Too Late to Ask Too Late to Love (Julian and Eleanor) novel Chapter 23

Eleanor came to a halt but deliberately avoided turning around to meet Julian’s gaze.

“The past?” she echoed softly, almost dismissively.

“Uncle, the past is behind us now. What matters is the present. I was young and foolish once, and I take full responsibility for the trouble I caused you. But Jason and I? We’re doing really well now…”

Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden, forceful grip seized her wrist. Her body was spun around abruptly, and Julian’s hands gently but firmly cradled her face.

Eleanor caught sight of the unmistakable redness in his eyes. “You’ve fallen for him?” His voice was thick with accusation, as if he couldn’t quite accept the truth.

Her pupils narrowed sharply. As his face drew closer, she pushed him back with determination.

“Julian, please, have some respect for yourself!” she said firmly.

Her tone was resolute, and her expression hardened as she refused to meet his eyes again. Without another word, she turned and walked away.

In the past, she had openly shown her feelings for him countless times, only to be met with cold rejection.

Now that her heart belonged to someone else, he was questioning why she had changed?

The past was the past, and she intended to leave it there.

A sudden pang of regret washed over her—had she made a mistake taking this job? She had thought she was ready to move on and start fresh, but she hadn’t expected Julian to be the one still holding on so tightly.

After the incident at the Rose Garden, Brandon cornered her and told her about Julian and Sophia.

But Eleanor felt nothing.

What did it matter to her now?

She shouldn’t have come back at all.

Once this shoot wrapped up, if nothing else came up, she would return to the States with Jason.

If Julian knew that, he would probably be thrilled.

Thinking of Jason, Eleanor couldn’t help but smile softly, the corners of her mouth lifting without her realizing it.

Behind her, Julian remained frozen in place, still standing where she had pushed him, motionless for a long time.

Eventually, his gaze drifted toward the distant maple tree.

Its leaves had turned a brilliant gold, and the branches, though twisted and sturdy, seemed to carry a lonely, desolate weight.

The chill in the air was becoming more pronounced with each passing day.

Even beneath the grandest maple tree, the earth would soon harden into frozen ground.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify