Page 9 of Julian

As if on cue, his phone dinged with an alert for a text. Picking it up, he saw a message from Duncan, even though texts weren’t his usual form of communication. The message, however, didn’t pertain to the report he’d just sent him.

Duncan:I know you were thinking of staying in New York on your return from Singapore, but please come back to the estate.

Julian frowned at the message, wondering what was going on.Why?

He knew Duncan wasn’t going to be pleased with that one-word response questioning him, but he really wanted to know why he wasn’t able to make the decision for himself.

Duncan:There is something I need to discuss with you in person.

Julian sighed. And of course, Duncan couldn’t fly to New York to discuss it with him.

I’ll be there.

Duncan:I’ll have the plane waiting for you in NYC.

Julian was glad that after his long flight from Singapore, he wouldn’t have to still take commercial flights to Idaho.

As he was staring at his phone, another text message came in. One that suddenly made him glad Duncan had demanded his presence in Idaho.

Mom:Please make arrangements for us to have dinner when you get back from Singapore.

Julian hadn’t talked to his mother much since the disastrous meeting with Angela and Kiara. But from the few brief conversations they’d had, it was apparent that she’d washed her hands of the twins.

As soon as she’d realized that things weren’t going to be a walk in the park with Angela, she’d apparently decided she wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with her.

Julian wondered if he made things too challenging for her, that at some point, she’d let him go too. Perhaps he was going to find out.

I’m sorry I can’t do dinner this time around. I need to get back to the estate.

There was no response, but Julian hadn’t really expected one. He hadn’t catered to her request, so she wouldn’t say anything more to him. At least for a while.

Which was just as well. Apparently, he had something to deal with back at the estate.

CHAPTER THREE

It was nearly midnight—after almost twenty-four hours of travel—when the helicopter finally set down on the helipad at the estate. Julian stepped out into the night air, which was considerably cooler than what he’d left in Singapore.

He and Anthony grabbed their bags from the luggage compartment, then made their way to a waiting UTV. It was a short drive to the house, where they dropped him and his luggage off before Anthony and the driver continued on to the security building.

The house was quiet, and Julian already knew that Duncan wasn’t waiting up for him, so he headed straight for his room. Although he did make a detour by the library to grab a bottle of his favorite whiskey.

As Julian stalked down the dimly lit hallway to his room, the long day of travel and the upcoming meeting with Duncan weighed heavy on him. He almost wished he could have stayed in New York and dealt with his mother instead.

Duncan rarely summoned him for personal reasons, and the summons for business reasons were usually to the offices in New York. This… he just wasn’t sure what to expect. And that unknown drove him to fill his glass with whiskey… more than once.

The next morning came too soon for Julian’s liking, but Duncan would expect him sooner rather than later.

He dragged himself out of bed, into the shower, then dressed in a white, long-sleeved, button-down shirt paired with a Loro Piana Bespoke Suit in navy and his favorite Berluti Alessandro Démesure Leather Oxfords. Normally, he wouldn’twear anything so expensive at the estate, but Julian felt like he needed some armor.

For some reason, his gut told him that he wasn’t going to like the reason Duncan had demanded this meeting.

Once he was ready to face the day, though he was still dealing with a headache and fatigue due to jetlag, Julian entered the breakfast room with his shoulders back and his head held high. To his relief, the only people there were Jude and Angela.

Julian forced what he hoped was a casual smile as he stepped into the room. "Good morning."

Jude looked up from his coffee and gave him a curt nod. "Julian."

Angela glanced his way and smiled. “Good morning, Julian. When did you get home?”