The waitress deliberately spilled his drink. What he saw on her phone seconds later changed his entire life

As Maya reached the front door of the penthouse, the private elevator chimed loudly. The polished steel doors slid open, and Julian stepped into the foyer. He froze, his briefcase dropping from his hand and hitting the marble floor with a loud thud as he saw her standing there with her luggage.

"What are you doing?" Julian asked, his voice tight, stripping off his suit jacket and walking quickly toward her.

"I'm leaving, Julian," Maya said softly, trying desperately to keep her voice steady. "The trial is over. Victoria is locked away. You are safe now, and I don't need protection anymore. I need to go back to the real world."

Julian looked at her suitcase as if it were highly offensive. "The real world? Maya, you don't even have an apartment anymore. Your lease expired, and your father is living on my estate."

"I have money saved up," Maya insisted gently. "I can rent a new place. I can enroll back in art school. I just... I don't belong here, Julian. I’m a waitress. You are the CEO of a global empire. The danger is gone, and so is the reason for us to be forced together."

Julian stepped incredibly close to her, his immense presence completely overwhelming her senses. He reached out, gently taking the handle of the suitcase from her grip and pushing it aside.

"Is that honestly what you think this was?" Julian asked, his blue eyes searching her face with absolute intensity. "You think you were just a security liability to me?"