Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 272

Penelope maintained her facade of composure. "This is a distant cousin of mine from my hometown. He's in San Francisco on business and stopped by to visit."

The staff quickly nodded and scattered back to their duties.

Penelope led Arnold up to the second floor, pushed open the master bedroom door, and stepped aside to let him in. Then, she quickly locked the door behind them.

The moment the lock clicked, she leaned heavily against the wood, letting out a long, shaky breath as if all her energy had been drained.

Arnold, on the other hand, made himself entirely at home. He immediately began examining the room.

The floor-to-ceiling windows, the massive king bed, the wardrobe, the vanity, and finally, the framed photo of Marcus Reed and Penelope on the nightstand.

He picked it up, studied it for a second, and scoffed.

"He's nothing special. Your taste has gone downhill."

Penelope didn't respond. She walked over, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, her chin tilted up as she fought to maintain her authority.

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

Arnold set the photo down and turned to face her, his gaze slowly trailing down her body.

"We haven't seen each other in years, and this is how you talk to me?"

He took two steps forward. Penelope instinctively backed up, but her spine hit the vanity. She was trapped.

Arnold planted a hand on either side of the counter, caging her in. He lowered his head, pressing his nose against her hair, and took a deep breath.

"You smell so good."

Penelope was trembling, her face completely bloodless.

"I'll give you a million dollars," she choked out, her voice tight. "Take the money and never show your face again."

Arnold lifted his head and stared down at her.

He smiled. It looked harmless, but his cloudy eyes churned with a dark malice that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Sure."

His tone was breezily casual. "You always were sensible."

She stared blankly at the ceiling, her chest heaving, her eyes hollow.

She felt like it had been a very long time since she had been this...

She shivered, not daring to finish the thought.

Arnold rolled off her, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air.

He walked into the bathroom shirtless, took a quick shower, and walked back out with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Penelope was already sitting up, frantically pulling her clothes back on. "Get out of here. My husband will be home soon..."

Arnold took a drag from his cigarette, leaning against the nightstand. He looked at her, his lips curving into a smirk.

"What's the rush? I haven't seen Nora yet."

Penelope's hands froze on her buttons. Her brow pinched instantly.

Arnold flicked his ash, his smile widening. "Where's my sweet daughter? Where is she?"