He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 577

Helena sat there, simply listening to him.

"Also, your skincare and cosmetics are over here. I packed a small first-aid kit with all your essential medications on this side," Julian said, gesturing to the opposite half of the suitcase.

Helena leaned forward on the sofa, resting her chin in her hands as she watched him.

"Julian, are you treating me like a toddler?" she teased with a soft laugh.

Over the past three years, she rarely made public appearances.

But that didn't mean she never traveled for work.

Yet, without fail, Julian always took care of her as if she were a fragile child.

It was impossible for her heart not to soften.

Her eyes crinkled with quiet amusement as she looked up at him.

Julian let out a low chuckle, stepping forward and suddenly pulling her up by the waist.

Helena gasped in surprise, but his lips were already capturing hers.

The kiss was incredibly light, yet devastatingly emotional.

It wasn't a fleeting peck, nor was it the desperate frenzy from the car.

It was a slow, deliberate exploration.

Helena gripped the edge of the sofa cushion, forcing her body to relax and accept him.

He finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. "To me, you are my girl. You're meant to be spoiled."

Helena stared up at him in silence, not knowing what to say.

Her heart was hammering wildly against her ribs.

But she recognized something crucial in this moment: she wasn't violently repulsed by him.

Maybe, just maybe, she could truly let him in.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Julian asked, his voice a low rumble.

She bit her bottom lip.

The tips of her ears were burning, a faint flush creeping up her pale neck, but she didn't look away.

Julian laughed softly, seemingly unfazed by her silence.

His calloused thumb tilted her chin up, tracing her jawline with a gentle, agonizingly tender touch.

It wasn't forceful, but steeped in a deadly kind of devotion.

"Lena, don't look at me like that," his voice dropped an octave, heavy with warning.

Helena blinked, slightly dazed. "Hmm?"

Julian leaned in closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over her.

She felt the sudden, firm pressure of his arm wrapping around her waist.

There was no aggression in the movement, just an undeniable possession.

He simply locked her against his chest.

The radiating heat from his body seeped through her clothes.

Helena still didn't pull away.

Then, Julian kissed her again.

He started softly at her brow, trailed down the bridge of her nose, and finally pressed fully against her lips, slowly coaxing them open.

The physical sensation flooded her senses.

She remained perfectly still.

Her fingers dug into the upholstery of the sofa, her knuckles turning white.

As the cool air hit her skin, a shiver chased down her spine.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

She could hear the rustle of his clothing shifting, the heavy, ragged cadence of his breathing.

She told herself that if they just got this over with, they could finally stop torturing each other.

"Relax for me?" Julian coaxed, his voice husky.

"Okay," she whispered.

She waited.

Waited for him to cross the final line.

But seconds ticked into minutes, and Julian stopped moving completely.

Yet, despite the stillness, she was painfully aware of every minute shift in his body.