All Chapters of A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

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

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

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

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

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