Chapter 15 - The Debt of a Life
That evening, Julian decided to completely bypass his personal chef and ordered takeout from a famous local Italian restaurant. He carried the heavy paper bags up to the secure suite himself, giving the heavily armed guards in the hallway a brief nod before unlocking the door.
He found Maya sitting cross-legged on the thick living room rug, a thick sketchbook in her lap. She was aggressively shading a beautiful, incredibly detailed charcoal drawing of the city skyline.
"I brought dinner," Julian announced, setting the bags on the glass coffee table. "I figured you might be incredibly tired of the fancy hotel food."
Maya looked up, a genuine, radiant smile breaking across her face. "You have no idea. Truffle risotto is amazing, but sometimes you just need a greasy slice of garlic bread."
They sat on the floor around the coffee table, eating pasta straight out of the cartons. The intense, formal billionaire exterior that Julian usually projected entirely melted away in her presence. For the first time in months, he felt totally relaxed.
"Tell me about your father," Julian said gently, handing her a napkin. "I know he is getting better, but what was he like before the illness?"
Maya’s expression softened with deep affection. "He was a carpenter. He built custom furniture with his bare hands. He was the strongest man I ever knew, but the lung disease just slowly stripped it all away. I had to drop out of college to take care of him and pay the massive medical bills. The waitress job at the catering company was the only thing flexible enough to let me take him to his hospital appointments."
May you like
Julian listened intently, feeling a profound surge of admiration. Victoria had grown up with immense wealth and complained about everything. Maya had carried the weight of the world on her shoulders and still risked her life to save a stranger.
"You don't have to carry that weight alone anymore, Maya," Julian said softly, reaching across the table and gently squeezing her hand. "I promise you that."
