All Chapters of Dark Secrets and Dangerous Love: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The next morning, she pulled on a simple pair of clean skinny jeans with a heather grey t-shirt. Sophia had not said if there was a dress code, so she tried to mirror the woman's clean and casual look from the day prior. She was unreasonably nervous, and her anxiety for the day to come made her forget about her morning coffee altogether. As she approached the storefront, the smell wafting toward her made her mouth water.  Sophia ran forward to the counter at the sound of the bell when Juliet opened the door, looking relieved to see her new employee.

Juliet could see Matthew's exhaustion as she surveyed him in her periphery. His eyelids hung low, and his movements were tense as he leaned forward to grab another slice of pizza from the nearly empty box on the corner of her bed. The show that softly hummed through the television filled the otherwise silent bedroom, but she was unaware of what was playing, distracted by the perfect man next to her.He had just flown back that afternoon, and she was sure any sleep he may have gotten on the plane did little for him. Having him so close after a week and a half away was like breathing in fresh air after being trapped in a burning room full of smoke.

Juliet was lucky to make it to work on time and had an exhausting day. There was a constant line in the shop, and she did her best to stay focused, even though her head was filled with thoughts of Matthew in her bed that morning.A day had never moved slower as she counted down the minutes before she would see him again now that he was back.Juliet was surprised to see Natalie home so early, but as she examined the woman at the dining room table typing away on her laptop with a headset on, she quietly closed the front door behind her and tip-toed to her bedroom. It was clear that Natalie was in a stressful situation, but by the still-full cup of coffee on the table beside her, she had hoped that Natalie would be celebrating closing another loan tonight.Not long after Juliet showered and changed, Natalie barged into her room and threw herself on

Juliet stared through the open door of the mudroom at the blank white wall of the hallway. Matthew had stepped out to grab towels only a few minutes prior, but she was impatient for his return. When he gruffly asked her to wait there a moment, Juliet nodded between the shivers that wracked her body from the air conditioning hitting her wet skin. There was no doubt in her mind that he was cold, too, and she wanted him to wrap his arms around her so they could warm each other up. Instead, he brushed past her quickly, careful not to touch her.

For a moment, Juliet couldn’t move as she stared into the camera lens with confusion. The realization of what she had been looking at hit her, and her green eyes widened as she dropped the black cloth back over the device.Immediately, Juliet had the feeling that she was going to regret exposing herself to the camera. Matthew must have covered it for a reason.  As she looked back down at the lock, she couldn’t help but wrap her fingers around the door handle to try and open it.  She knew that a door with multiple security measures was sure to be locked, and it was, much to her disappointment. Maybe it was her exhaustion or her curiosity, but she stared blankly at the door for a few moments longer, wondering what could be inside it before she turned and walked away. Muffled vibration from the room stilled her after a step,