Chapter 13 Mr. Jacobs
Outside the office, Griffin had been discussing several business matters with department heads while Nolan stood nearby reviewing reports.
The moment Vincent's angry roar reached them, both men froze.
The executives around them immediately fell silent.
Griffin and Nolan exchanged startled looks.
Neither of them had seen Vincent lose his temper like this in a long time.
Without hesitation, they pushed open the office door and stepped inside.
The first thing they noticed was Vincent standing beside his desk, his entire body radiating fury.
The second thing they noticed was Alexa standing nearby.
Questions immediately appeared on their faces.
Nolan frowned.
"What happened?"
His gaze moved between them.
"Why are you so angry?"
Vincent didn't answer right away.
Instead, he snatched the documents from the desk and shoved them toward Griffin.
"Look at this bullshit."
Griffin caught the papers and immediately lowered his gaze to read them.
As his eyes moved down the page, his expression slowly changed.
The moment he reached the signature line and saw Juliet's name written there, his body visibly stiffened.
Nolan leaned over his shoulder and quickly scanned the document as well.
The two men exchanged surprised looks. For several moments, nobody spoke. The office fell into complete silence.
Then Griffin slowly lifted his head.
"She canceled the engagement?"
Even he sounded genuinely shocked.
Nolan blinked several times before letting out a disbelieving laugh.
"She actually canceled her engagement with you?"
Vincent's expression darkened even further.
"Exactly." He jabbed a finger toward the signature. "She's already signed everything."
His voice had grown frighteningly cold.
"If she thinks she can get engaged to me and then simply walk away whenever she feels like it, she's out of her damn mind."
His chest continued rising and falling unevenly.
"She spent years by my side." His voice lowered. "And now she's suddenly changing her mind."
As he spoke, the anger in his eyes gradually shifted into something else.
Something far less familiar.
Something he didn't want to acknowledge.
A strange uneasiness settled heavily inside his chest.
A knot tightened in his stomach.
The feeling had appeared the moment he saw Juliet's signature, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of it.
It felt disturbingly close to panic.
Griffin immediately stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Vincent's shoulder.
"Relax." His voice remained calm and steady. "You're overthinking this."
Vincent shot him a sharp look.
Griffin simply shrugged.
"Think about it."
He gestured casually with the papers.
"How many times has Juliet gotten jealous whenever she saw you with another woman?"
Nolan immediately nodded.
"Exactly."
Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the desk.
Griffin smirked knowingly. "She's probably upset because she saw you and Alexa together."
He lifted the annulment papers.
"This isn't real."
His confidence never wavered.
"It's just another one of her attempts to get your attention."
"She's jealous," Nolan added. "Everyone can see that."
"She's trying to force a reaction out of you," Griffin continued. "Trust me. Give it a few days and she'll come running right back."
Vincent took several deep breaths. His chest continued to rise and fall unevenly as he stared at the papers.
For some reason, Griffin's explanation should have made sense.
It should have reassured him.
It should have eased the strange anxiety twisting inside him.
But it didn't.
Not even a little.
The unsettling feeling remained exactly where it was.
After a long moment, he finally straightened his back and adjusted his suit jacket, forcing himself to regain control.
His jaw hardened.
"What right does she have to be jealous anyway?"
His voice was cold.
Defensive.
"Alexa and I are friends."
He smoothed a hand over his tie.
"And besides..." A trace of arrogance slowly returned to his expression. The familiar confidence he always relied on began rebuilding itself. "Juliet should be grateful I even agreed to marry her."
The corner of his lips curled upward.
His tone carried undeniable disdain.
"What exactly does she have to offer me in return?"
Alexa stood in front of the desk with her fingers lightly clasped together, doing her best to maintain a concerned expression.
However, despite her efforts, the satisfaction bubbling inside her was almost impossible to conceal.
The corners of her lips kept threatening to curl upward, and every time she caught herself smiling, she had to quickly suppress it.
Listening to Vincent's furious outburst had filled her with a sense of triumph she hadn't experienced in years.
For so long, Juliet had stood between her and Vincent like an immovable obstacle. No matter how hard Alexa tried, Juliet had always remained at the center of Vincent's life.
But now things were finally changing.
For the first time, real cracks were beginning to appear.
The thought alone made her heart race with excitement.
She waited patiently until the tension inside the office eased slightly before taking a few graceful steps forward. Reaching across the desk, she picked up the annulment papers and carefully slid them back toward Vincent.
The documents glided across the polished surface before coming to a stop directly in front of him.
Alexa tilted her head slightly and softened her voice.
"There's a business party tonight."
Vincent slowly lifted his eyes toward her.
The anger on his face had not completely disappeared.
"What about it?"
"It's a major event," Alexa replied smoothly. "I've heard most of the city's leading companies will be attending."
Vincent remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
After a brief pause, she added, "Your family will be there too, won't they? After all, this event is connected to your family's business."
"Of course."
Vincent's answer came immediately.
Alexa nodded.
A thoughtful look appeared on her face as though she had suddenly remembered something important.
"If my family is attending, then Juliet should be there as well."
She folded her arms loosely across her chest and leaned one hip against the edge of the desk.
"She never misses events like this. She's always been very supportive of our family's business."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"So you'll probably see her tonight."
At the mention of Juliet, Vincent's eyes flickered slightly.
The reaction was small.
Barely noticeable.
But Alexa saw it.
Vincent didn't say anything.
His gaze dropped briefly toward the signature at the bottom of the papers.
Alexa immediately took another step closer.
"I actually think this is perfect."
Her voice softened even further.
"You can talk to her directly and clear everything up."
When Vincent still didn't respond, she continued speaking.
"Honestly, Vincent, if she wants to stay with you, she shouldn't be behaving like this."
A flash of irritation crossed Alexa's face.
"She's taking things too far."
Vincent's brows slowly furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
Alexa leaned forward slightly, her eyes sharpening.
"I mean she needs to understand that she doesn't control this relationship." Her voice became firmer. "You're the one in charge."
She pointed directly at the annulment papers lying on the desk.
"What gives her the right to suddenly throw annulment papers at you after agreeing to marry you in the first place?"
Her expression turned noticeably colder.
"She's acting far too smart for her own good."
A scoff escaped her lips.
"Honestly, Vincent, I think you should set her straight tonight."
Her eyes gleamed.
"You need to make it clear that she can't keep behaving this way whenever something doesn't go her way."
The office fell silent.
Vincent's jaw tightened.
The muscles along his face flexed visibly beneath his skin.
For several long moments, he simply stared at the papers spread across his desk.
His gaze remained locked on Juliet's signature.
The elegant handwriting seemed to mock him.
Challenge him.
Reject him.
Finally, he gave a short nod.
"Fine."
That single word was enough to make everyone in the room uneasy.
His voice was low. Dangerously low. It carried none of the explosive anger from earlier.
If anything, it sounded worse.
Nobody missed the storm brewing behind his eyes.
Griffin and Nolan exchanged subtle glances.
Both men had known Vincent for years.
They had seen him angry countless times.
But this felt different.
The rage radiating from him wasn't fading.
It wasn't cooling down.
If anything, every passing minute seemed to make it stronger.
Eventually, Griffin cleared his throat.
"We'll see you tonight."
Vincent didn't respond. His gaze never left the papers.
Seeing no reason to stay any longer, Griffin, Nolan, and Alexa quietly left the office.
The door clicked shut behind them.
Silence immediately filled the room.
Vincent was finally alone.
For a long time, he remained standing beside his desk.
The annulment papers never left his hand.
His eyes repeatedly drifted back to Juliet's signature.
Again.
And again.
And again.
As though he were waiting for it to somehow disappear.
As though staring at it long enough would prove that it wasn't real.
But no matter how many times he looked, the signature remained exactly where it was.
And the strange uneasiness inside his chest only continued to grow.
Later that evening, the city's elite gathered at one of East Street's most prestigious auction houses.
The historic building stood illuminated beneath thousands of golden lights, its elegant architecture glowing against the night sky. A long line of luxury vehicles filled the entrance as influential businessmen, wealthy heirs, socialites, and corporate leaders arrived one after another.
Valets moved efficiently between the vehicles while reporters and photographers waited near the entrance.
Inside, crystal chandeliers hung from the soaring ceilings, scattering warm light throughout the magnificent ballroom.
Soft music drifted through the air.
Champagne glasses clinked together.