Page 48 of Written with Love

A murmur swept through the reporters, some of them scrambling for details while others whispered excitedly.

Juliette turned to Max, her expression unreadable. “Okay, I think this has gone a little too far.”

Max’s pulse thundered in his ears. “I agree,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Why would she do this?” she asked. “Is she trying to force you into something again? Do you think she’s after the diamond or the attention?”

Max dragged a hand through his hair, trying to control his rising frustration. “She’s always been manipulative, but this…” He gestured to the screen, where Gabriella was now taking questions. “This is next level.”

His phone vibrated again—this time a call. His agent.

Max let out a sharp breath and turned to Juliette. “I need to fix this.”

She nodded, but something in her expression made his stomach tighten. This wasn’t just another media circus—this was personal. And if he didn’t get ahead of it fast, he stood to lose more than just his reputation.

Gone was his plan to spend the rest of the day with her. Instead, after he took the first call, she packed up her things and went home while he took the next wave of calls.

That evening, he lay alone in his bed cursing Gabriella and her manipulative ways and dreaming of holding Juliette again soon.

The next morning, he was woken by his phone again. Deciding not to answer his agent’s call, he stripped and stepped into the shower. He planned to finish painting his office to release some of the frustration and anger.

His phone was still ringing when he stepped out of the water and dressed.

Glancing to make sure it wasn’t Juliette calling him, he took his phone into the kitchen with him and made himself some coffee.

When someone rang his doorbell, he thought about ignoring it. It could be Juliette, though, so he went to answer it.

“I thought you could use a pick-me-up,” Juliette said, holding a box of donuts in front of her. “And I figured you’d avoid heading out in the fray since the swarm is still lurking around town.” She stepped inside.

He kissed her, almost tipping the box of donuts in the process.

“You are a godsend,” he sighed.

“It’s a circus out there.” She motioned behind her as they stepped into the kitchen. “There are actually a line of cars at the end of your driveway. Normally, I’d assume the summer crowd was hitting the area, but every single car is from a TV station.”

“Right. Gabriella strikes again.” He groaned as he sat down. He opened the box and took the biggest chocolate donut in the box and bit into it.

Juliette sat across from him and grabbed one of the maple bars. “I had an idea that might smooth things over.”

His eyebrows shot up. “I’m all ears.”

“While we’re filming, we let it slip about us.” She motioned between them. “Then let the internet decide what the truth is instead of Gabriella.”

Max leaned back in his chair, watching Juliette take a bite of the maple bar. His chest tightened with unease but also admiration.

“You want to let the internet decide?” he asked, rubbing his jaw. “Have you met the internet?”

She smirked. “I have. And right now, it’s eating up Gabriella’s lies like it’s prime-time television. Our followers have almost doubled since she made her claim. We need to give them something real for once. Something they can’t twist into her fairy-tale narrative.”

Max exhaled, considering it. His whole life had been a careful balance of keeping personal matters private while still maintaining enough presence to keep his work relevant. Something Gabriella had used against him the first time. But this… this wasn’t just about him anymore. This time a woman he really cared about, possibly even loved, was in harm’s way.

He met Juliette’s steady gaze. “You’re sure about this?”

She took another bite, chewing thoughtfully before answering. “Look, I’m not saying we put on a whole show. But while we’re filming, if we don’t hide anything—if we act like ourselves—it’ll be obvious to anyone watching that Gabriella is full of it.”

Max ran a hand through his hair. It wasn’t a bad plan. In fact, it was probably the smartest way to shut this thing down without feeding Gabriella’s need for drama.

“I don’t want this to backfire,” he said finally. “People are ruthless online.”

Juliette’s lips quirked. “I appreciate that, but I can handle it.” She paused. “Can you?”

His stomach did a slow, measured flip.

She wasn’t just talking about internet trolls. She was talking about the reality of making this—whatever it was between them—public.

Max let out a slow breath and nodded. “Yeah. I can.”

A slow smile spread across her face, and damn if it didn’t make his pulse spike.

“Good,” she said, standing and brushing crumbs off her fingers. “Then let’s give them something real to talk about. I know you had plans to paint today, so I’m here to help or to film. It’s up to you.”

Max sat there for a beat, watching her, knowing with absolute certainty that this wasn’t just about proving Gabriella wrong.

It was about proving to himself that this—Juliette, the life they were building, the way she made him feel like he actually had a home again—was something worth fighting for.