Page 42 of Written with Love

Chapter Thirteen

Juliette had believed she was nervous before she pulled into the driveway and saw Gabriella walking up to Max’s front door. The outfit the woman wore probably cost more than Juliette’s car. Then she noticed the Lamborghini that Gabriella was driving and shook her head as she glanced down at her simple blue summer dress and cringed.

Still, she wasn’t about to let the woman walk into Max’s life and take over.

Gabriella stopped and watched her park. When Juliette climbed out, Gabriella arched her eyebrows.

“You’re that girl helping Max, right?” she asked in a sweet voice.

“Yes,” she answered and stepped up to her. “Juliette Elliot.” She shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Right.” Gabriella ran her eyes up and down her, and she instantly felt judged.

“Was Max expecting you?” she asked. The woman ignored her and took a step up towards the front door.

“Max just loves surprises,” she purred as she continued up to the door. Juliette followed and stood off to the side.

She was interested in seeing just how much Max liked this surprise.

Watching the range of emotions cross his face had her grinning.

She was surprised at how well he handled the diva, and by the time Gabriella had left and they were standing alone just outside his front door, she had fallen even more for the man.

Then he pulled out the chair for her at the table and expertly plated their dinner, and she knew without a doubt that there was no turning back.

Juliette Elliot was in love.

When she took a bite of the salmon, she groaned with pure pleasure. It was the best salmon she’d ever had.

“Wow,” she said, taking another bite. “This is really amazing.” She took a bite of the vegetables and rice. Everything tasted amazing.

“Thanks.” He took a bite of his own food and then poured her a glass of wine.

“I bought this the last time I went to France. Try some.” He poured himself a glass too.

She sipped the wine and closed her eyes. “Very nice.”

Max watched her reaction, a small smile playing at his lips. “I figured you’d like it. I picked it up in Bordeaux a few years ago while filming. I have a few cases I’m going to store in my new wine cellar when it’s finished.”

Juliette let the wine linger on her tongue before setting her glass down. “Filming in France… sounds glamorous.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It was, and it wasn’t. Long hours, demanding schedules, and a director who changed his mind every other day. But I won’t lie, the food and wine made up for it.”

She leaned her chin on her hand, studying him. “You’ve lived such a different life than me. New York, Hollywood, filming in different countries… it must’ve been wild.”

Max swirled his wine, considering her words. “It was,” he admitted. “At first, it was exciting—constant movement, big cities, people recognizing you on the street. But after a while, it all starts to feel… empty.”

Juliette tilted her head. “Is that why you moved here?”

He exhaled, looking down at his plate for a moment before meeting her eyes. “That was part of it. Hollywood, especially, is a machine. It chews people up and spits them out when they’re no longer useful. I saw too many people lose themselves trying to keep up.”

Juliette traced the rim of her glass, absorbing his words. “Gabriella seems like she’s still in the thick of it.”

Max let out a short laugh. “Oh, she thrives on it. She loves the attention, the cameras, the chaos. It’s one of the reasons why we didn’t work. She wanted someone who would always be in that world with her. She thought that was me, but I realized I wanted something different.”

Juliette watched him carefully. “You’ve mentioned how things went with her, but… she acts as if you broke her heart?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “No. I don’t think she was in love with me. Deep down, I believe she knew there wasn’t anything between us. I’m sure she used me to get more attention. I went along with it since I didn’t want to jeopardize the film’s success. I think for her, it was easy to get swept up in it all, the lies, the story. The red carpets, the exclusive parties… my entire time in Hollywood felt like a dream. You wake up one day and realize none of it is real.”