publication. We take a few photos. Then, the world moves on."
I looked toward the closed bedroom door, where my innocent boys were sleeping, entirely unaware of the storm raging outside. I would do anything for them. Even make a deal with the devil.
"Fine," I said, my voice hardening into steel. "One interview. A few photos. But Julian, you sleep in the guest room. We are business partners in this lie. Nothing more."
Julian nodded, though a flash of pain crossed his features. "Understood."
Before he could say anything else, my cell phone rang on the coffee table. The caller ID was Clara, the head housekeeper.
I picked it up. "Clara, is everyone okay downstairs? The police are handling the press."
"Audrey," Clara's voice was a frantic, hushed whisper. "The police cleared the reporters, but someone slipped past them into the lobby before they locked the doors. She’s demanding to see Julian."
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My blood ran cold. "Who is it?"
"She says her name is Madison Carter. And Audrey... she’s holding a file, and she says if Julian doesn't come down right now, she’s going to hand it to the police."
