Chapter 4 Cassian Han
Juliet slowly opened her eyes.
A bright white light shone directly above her, forcing her to squint. A dull ache pulsed through her forehead, and she immediately squeezed her eyes shut again with a wince. For several seconds, she simply lay there, trying to gather her thoughts and remember what had happened.
When she finally opened her eyes again, her gaze slowly wandered around the room.
The ceiling was unfamiliar.
So were the walls, the furniture, and everything else around her.
A faint frown appeared on her face as she slowly turned her head from side to side. This definitely wasn't a hospital. It looked more like someone's home. A very expensive home, judging by the elegant furniture and tasteful decor.
But she had never seen this room before in her life.
"You're awake."
Amara's relieved voice cut through her thoughts.
Juliet turned her head and saw Amara hurrying into the room. The moment she spotted a familiar face, some of the tension in her chest eased. Letting out a quiet breath of relief, she immediately pushed herself up from the bed.
The movement made her head spin.
She grabbed the edge of the mattress and frowned. "What is going on?" she asked. "Where am I?"
"Hey, hey, slow down."
Amara quickly rushed over and gently pressed her back against the pillows. Her hands settled on Juliet's shoulders as she looked her over from head to toe, checking for injuries. Her gaze immediately landed on the small bandage on Juliet's forehead.
"Your wound isn't deep, thankfully." Relief flashed across her face. "You're okay."
A second later, worry returned.
"Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous? Should I call the doctor?"
Juliet shook her head.
"I'm fine."
Her eyes wandered around the room once more before settling on Amara.
"Where am I? Is this your place or something?"
Amara hesitated for a moment.
Then she sighed.
"No."
Juliet's brows furrowed.
"It's not my house."
A strange feeling immediately settled in Juliet's chest.
"Then whose house is it?"
Amara scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
"It's Cassian's house."
The words had barely left her mouth before Juliet froze.
For a moment, her face went completely blank.
Then her eyes widened.
"What?" She shot upright so fast that Amara nearly jumped. "What the hell?"
The color drained from Juliet's face.
"What am I doing at Cassian's house?"
She stared at Amara as if she had just announced the end of the world.
"Wait. Just to confirm, you’re talking about Cassian Han?"
Amara nodded cautiously.
Juliet dragged a hand down her face.
"Please tell me I heard that wrong."
"You didn't."
"Oh my God."
Juliet dropped back onto the pillows and stared at the ceiling in horror.
"Oh my God, Amara."
Amara instantly looked guilty.
"I didn't have a choice."
"You brought me to my enemy's house."
Juliet pointed at her accusingly.
"My enemy."
Amara rolled her eyes.
"He isn't your enemy."
"He absolutely is."
"He isn't."
"He is."
Juliet sat up again, looking genuinely traumatized.
"That man has been planning my murder for years."
Amara let out an exasperated groan.
"He has never planned your murder."
"Dude, I literally stole so many deals out of his hands that I've lost count. I've ruined his plans more times than I can remember."
She pointed dramatically toward the door.
"The second you leave me alone in this room, he's going to walk in here with a knife."
Amara stared at her for a long moment.
Then she deadpanned, "You need help."
"I'm serious."
"And you're dramatic."
Juliet looked completely unconvinced.
With a sigh, Amara sat down beside her.
"I called Elias when you fainted," she explained. "Then Cassian came with him. We couldn't leave you outside, and they weren't going to let you go home alone looking like that."
Juliet looked horrified all over again.
"So they kidnapped me."
"No."
"They definitely kidnapped me."
"No, they helped you."
Juliet narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Amara completely ignored the look.
"It's not a big deal. Elias and I are here too, so stop looking like you're about to be sacrificed to a cult."
Juliet folded her arms tightly across her chest.
"I still don't trust him."
"Nothing is going to happen to you."
Amara's voice softened slightly before she hesitated.
"Actually..."
Juliet immediately looked suspicious.
"What?"
Amara rubbed the back of her neck.
"He looked really worried about you."
Juliet blinked.
Then blinked again.
"I'm sorry?"
"I said he looked worried."
The expression on Juliet's face made it clear she thought Amara had finally lost her mind.
Amara laughed.
"I'm serious. He freaked out the moment he saw you unconscious."
Juliet simply stared at her.
Then she slowly pointed at herself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Cassian?"
"Yes."
"The Cassian Han?"
Amara pinched the bridge of her nose.
"There is only one Cassian."
Juliet looked even more disturbed.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Juliet shook her head so hard that a few strands of hair fell into her face.
"I refuse to believe that."
Amara laughed again.
"I'm telling you the truth. He wasn't angry at all. He looked genuinely worried. He kept asking what happened, and when he saw the injury on your forehead, he was furious."
Juliet's face immediately filled with disbelief.
She looked at Amara as though she had just claimed pigs could fly.
Not a single word sounded believable.
If anything, the more Amara talked, the more suspicious Juliet became.
"Amara," Juliet said slowly, narrowing her eyes, "he wasn't worried because I got hurt."
"Then why?"
Juliet pointed at herself again.
"Because he thought someone beat me up before he got the chance."
Amara groaned loudly and buried her face in her hands.
Meanwhile, Juliet remained completely unconvinced.
If anything, she was even more certain than before that Cassian wanted her dead.
"You and Vincent are over now, right?"
Amara suddenly leaned forward on the edge of the bed, her elbows resting on her knees as she fixed Juliet with a serious look. The playful mood from a moment ago vanished completely.
"Don't tell me you're actually thinking about going back to him after what he did to you in that room."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You better get him out of your head, because if you even think about getting back together with him, I'll personally smash that idea to pieces."
Juliet blinked at her.
Then her brows slowly pulled together.
"How do you know about that?" she asked. "I never told you what happened in the room."
Amara immediately scooted closer and folded her arms across her chest.
"Because I was worried about you. After you passed out, I asked Elias to find out what happened." She lifted one shoulder. "Apparently, he has connections."
Juliet already had a bad feeling about where this was going.
Amara didn't make her wait.
"He got the security footage."
Juliet's eyes widened.
"What?"
"It was fucking awful."
The anger instantly returned to Amara's face. She shook her head and ran a frustrated hand through her hair.
"I seriously regret not being there with you. If I had been in that room, I would've grabbed the nearest glass and smashed it over Vincent's head."
A laugh escaped Juliet before she could stop it.
Amara immediately pointed a finger at her.
"I'm serious."
Her expression darkened.
"Do you know what pissed me off the most? You were bleeding outside, Juliet. Bleeding. And when I called him, he couldn't even be bothered to come see you."
The smile slowly disappeared from Juliet's face.
"Yeah."
Her voice was quiet.
She lowered her gaze to the blanket covering her legs and absentmindedly picked at a loose thread.
"He's a fucking ass."
The words came out surprisingly calm.
For a moment, Amara simply watched her.
Juliet let out a quiet breath and stared down at her hands.
"I thought he was my friend." A bitter laugh slipped from her lips. She shook her head slowly. "But it turns out he was never my friend at all."
Her fingers tightened around the blanket.
"He couldn't even spare two minutes to check on his own fiancée."
The word fiancée suddenly sounded ridiculous.
Juliet leaned back against the headboard and stared blankly at the ceiling.
"And the worst part is that he genuinely thought I'd stay."
A humorless smile tugged at her lips.
"He honestly believed I'd spend the rest of my life with him because he assumed I'd never walk away."
Amara made a disgusted face.
"What an idiot."
Juliet rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, he's nothing but a handsome face."
"Damn right."
"He literally has the personality of a rock."
Amara snorted.
Juliet groaned and let her head fall dramatically against the pillow.
"I don't even know how he convinced me to marry him."
"Because you're stupid."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
A laugh escaped Juliet despite herself.
The tension in the room eased slightly.
Then her smile slowly faded.
"I really thought it would be nice."
Her voice softened.
She stared at the ceiling for a moment before continuing.
"I thought we were friends. I thought marrying someone I already knew would make things easier."
She closed her eyes briefly.
"Turns out I was completely wrong."
Silence settled over the room.
Amara studied her carefully, watching every expression that crossed her face.
After a moment, she shifted closer and gently nudged Juliet's arm.
"Are you heartbroken?"
Juliet immediately opened one eye.
"What?"
"Do you want to see a therapist? Cry? Throw things? Scream into a pillow?" Amara offered. "I'm here for you."
She bumped her shoulder against Juliet's.
"If you want to cry, go ahead. I promise I won't tell anyone."
Juliet stared at her for several long seconds.
Then she slowly lifted a hand and touched the bandage on her forehead.
"Cry over him?"
Amara nodded cautiously.
Juliet looked genuinely horrified.
"Why would I cry over that man?"
Amara blinked.
Juliet pushed herself upright.
"He publicly humiliated me and expected me to marry him anyway."
The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded.
Then suddenly, something occurred to her.
Her eyes lit up.
A slow, dreamy smile spread across her face.
"Wait."
Amara immediately looked suspicious.