Too Late to Ask Too Late to Love (Julian and Eleanor) novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

He never imagined their paths would cross again like this.

For a fleeting second, he even wondered if she was some kind of deliberate “gift” sent by a business associate, a calculated surprise.

But then, in an instant, recognition washed over him.

It was Eleanor.

His Eleanor—the one he had been searching for, longing to find, for five long years.

Yet, standing before him was a version of Eleanor so different from his memories. Calm and composed, she extended her hand with measured grace. “It’s been a while, Mr. Blackwood,” she said quietly.

Mr… Blackwood…

Julian’s eyes darkened with a sudden, sharp ache.

He had rehearsed this reunion in his mind countless times, but never once had he pictured it beginning with her addressing him so formally, so distantly.

Each step he took toward her felt like a slow betrayal of his own heart, and the cool mask he usually wore cracked ever so slightly at the sound of that title.

She was here—returned—but there was a coldness in her politeness, a space between them that stretched wide and deep.

“Did you hear that?” someone whispered nearby.

“Mr. Blackwood actually called her Eleanor!”

“No way. You must have misheard. Julian would never use such an intimate name for her.”

“Don’t you know who this is? This is Julian! Has anyone ever seen him behave like this with anyone else?”

Julian’s gaze never wavered from Eleanor, and soon enough, their encounter was lighting up the trending topics across social media once again.

#JulianStaresAtEleanor

#EleanorIgnoresJulian

Once inside the softly lit room, Eleanor finally allowed herself to check her phone. The screen was flooded with countless posts and comments about their brief meeting.

But unlike five years ago, the flood of attention barely stirred her anymore.

People would always have something to say, and there was no use trying to silence the noise. It was easier—far easier—to simply let it wash over her and fade into the background.

Her mind was steadier now, more at peace than it had been in years.

He was older, wiser—or so he thought—and terrified she would make a mistake, so he kept his distance.

But now, after five years apart, he was so cautious that he couldn’t even muster the courage to ask how she had been.

He was scared—terrified—that by morning, she might vanish again.

Just like five years ago, when she disappeared overnight without a trace, as if she had never existed at all.

The seven years she had chased him desperately, the seven years he had turned away—it had all been a painful mistake.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight,” Julian said quietly, his voice thick with unspoken sorrow and longing.

Though emotion flickered in his eyes, Eleanor’s face remained composed, unreadable. “I’m getting engaged, after all. It’s better to be thin for the pictures.”

Those words hit him like a blow.

The color drained from his handsome face, leaving it pale and haunted.

The ring shining on her finger caught the light, a sharp, glaring reminder of what he no longer had.

But even then, he couldn’t find the strength to ask the question burning inside him: “Who is your fiancé?”