The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 75

Gideon was not the type of man to care about someone else's eating habits. Every ounce of his attention had always been devoted to Giselle; the rest of the world could literally starve for all he cared.

Yet here he was, actively noticing her lack of appetite and ordering the staff to fix it.

Even if his excuse was as venomous and self-serving as ever.

She slowly reached out, her fingertips grazing the warm ceramic. Keeping her head bowed, she hid a chaotic storm of emotions behind her thick lashes as she stared at the broth.

Picking up her silver spoon, she finally took a bite.

The savory warmth slid down her throat, instantly soothing the harsh ache in her stomach.

Gideon shot her one last look before grabbing his suit jacket and striding out the door.

Pausing halfway down the hall, he threw out a casual, "Is work going alright?"

Nora looked up at his broad back.

"It's fine."

"Good."

He gave a curt nod and walked out.

Life seemed to settle back onto a predictable track.

Nora threw herself into the relentless grind of the atelier.

Julian would casually text her now and then. He wasn't overwhelming, never crossing the line into annoying, but his messages always seemed to arrive exactly when she needed a distraction.

Sometimes it was during her lunch break.

"Designer Xavier, a new French bistro just opened downtown. Their pastries are incredible and not too sweet—right up your alley. You should check it out sometime."

He'd attach a picture of the storefront along with the GPS pin.

Other times, it was right as she was clocking out.

Reading those words, Nora's breath hitched slightly.

Friends. Julian.

The casual intimacy of the request burned through the screen, leaving her entirely unsure of how to respond.

Staring at the chat bubble, she ultimately dodged the request, simply sending a cute 'thank you' sticker instead.

But she wasn't an idiot. She could practically feel the heavy, concentrated gravity hidden behind his casual words.

A billionaire running a global empire did not spend his free time checking the weather forecast for a mid-level designer unless he wanted something more.

His approach was maddeningly subtle, yet aggressively flirtatious.

Every time she hit send, she tossed her phone aside and threw herself back into her sketches. She refused to untangle whatever game Julian was playing.

She had absolutely zero energy—and frankly, no right—to dive into another complicated emotional mess.