Chapter 6 - The Prince and the Gardener
The entire ballroom froze.
Julian turned away from Harrison Vance and walked directly across the polished marble floor toward Maya. His posture was imposing, his head held high, his eyes burning with an intense, unyielding fire.
He reached the terrace doors, stopped in front of Maya, and extended his hand to her.
Maya looked at his open hand, trembling. "Julian... you don't have to do this. They're watching."
"Let them watch," Julian said softly, his voice carrying an exquisite warmth that melted every fear inside her. "Take my hand, Maya."
Maya swallowed hard, placing her small hand in his. Julian wrapped his fingers around hers securely, turning back to face the two hundred wealthy guests who were staring in absolute disbelief.
"Since Mr. Vance raised the topic," Julian spoke, his deep voice commanding the entire room effortlessly, "let me clarify something for everyone present."
He led Maya to the center of the ballroom, standing beside her beneath the glowing crystal chandelier.
"Miss Maya Brooks is not a 'vagrant,'" Julian stated, looking sharply at Harrison Vance. "She is a master horticulturist and the brilliant mind responsible for restoring the historical gardens of this estate—gardens that my father loved, and which had been neglected for years. She has done more to honor my family’s legacy in three months than any of you have done in a decade."
Harrison’s smile faltered, his face turning dark. "Julian, she’s a nobody with a fatherless baby! You’re making a spectacle of yourself!"
"The only spectacle here, Harrison, is your jealousy," Julian countered smoothly, his eyes flashing with lethal brilliance. "You came here hoping to find a broken man. But thanks to Maya, I am more focused, more capable, and more determined than ever. And as for her daughter—Emma is a welcome part of this household."
A shocked silence fell over the room, followed by a sudden, sharp clap.
An elderly, highly respected woman standing near the front—Lady Eleanor Montgomery, the largest shareholder in the maritime alliance—began to applaud.
"Well said, Julian!" Lady Eleanor announced loudly, glaring at Harrison Vance. "About time someone brought fresh life and real values into this stuffy society! The gardens look extraordinary tonight!"
Within seconds, applause swept through the ballroom. Guests who had been whispering moments ago now smiled, nodding in approval, completely cowed by Julian’s fierce authority and Lady Eleanor’s endorsement.
Harrison Vance scowled, threw his champagne glass onto a waiter’s tray, and stormed out of the mansion in humiliation.
Julian turned to Maya, still holding her hand. A soft, genuine smile lit up his face—a smile so breathtakingly handsome it made Maya’s heart do cartwheels.
"May I have this dance, Miss Brooks?" Julian asked, bowing slightly.
Maya laughed softly, tears of happiness sparkling in her eyes. "I don't know how to waltz, Julian."
"Follow my lead," he whispered. "I won't let you fall."
As the orchestra began to play a sweeping, romantic waltz, Julian pulled Maya into his arms. They glided across the marble floor seamlessly. For the first time in three years, Julian laughed—a deep, joyful sound that echoed through the high ceilings of the mansion.
Standing on the second-floor balcony above, Lily watched them with tears of joy, holding a sleepy little Emma in her arms.
That night, after the last guests had departed and the mansion fell quiet, Julian walked Maya back to the gatekeeper's cottage through the snow-dusted orchard. The moon hung bright in the clear winter sky, casting a silver glow over the snow.
They stopped at the porch.
"Thank you for tonight, Julian," Maya said, her breath forming small white clouds in the freezing air. "You defended me when you didn't have to."
"I will always defend you, Maya," Julian said softly, stepping closer to her. The cold air vanished between them, replaced by a sudden, magnetic heat. He raised his hand, cupping her warm cheek with his palm. "When you arrived at my gate with Emma on your back, I thought my life was over. I was dead inside. But you... you brought the spring back to my world."
Maya looked up into his hazel eyes, seeing her own soul reflected in them. "You saved us, Julian."
May you like
"No," Julian whispered, leaning down. "You saved me."
His lips met hers in a soft, tender kiss that sent waves of heat rushing through Maya’s body. The world around them disappeared—the snow, the estate, the past—leaving only the two of them under the winter stars.
