A Billionaire’s Hidden Affection のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

The air crackled with tension as I stood in the shadows, watching Maximilian square off against the man who had been the source of so much of our pain. My heart pounded, each beat echoing in my chest like a war drum. I clenched my hands, trying to steady the trembling that had overtaken me. This wasn’t just his fight—it was ours. “Max,” I whispered, but my voice was swallowed by the charged atmosphere. He didn’t look back at me, his focus locked on the man in front of him, but I knew he heard me. “Stay back, Eliza,” he said, his voice low and commanding, though I caught the faintest quiver of concern in it. I hated that command, hated the idea of standing on the sidelines when everything that mattered to me was on the line. But I could also see the strain in Maximilian’s posture, the weight of his resolve. He wasn’t doing this to push me away—he was doing it to protect me. The man facing him—Lucas Harland—smirked, his confidence sickeningly apparent. “You’re really willing to

I paced in the dimly lit hallway outside Maximilian's study, my heart pounding in sync with the ticking clock on the wall. The phone call had unsettled him, though he masked it well behind his usual stoic facade. But I knew him better now—his clenched jaw, the subtle tremor in his hand, and the way he avoided looking at me spoke volumes. The door creaked open, and he stepped out, his eyes shadowed with something I couldn't quite place. “Maximilian,” I said softly, taking a tentative step toward him. “What happened? Who was on the phone?” He hesitated, his gaze flickering between me and the floor. “It was…someone I haven’t spoken to in years.” “Your father.” It wasn’t a question. The weight of the air between us confirmed it. He nodded, his expression hardening. “He wants to meet. Says it’s urgent.” I reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?” His laugh was bitter, cold. “Am I okay? Eliza, my father isn’t the kind of man you sit down with for tea and pleasa

The cold draft of the study pressed against my skin, though it wasn’t the room that made me shiver. It was the silence—the kind that hung heavy in the air after a storm. Maximilian sat across from me, his shoulders rigid, his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscle ticked with every second of my waiting. The letter lay between us like a live grenade, its edges curling slightly under the weight of the truth it carried. “Why didn’t you tell me?” My voice barely rose above a whisper, but it carried every ounce of my disbelief, my anger, my hurt. His piercing gray eyes locked onto mine, void of the warmth I thought had begun to grow there. “Because it doesn’t concern you.” I flinched at his words. “Doesn’t concern me? Maximilian, I’m your wife—whether by contract or not. Do you honestly believe something this monumental wouldn’t affect me?” He stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the hardwood floor. “You don’t understand, Eliza. This... this is bigger than you or me. It’s ab

I can feel the weight of Maximilian’s presence even before I hear his footsteps. He’s standing there, near the door, but neither of us moves. It’s as if we’re both frozen, caught between the past and the possibility of something better, something different. The words my father spoke to me—his cold admission of orchestrating everything—are still ringing in my ears.“You never wanted me to have her, did you?” I had asked. His silence in return had been deafening.And now here I am, standing in the cold silence of Maximilian’s office, waiting for him to say something that will make this all make sense. I need him to explain—to make it right. I’m desperate to understand why he didn’t tell me about the hidden hand behind our marriage, why he kept it from me. And yet, part of me already knows the answer. I just don’t want to face it.“Maximilian,” I begin, my voice barely a whisper, “I need you to be honest with me. Please. About everything. No more lies, no more secrets. I can’t keep livin

It was quiet, too quiet, as I stood by the window of our penthouse, watching the lights of the city flicker against the night sky. The weight of the past few weeks hung heavily on my shoulders, yet there was a strange sense of peace in the silence. The decision to stay with Maximilian—to choose him—wasn’t made lightly. It had been a battle between my head and my heart, but for once, I let my heart win. “Penny for your thoughts?” His voice startled me, low and smooth, as he approached. I turned to see him leaning against the doorway, his tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up. There was something different about him tonight—an openness in his expression, a vulnerability I wasn’t used to seeing. “I was just thinking about how far we’ve come,” I said softly. “It feels... unreal.” He crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping just inches away from me. “Unreal, or unbelievable?” I tilted my head, meeting his gaze. “Both, maybe.” For a moment, neither of us spoke. The sile