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Chapter 78: A Shattered Heart
Last Updated:
2025-01-30 14:28:23
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I stood there, frozen, as Maximilian’s words sank in. My heart was a tangled mess of confusion, hurt, and an overwhelming sense of betrayal. How could he possibly think I could just forgive everything? How could I, after all the damage that had been done?He kneeled before me, his usual composed and powerful demeanor stripped away, leaving a raw vulnerability I had never seen in him. My breath caught in my throat, my eyes searching his face, trying to decipher what was real and what was just another ploy.“Eliza,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, “Please, give me a chance. I’ll prove to you that I can change. That I want to change—for you.”I felt a wave of frustration rise within me. “How can you expect me to believe that now, Maximilian?” I asked, my voice shaky. “After everything you’ve done? Everything you’ve put me through?”“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, his eyes pleading. “I never meant for things to go this far. But I’ve been an idiot. I’ve let my pride and m
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My heart was pounding in my chest, each beat echoing the fear and anticipation that gripped me. The decision that loomed before I felt impossible—yet here we were, standing in the silence that had stretched between us for too long.Maximilian’s gaze was intense, those piercing eyes of his searching my face, as though trying to gauge my every thought. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. He had laid himself bare, and now it was my turn."I’ve been trying to fix everything," Maximilian said, his voice strained, almost raw. "But I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I’m even capable of it."I shook my head slowly, taking a deep breath. "You’re not the only one who’s struggling, Maximilian. I’ve had to face my own fears and my own weaknesses. I’m not the same person I was when we first met. But you… you’ve always been the hardest part to figure out."His lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought he might smile, but the sadness in his eyes crushed that hope."We’re both broken i
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"Do not mistake this for anything more than it is," Maximilian’s voice echoed in my head as I sat at the edge of the oversized bed, my fingers twisting the edge of my dress. His words from earlier that day, as cold and cutting as the man himself, replayed like a broken record, reminding me of the stark reality of my new life. The room was suffocating in its opulence—golden drapes that swept the floor, a chandelier casting fractured light across the walls, and a bed so large it seemed to mock the emptiness I felt. I had always dreamed of luxury, of escaping the suffocating weight of poverty, but I had never imagined it would feel this hollow. Maximilian had retreated to his study shortly after we arrived at his penthouse, leaving me alone to acclimate to my gilded cage. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant hum of the city below. I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t. Not here. Not where the walls seemed to watch, where every surface gleamed with the perfection he demande
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"Some things are better left unknown, Eliza." The words Maximilian had said to me a few nights ago echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off—something deeper than the surface of our arranged marriage. It was as though shadows were lurking in the corners of his life, ones that he wasn’t ready to expose, no matter how much I longed to understand him. It had been nearly a week since the night I overheard Maximilian’s phone conversation. I couldn’t get the sharpness in his voice out of my head, or the raw emotion he had briefly revealed. I still wasn’t sure whether he was talking about me or someone else, but it gnawed at me—made me more curious about the man I was now bound to, for better or worse. Maximilian, for all his coldness, was a man of extremes. He made it clear that our marriage was about business and only business. Yet, the more time I spent under this roof, the more his contradictions became evident. The more I began to feel like a pawn
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“You have no idea what you’ve just gotten yourself into.”The words echoed in my mind long after I heard them. That stranger’s warning, sharp and cryptic, clung to me like an invisible thread, tugging at my thoughts every time Maximilian’s attention wandered from me. It had been a day like no other—beautiful, grand, and yet, strangely suffocating.Tonight, we were attending one of the most exclusive charity galas in the city, an event where the world’s most powerful figures mingled like puppets in a grandiose theater of wealth, influence, and secrets. Maximilian had told me nothing about it in advance—just that I needed to look presentable and play my part. I was expected to be nothing more than an accessory to his wealth, his image, and his control over this world.And yet, despite everything, there was something about it all that unsettled me.As Maximilian guided me through the venue, his hand resting possessively on my lower back, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The
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"The truth has a way of creeping up on you, even when you think you've buried it forever."I should have known that a night as perfect as the gala wouldn't last. I should have seen the signs—Maximilian's tense jawline, the way his gaze flickered to the mysterious man who spoke to me. But I didn’t. I was too caught up in the excitement of the evening, too wrapped in the moment of wearing that dress, my hand in his, feeling the weight of his world as we danced through the crowd.Now, I stood in the midst of that tension, the words of the man from the gala echoing in my mind. He had warned me—Maximilian was dangerous. He wasn’t the man I thought he was. I felt a chill crawl down my spine. Maximilian was supposed to be my ticket out, my way to fix everything, but now… now I was beginning to question it all. His grip on my wrist was tight, but not painful. It was possessive like he was afraid I might slip away from him. His voice was low, the words sharp. “Forget what he told you, Eliza.
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My heart was pounding in my chest, each beat echoing the fear and anticipation that gripped me. The decision that loomed before I felt impossible—yet here we were, standing in the silence that had stretched between us for too long.Maximilian’s gaze was intense, those piercing eyes of his searching my face, as though trying to gauge my every thought. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. He had laid himself bare, and now it was my turn."I’ve been trying to fix everything," Maximilian said, his voice strained, almost raw. "But I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I’m even capable of it."I shook my head slowly, taking a deep breath. "You’re not the only one who’s struggling, Maximilian. I’ve had to face my own fears and my own weaknesses. I’m not the same person I was when we first met. But you… you’ve always been the hardest part to figure out."His lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought he might smile, but the sadness in his eyes crushed that hope."We’re both broken i
A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection Chapter 79: The Path to Forgiveness
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A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection Chapter 78: A Shattered Heart
The silence between us is suffocating. Maximilian stands at the doorway of our living room, his face unreadable. His eyes are shadowed, the weight of everything pressing on him, just as it presses on me. I want to speak, to scream at him, to ask how we got here, but the words get stuck in my throat.It feels like we're standing on the edge of a cliff, and neither of us knows if we should jump or turn back.“You don’t get it, do you?” I say finally, my voice shaking. “This... whatever this is between us, it's never been simple. I’ve never been just some pawn in your game. I didn’t ask for this, Maximilian. I didn’t want to fall in love with you.”The words come out harder than I meant. I regret them almost instantly. He looks at me, the flicker of something in his eyes — frustration, regret, anger, maybe even sadness — but he doesn’t say anything. I can’t decide if that’s worse or better.“I never wanted to hurt you,” he finally mutters, his voice tight. “But you knew what you were get
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I stood there, frozen, as Maximilian’s words sank in. My heart was a tangled mess of confusion, hurt, and an overwhelming sense of betrayal. How could he possibly think I could just forgive everything? How could I, after all the damage that had been done?He kneeled before me, his usual composed and powerful demeanor stripped away, leaving a raw vulnerability I had never seen in him. My breath caught in my throat, my eyes searching his face, trying to decipher what was real and what was just another ploy.“Eliza,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, “Please, give me a chance. I’ll prove to you that I can change. That I want to change—for you.”I felt a wave of frustration rise within me. “How can you expect me to believe that now, Maximilian?” I asked, my voice shaky. “After everything you’ve done? Everything you’ve put me through?”“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, his eyes pleading. “I never meant for things to go this far. But I’ve been an idiot. I’ve let my pride and m
A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection Chapter 76: Secrets Unveiled
I sit on the edge of the bed, my hands folded tightly in my lap, my heart thundering in my chest. Maximilian is standing by the window, his back to me, the sharp lines of his silhouette bathed in the soft, dim light of the late evening. The silence between us is thick—more suffocating than comforting."Maximilian," I whisper, my voice shaky, "What aren't you telling me?"He doesn't move at first. His shoulders remain rigid, and his posture is as perfect as always, yet there's something about the way he holds himself tonight that feels different. It's as if he's been weighed down by a burden I don't understand. A burden I've never seen before."You should go to sleep, Eliza," he says, his voice betraying no hint of emotion. But I can tell he's trying to push me away, trying to keep me at arm’s length."No," I say, standing up quickly, my voice growing firmer. "I need to know the truth. I can’t stand this anymore—this feeling that you’re hiding something from me. Something important. Yo
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I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as Maximilian stands across from me. His gaze is unwavering, but I can see the unease hidden beneath his composed exterior.I swallow, my throat dry, trying to find the right words.“We need to talk,” I say, the words coming out softer than I intend, but they carry the weight of everything I’m feeling.He stiffens but doesn’t move, his jaw clenched. “I know.”His response is brief, but I can tell that he’s been expecting this moment. And honestly, so have I. We’ve both been dancing around the truth for far too long.“Maximilian,” I start, taking a tentative step forward, “I need to know if this—if we—are worth it. Worth the risk. Worth the sacrifice.”He remains silent, his expression unreadable. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, every word I speak pushing me closer to the abyss.“I don’t want to live like this anymore,” I continue, my voice shaking now, the vulnerability leaking through. “I don’t want to keep pretending like eve
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I sat on the edge of the bed, my heart racing as the air between Maximilian and me thickened with the weight of unspoken truths. His silence was unbearable, a ticking clock counting down to our implosion. My voice was hoarse when I finally broke the stillness."Are you going to tell me the truth, or do I have to keep living with lies?" I demanded, my gaze fixed on the floor to hide the storm brewing in my eyes.Maximilian paced across the room, his usual composure fraying at the edges. "Eliza, it's not that simple.""It never is with you, is it?" I stood up, the adrenaline giving me courage I didn't know I had. "Just once, I want the truth without your calculations or manipulations."His jaw clenched, and I could see the internal battle raging inside him. He wanted to control the narrative, but something told me this time was different—there was no salvaging his iron grip on the situation."I was protecting you," he finally said.I scoffed, my laugh bitter. "Protecting me? Is that wha
A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection Chapter 73: The Unforgivable
Maximilian paced the living room, his jaw clenched as his phone buzzed relentlessly on the coffee table. His broad shoulders were tense as if he carried the weight of a thousand unsaid words. I stood near the window, watching the city lights flicker below. The air between us crackled with unspoken tension.He finally grabbed the phone and silenced it, tossing it back onto the table with a frustrated grunt.“Another problem at the company?” I asked carefully, my voice breaking the heavy silence.He didn't meet my gaze. “It’s always a problem,” he muttered. “But this...this is different.”I stepped closer. “What is it?”He ran a hand through his dark hair, exhaling sharply. “An old associate is back in town. Someone I never wanted to see again.”“Who?” I pressed, sensing there was more to this than just a business issue.He looked at me then, his blue eyes colder than winter. “Julian Black.”The name didn’t mean much to me, but the way Maximilian said it made my chest tighten. There was
A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection Chapter 72: Old Demons
I sat across from Maximilian in the dim glow of the library. The fire crackled softly, casting shadows on the walls, but there was a tension in the room that was impossible to ignore. His jaw was clenched, his gaze distant. Whatever storm was brewing inside him, I knew it was darker than anything he had let me see before."Maximilian," I said gently, breaking the heavy silence. "Talk to me. Please."He didn't respond immediately. His fingers drummed against the armrest of his chair, a sure sign that he was fighting some internal battle."Eliza, you wouldn't understand," he finally muttered, his voice rough."Try me," I insisted, leaning forward. "You keep shutting me out, and it's tearing us apart. Whatever it is, I want to help."His eyes flickered to mine, and for a moment, I thought he would open up. But then he shook his head as if dismissing the thought."It's not that simple," he said. "Some things are better left buried."I stood up, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "You
