Filed to story: The Breaking Point (Maya & Julian) Book PDF Free
Maya angled her head to look at him. Pursing her lips, she whispered, “I didn’t mean it that way.” She knew Julian was reminding her of their hidden marriage. If he left now, it might suggest their relationship was deeper than it seemed.
He gazed into her eyes. Just as he was about to kiss her, his phone suddenly vibrated. She watched as he retrieved his phone and silenced it. She knew Julian was still concerned that Selena would discover their relationship.
Suddenly, his strong, passionate grip on her waist relaxed. He took his phone and walked over to the window. He answered the call. “Hello, what’s the matter?”
Looking at Julian’s back, Maya felt the warmth at her waist fade. A moment later, the bitterness and disappointment in her heart was replaced by calmness. She walked over to a nearby couch and sat down, feeling bored. She grabbed her notebook and started doodling absentmindedly.
“I’m not in my room right now. If you need something, we can talk about it tomorrow,” he answered Selena’s question calmly.
Selena said something, and Julian turned around to look at Maya. Moments later, he hung up and frowned.
“Did you know Luna posted online, demanding Selena apologize publicly?” He leaned against the window and calmly shared the news with Maya.
She regarded him with curiosity. “No, what happened?”
Julian put his phone away and approached her. Standing before Maya, he gently pinched her chin and spoke softly, “Tell Luna to tone it down a bit. If she keeps causing a scene, it won’t benefit the production team or herself.”
She met his gaze and asked, “Are you suggesting that Miss Smith should just accept the loss? Even if Selena slandered – “
He interrupted her, saying, “Maya, you know very well whether or not it was slander. The draft was indeed lost. You can’t deny that, can you?”
Maya maintained a calm demeanor as she locked eyes with Julian. Feeling slightly uneasy under her gaze, Julian furrowed his brow and said, “I helped you resolve the issue. This incident is in the past now.”
Gripping the couch tightly, she felt injustice in her heart. “Got it.”
Julian let go of Maya’s chin and stepped aside. Lowering his gaze, he looked at her and said, “We’ll meet again at night. Send me a message, and I’ll bring your drafts.” With that, he walked up to the door. He opened it and left the room, leaving behind a lingering coldness that Selena’s call had brought.
Maya sat alone for a while before deciding to take a shower. Afterward, she confided in Luna about his request.
Luna was so pissed that she threw her phone on the couch. “He treated you well in the production team, so I thought your relationship with him had improved. Alas… He’s getting greedy, isn’t he?”
“Selena still holds a special place in his eyes,” Maya said in a low voice.
Luna approached the coffee table and crouched to pour a glass of water. She downed it and said, “I thought I could teach Selena a lesson this time, but who knew… It must be nice to have Julian protecting her, huh? My blood pressure is ramping up.”
Maya asked, “What were you planning to do?”
“I was going to make Selena publicly apologize to us. If she refused, I was considering suing her for defamation. But it looks like I’ll have to endure it again. I thought our studio could ride the waves if she apologized to us this time.” Luna sounded disheartened.
Maya hummed thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Luna. “Julian wants me to send him a message later, and he’ll return the drafts to me. I don’t want to have any more contact with him, so I’m considering just letting it go…” When he mentioned those words earlier, the small glimmer of hope in her heart faded away.
“Why not? You two were getting along well in the production team, right? Just keep it up. I’m telling you, you seriously have to try a little.” Patting Maya on the shoulder, Luna persuaded her.
Maya grumbled in dissatisfaction, “I even thought about burning his drafts.”
Luna quickly responded, “Please don’t do that. It’s a great opportunity, so just meet up with him. Also, since he’s taking the initiative to ask you out, he must have something else to talk about. What if he decides to give the drafts to Selena if you don’t show up?”
Maya looked at her with concern. “But do you think he’s being sincere in the show?”
“It doesn’t matter. The netizens are buying it anyway. I don’t know about anything else. It’s only a good pairing if it feels real, right? Moreover, why would you offend him for no reason? You can benefit from being around him in the production team. It’s a win-win situation!” Luna was quite good at strategizing.
Maya sighed in resignation. “All right.”
“I’m telling you, you just have to interact with him. You can gain popularity and maybe even annoy Selena. You’re getting a lot of benefits from it!” Luna continued analyzing the situation.
Maya pushed Luna’s hand away. “All right, I get it. I’ll send him the message.” She was also worried that Julian might actually give the drafts to Selena.
It was 9.00PM, and the night air had a refreshing coolness. Hidden in a nook within the garden’s rockery, Maya sent a message to Julian. ‘Why aren’t you here yet?
There are too many mosquitoes here. My legs are covered in bites.’
When he received the message, he picked up his pace.
She cautiously peered out from her hiding spot, only to find her head enveloped in Julian’s embrace as he joined her in the rockery.
Julian looked down at Maya in the darkness and remarked, “What kind of place have you found? Couldn’t we have met somewhere else? Did it have to be such a secretive location?” His lips curled into a faint smile unseen in the dark.
She scratched her arm nervously. “I don’t want anyone to discover us.”
He lifted her chin with his hand. “What secret mission are we on that requires such secrecy?” The man had even dressed up for the occasion, but now they were meeting in this dimly lit place. He hadn’t anticipated her choice of location.
Maya didn’t want to argue with Julian. So, she said in a low voice, “Where are the drafts? Did you bring them?”
He tightened his grip. “I have a few questions to ask you about those drafts. Answer me honestly, and I’ll give them to you.”
Maya looked away, saying in an indifferent tone, “What is it?”
“Who wrote these drafts?” His eyes bore into her in the darkness, making it seem as if he could see right through her.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly responded. “I’m not sure what you mean. I don’t understand.”
“Stop pretending, Maya. I recognize your handwriting.” Julian leaned in closer. Their breaths mingled, and Maya’s heart raced even faster.
Maya struggled, but then she accidentally stepped on a stone. With a few steps back, she stumbled into the rockery wall. She was about to collide with it when Julian swiftly stepped forward, reaching out to hold her back and pulling her into his arms. “What’s got you so worked up?” he asked, concerned in his voice.
She took a deep breath and said softly, “My foot hurts… I think I might have sprained it.”
Frowning with concern, he let go of her.
Maya leaned against the wall, lifting her injured leg as she breathed lightly. It was dark inside, so Julian could not see it. He took out his phone and turned on the torchlight. Then, he crouched down before her. “How’s your leg?”
She almost lost her balance and subconsciously reached out to hold onto his shoulder. Gently, she moved her left ankle. “It hurts a little, but I’m unsure if it’s sprained.”
Feeling her strength, Julian reached out and held her left ankle. Maya shivered a little, reflexively tightening her grip on his shoulder, and said in a trembling voice, “I’m fine… Don’t…”
He looked up at her, a smirk on his face. “Are you getting weak just because I held your ankle?”
Her face flushed as she bit her lip, her eyes moist. “I’m scared of the pain.” With that, she looked away. Under the glow of the torchlight, her ears were translucent, and the red tint on them was more visible than ever.
It was only then that Julian realized that Maya might be embarrassed. He gazed at the woman’s slightly raised leg, her foot pale and pretty as the silver high heels wrapped around it. Faint veins were visible on the arch of her foot, and the bump on her ankle was slightly protruding. Beyond that was her slender leg. It was alluring… and seductive.
His hand lightly pressed against it as he applied light force on her ankle.
Maya grunted, feeling the sensation of his warm palm on her ankle. She was about to lose her balance, so she could only lean against the wall. With no choice, she tried to divert her attention by chatting. “Julian, I’m learning design from Miss Smith. She was the one who asked me to write the annotations. I wasn’t the one who drew the designs.”
Meanwhile, Julian’s mind was not focused on that. He had only made a reasonable guess, but he decided not to probe further since it had been debunked. His gaze turned dark as he gazed at the pale leg that kept retracting. He asked in a low voice, “Does it hurt?”
Though she did not feel much pain, she felt uneasy when he held her like that. However, she was about to answer when his phone rang. Lowering her head, she saw that it was a call from Selena. Within a second, the unease she felt instantly disappeared.
Julian pressed the answer button. Then, he gripped her hand and stood up. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he gazed at her before asking Selena over the phone, “What’s the matter?”
“Julian…” Selena’s sobbing voice sounded from the phone, trembling in fear.
Maya pursed her lips and lowered her gaze, tentatively putting her foot on the ground.
