Second Marriage The Billionaire's Planned Love (Quinn and Julian) novel Chapter 220

Chapter 220 Not Just Words

Finished

If those words had come from someone else, they wouldn’t have carried this kind of weight, and Quinn knew that she probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it.

But this was Julian, and that made it impossible to brush off.

It took real effort for her to push down the surge of emotion that followed, to keep her expression steady and not let any of it show.

She wasn’t divorced yet.

Nothing had been finalized.

She couldn’t let anyone think Julian was pursuing a married woman, not even by implication.

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” she said quickly, trying to regain control of the conversation before it drifted further out of her reach. “You’re not trying to date me, and this isn’t…”

“Quinn,” Julian interrupted gently, lifting their joined hands just enough to bring them into her line of sight, “look at this, we’re already holding hands.”

Quinn’s thoughts scrambled for something, anything, to counter that.

“That’s not how it works,” she said, latching onto the first argument she could form. “People don’t start with that, holding hands comes after you’re actually together.”

Julian’s lips curved slightly, amused. “Then I moved too fast.”

His thumb brushed lightly across the back of her hand, slow and unhurried, before he let go, even though it was clear he didn’t want to.

“Then I’ll wait,” he said. “When you say yes, I’ll hold your hand again.”

Quinn blinked, caught off guard by how easily he let go. “You’re really just… not going to anymore?”

Julian reached out and tapped her lightly on the head. “Did you not hear what I said, I’ll wait until I get an answer, and when I do, we’ll see what you say then.”

“But…” Quinn hesitated, then asked, “what about what you said before, about that one–month thing, does that still count?”

“That was on me,” Julian said, his tone more serious now. “You were right, we’re not together, so I shouldn’t be crossing that line, we’ll talk about everything else after your divorce is done.”

Quinn paused, then asked quietly, “So I can leave?”

“No,” Julian said, exhaling softly. “Tell me something, have I actually done anything to make you uncomfortable, or are you just assuming that two people living in the same place automatically means something’s going to happen?”

“That’s what people will think,” she said, almost under her breath.

Chapter 220 Not Just Words

Fulshed

“If you keep living your life based on what other people think, you’re going to wear yourself out,” Julian replied, his voice steady, even as he held himself back from reaching for her again. “I’ll talk to Lucy”

“No,” Quinn said quickly, then softened her tone when she realized how sharp it sounded. “I mean… she’s a little intimidated by you, she won’t say anything, but she’ll overthink it later.”

Julian studied her for a second. “She’s intimidated by me, are you?”

Quinn lowered her eyes. “No.”

“Then look at me and say that,” Julian said, not letting it go this time.

Quinn’s gaze shifted, avoiding his completely.

Julian let out a quiet breath, deciding not to push her further. “Fine, if you don’t want to answer, I won’t force it, but you don’t need to be afraid of me, not now, not ever, I won’t force you into anything, and I’ll respect whatever you decide.”

“Really?” Quinn looked up at him then, searching his expression.

Julian nodded. “I don’t go back on my word.”

Quinn felt a flicker of guilt, because she knew she had.

“Then I want to stay somewhere else,” she said.

Was she really ready to risk everything for something that might not last?

She didn’t have an answer yet.

Maybe I’ll decide after the divorce.

For most of her life, she had done what was expected of her, trying to be the daughter Elaine could be proud of, following the path that had been laid out for her.

This time, she wanted to choose for herself.

“To be honest, it’s still early,” Julian said, shifting the mood slightly. “If you don’t want to go out, we could just watch something here.”

“A movie?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a full setup.”

He instinctively started to reach for her hand again, then stopped halfway, remembering what he had promised, and let his hand fall back to his side..

He nodded toward the far end of the hallway. “The theater room’s in there.”

That caught Quinn’s attention.

Staying here doing nothing would only make everything feel more awkward.

“Okay,” she said.

Julian led the way.

The room looked more like a private screening space than anything in a regular home, with an entire wall turned into a screen and a sound system that looked like it belonged in a high–end studio.

518