All Chapters of A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

"Do you even know what you're doing, Maximilian?" I asked, my voice trembling with frustration and fear. The car jolted as we sped down the darkened highway, the city lights a blur through the rain-soaked windows. He didn’t answer immediately, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. His jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grinding. When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with a quiet intensity that sent a chill through me. "I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m protecting you." I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh in the tense silence. "Protecting me? By throwing away everything you’ve built? By making deals with people who could destroy you?" His eyes flicked toward me, dark and unreadable. "Eliza, this isn’t about my company or my money. This is about you. About keeping you safe." "And what about you, Maximilian? What happens when they come after you instead? What happens when you have nothing left to fight with?" I demanded, my voice rising with each

The morning light seeped through the curtains, but the warmth it brought felt distant, like a luxury I couldn’t afford. My chest still ached from the weight of the revelations from the night before. Maximilian’s words echoed in my mind—his apology, his pain, and the shadowy figure from his past who had promised more destruction. Maximilian sat across from me in the library, his sleeves rolled up and his jaw clenched. He was a man used to solving problems with cold precision, but this time, I could see the strain in his eyes. “Do you trust me, Eliza?” His voice was low, almost hesitant as if he feared my answer. I met his gaze, searching for the man beneath the mask of control he always wore. “I want to,” I said, the words trembling on my lips. “But it’s not that simple.” His brow furrowed, and for a moment, I thought I saw something raw and unguarded in his expression. “It has to be. If we’re going to fight this, we need to do it together.” “Fight what, Maximilian? Your past

I stared at the horizon, where the crimson sun kissed the steel and glass of the cityscape. The aftermath of the confrontation still rippled through me like the aftershocks of an earthquake. My pulse hadn’t settled, and my thoughts raced like untamed stallions. I felt Maximilian’s presence before I saw him, his silent but commanding aura wrapping around me like a shield.“Are you all right?” His voice was low, almost hesitant. It was a tone I had rarely heard from him—one laced with concern instead of command.I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I was answering truthfully. “I think so. Are you?”He exhaled deeply, his fingers brushing through his thick, dark hair. For a moment, he looked vulnerable, stripped of the armor he usually wore so confidently. “It’s over, Eliza. At least for now.”The weight of his words settled between us. For now. That was the crux of our existence—always teetering on the edge of chaos. “What if it isn’t?” I whispered. “What if there’s more waiting for us ou

I stood frozen in the dimly lit hallway, my heart hammering against my chest. The sound of the door creaking open still echoed in my ears, a harbinger of something I hadn’t dared imagine. The stranger from Maximilian’s past—a face he clearly recognized but one I couldn’t place—had uttered those chilling words: “We need to talk.” And now here we were, in the study, an unspoken tension weaving through the air like a live wire.Maximilian sat rigid in his leather chair, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the armrests. The stranger, a man with sharp eyes and an air of authority, remained standing, towering over him. I lingered near the doorway, my instincts torn between staying to understand what was happening or slipping away to avoid whatever storm was brewing.“I thought we’d settled this years ago,” Maximilian said, his voice tight but controlled.“You thought wrong,” the man replied, his tone carrying an edge that sent a chill down my spine. He glanced briefly in my direction, and

I stood beside Maximilian, my hand gently resting on his arm, as the sun began to set. The sky above us was painted with colors I had never seen before—rich golds and soft pinks blending into the deepest purples. It felt like the world was holding its breath, and for once, it seemed like everything had finally fallen into place. I couldn’t help but wonder how we’d gotten here. When I first walked into his life, I was nothing but a desperate woman with nowhere to turn. I had no idea what this marriage would become, what it would turn me into, or how it would change him. Back then, all I wanted was to escape my family's debt, to make sure my mother had the care she needed, and to leave behind the crushing weight of my past. Maximilian had been nothing more than a means to an end.But now? Now I wasn’t sure where that ended and where we began. The line had blurred. I had never imagined that something could grow from the ashes of what felt like an impossible situation, but here I was, st