All Chapters of Too Late to Love Me: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

After leaving the Sterling mansion, Julian seemed to disappear from the world. Vivienne had people searching everywhere, yet none of them found him.At first, he was still in Larkmoor. He rented a small apartment, lived alone, and settled into a quiet routine of cooking, eating, and sleeping.At night, memories sometimes returned. He'd once imagined spending his entire life with Vivienne. Even without intimacy, he thought they could remain courteous companions, perhaps one day build a happy family and grow old together.He'd overestimated what his heart could bear.Seeing Vivienne show another man the tenderness she withheld from Julian had overwhelmed him with jealousy. He hated his own weakness. She treated Elliot a thousand times better than she treated her husband, yet Julian had never found the courage to demand more.In the end, leaving was the only way to save himself.He knew he could never go back. He didn't care anymore. He could live alone if he had to. Besides his par

Back in Larkmoor, Vivienne began treatment as soon as she understood her diagnosis. She took her medication, followed her rehabilitation program, and exercised as much as she could manage.She knew her illness was serious. She also believed she could fight it. She wasn't ready to die, and she wasn't ready to surrender the man who had vanished from her life.Once she admitted how much Julian meant to her, she broke off her engagement to Elliot. Elliot was heartbroken, but said that if this was truly her decision, he wouldn't stand in her way. Even so, she resolved to do everything she could to make it up to him and earn his forgiveness.She visited Julian's parents, only to be refused another meeting. They wouldn't reveal where he was, and she couldn't find him herself.So she concentrated on getting well. Stomach cancer could sometimes be treated successfully, she told herself. If she survived, she'd have years to look for Julian. Surely they would meet somewhere, someday. Then she

Finding Julian had taken Vivienne years.Even while undergoing treatment, she'd exhausted every connection she had, following leads around the world. Finally, two weeks earlier, a friend overseas had brought her news. It was as if with her recovery, all her luck had finally returned to her.The lead traced back to a phone call Julian's parents had received from Port Aurora three years before. Her friend's acquaintance worked in the local government and had heard of Hart Holdings. Once he learned Vivienne was searching for the Hart heir, he helped trace contacts between the remote town and Larkmoor.Investigators found calls from Port Aurora to the Hart family's home. Vivienne used her connections to confirm the lead, spending more time and money than she cared to count. For the first time in three years, she had a direction.She flew north to find him.She had never expected to find him laughing with another woman.From a distance, Vivienne watched Julian and Maren buy grilled fo

Vivienne's knees buckled. She crouched at the edge of the water, wrapping her arms around herself. The rising tide soaked her legs, and the cold seemed to reach all the way into her bones.She didn't know how long she stayed there before footsteps approached.It was Maren, back again. The harbor behind her glittered with lights and evening crowds, but to Vivienne the world had gone dark."Are you all right?" Maren asked."I'm fine." Vivienne pushed herself upright, unsteady."Wait." Maren held out a pack of tissues. "Here."After a hesitation, Vivienne accepted one and wiped her face."I know who you are to him," Maren said quietly.Vivienne said nothing. She took another tissue to dry her hands."But I need to ask you to leave him alone."Vivienne looked up. "You love him?""Yes," Maren answered without embarrassment. "I do. I want you to stop interfering in his life."Vivienne's eyes tightened, but she kept silent."I don't know everything that happened between you," Mar

"Ma'am? Are you okay?" the nurse asked, lightly touching Vivienne's arm."Yes. Sorry. Thank you."Vivienne fled the hospital.Married? Julian was married? How could that be possible?She stumbled into her apartment and nearly fell while unlocking the door. On the sofa, she pulled up the only photograph she had of the two of them.Julian wore a simple shirt and jeans, looking toward the camera with a shy smile and bright eyes. It had been taken at a company dinner after their wedding, when colleagues teased them into posing together. Julian had blushed so hard he'd barely managed to look at her.In the photograph, Vivienne herself was smiling at him. She looked almost tender.She pressed her phone to her chest, crying until the screen was damp. How could she have had that happiness within reach and never understood it?Now she couldn't even bring herself to walk into the hospital room. She was afraid she'd learn something worse, something she would never be able to undo.Pain s