Chapter 13 Mr. Jacobs #2
Laughter and conversation echoed from every corner of the room as guests discussed investments, partnerships, acquisitions, and future business ventures.
The atmosphere was sophisticated and lively.
The moment Vincent stepped through the entrance alongside Griffin, Nolan, and Alexa, his eyes immediately swept across the ballroom.
His gaze moved methodically through the crowd.
One side of the room.
Then the other.
Every corner.
Every group.
Every familiar face.
He barely acknowledged the greetings directed his way. Several influential executives approached him. He nodded politely.
Others attempted to start conversations. He answered briefly. His attention wasn't on them. It wasn't on the event. And it certainly wasn't on business.
He was looking for one person.
Juliet.
She had to be here.
She always attended events involving her family.
Especially events this important.
Yet after several minutes of searching, he still hadn't found her.
His brows slowly knitted together.
His eyes swept across the ballroom once more.
Then again.
Then again.
Each time, the result remained exactly the same.
No Juliet.
A strange feeling settled uncomfortably inside his chest.
At first, it was nothing more than irritation.
A mild annoyance.
But as the minutes passed, that feeling gradually evolved into something far less pleasant.
His grip tightened around the champagne glass in his hand.
The cold crystal dug into his palm.
‘Where is she?’
The question repeated itself endlessly inside his mind.
His gaze continued roaming through the crowd almost compulsively.
Every woman with curly hair immediately caught his attention. For a split second, his heart would react. Then disappointment followed when he realized it wasn't her.
The longer he searched, the more restless he became.
Even when important business partners approached him, his attention remained elsewhere.
His answers became shorter.
More distracted.
At one point, he couldn't even remember what someone had said to him only moments earlier.
His eyes kept returning to the crowd.
Searching.
Looking.
Waiting.
All he could think about was finding Juliet. And for the first time that evening, a thought surfaced in his mind that he immediately hated.
What if she wasn't coming?
What if she had deliberately chosen not to attend?
The possibility sent an unpleasant twist through his chest. A feeling that looked suspiciously like disappointment. Or perhaps something worse.
Vincent immediately pushed the thought away. But no matter how much he denied it, his eyes continued scanning the ballroom.
On the other side of the ballroom, Juliet stood beside Amara with a champagne glass resting lightly between her fingers. The golden liquid inside reflected the glow of the crystal chandeliers overhead, swirling gently whenever she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
Her posture was relaxed and elegant, her expression calm as her gaze drifted across the crowded ballroom.
Dressed in a midnight-blue gown that hugged her slender figure before cascading gracefully to the floor, Juliet looked effortlessly elegant.
The off-the-shoulder design bared her delicate collarbones, while the rich fabric beautifully complemented her long blonde waves, making her look almost ethereal beneath the warm chandelier lights.
Beside her, Amara was in an emerald-green satin gown. The sleek silhouette accentuated her curves, and the daring thigh-high slit added a touch of boldness. Diamond earrings glittered against her dark hair every time she moved.
The atmosphere around them was lively and sophisticated.
Conversations flowed from every direction as businessmen discussed partnerships and investments while socialites exchanged pleasantries and laughter.
Soft music drifted through the air, blending with the constant murmur of voices and the occasional clink of crystal glasses.
Standing beside her, Amara followed Juliet's line of sight.
The moment she spotted Vincent across the room, her expression immediately darkened.
Rolling her eyes, she lifted her champagne glass and took a long sip.
"Look at that asshole."
Juliet turned her head slightly and glanced at her.
Amara shook her head in disbelief.
"He seriously has no shame."
Her gaze remained fixed on Vincent.
"He shows up to a party with your cousin practically hanging off his arm, and on top of that, he's standing there surrounded by women while he's supposedly engaged to you."
Displeasure flashed across her face.
"He doesn't respect you at all."
Juliet simply smiled faintly before lifting her glass and taking a small sip of champagne.
The calmness of her reaction only made Amara more frustrated.
At that moment, Vincent's eyes swept across the ballroom.
After searching the crowd for what felt like an eternity, his gaze finally landed on Juliet.
For a brief second, their eyes met across the room.
The distance between them seemed to disappear.
Vincent's eyes narrowed slightly.
Something flickered across his face.
Relief.
It was gone so quickly that even he didn't realize it had appeared.
Then, almost immediately, his expression cooled.
His chin lifted slightly.
Instead of walking over, he deliberately looked away.
A faint smugness appeared on his face as he turned his attention back to the people surrounding him, continuing his conversation as though Juliet wasn't worth acknowledging.
As though he hadn't spent the last half hour searching for her.
Amara nearly choked on her drink.
"Did you see that?"
She stared at Vincent in disbelief before turning back toward Juliet.
"I bet he thinks you'll come running to him."
Her voice dripped with annoyance.
"He probably thinks you're going to do what you always do—walk over there first and start talking to him."
Crossing her arms tightly over her chest, she shook her head.
"I've told you so many times to stop giving him so much attention."
A frustrated sigh escaped her.
"But every single time, you defended him." Her voice rose slightly as she mimicked Juliet. “He's my fiancé. There's nothing wrong with paying attention to him.”
Amara scoffed loudly.
"Look where that got you." Her narrowed gaze shifted back toward Vincent. "He's become so arrogant that he doesn't even think he needs to show you basic respect anymore."
The more she spoke, the angrier she became.
Her grip tightened around her glass.
"Even after seeing you here tonight, he didn't make the slightest effort to come over and greet you." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Honestly, Juliet, I still don't understand why you're even marrying him."
The frustration on her face was impossible to hide.
Meanwhile, Juliet remained perfectly calm. There wasn't the slightest trace of anger, sadness, jealousy, or disappointment in her expression. Her eyes remained clear and tranquil.
She simply listened.
Then, without warning, her gaze drifted back toward Vincent.
Amara immediately noticed.
Her eyes widened.
"Wait." Turning sharply toward Juliet, she straightened. "You're not planning to go over there, are you?"
Before she could finish speaking, Juliet calmly placed her champagne glass onto a nearby server's tray.
Then she began walking across the ballroom.
Directly toward Vincent.
Amara froze.
For a second, she genuinely thought she was imagining it.
Then panic immediately flashed across her face.
"Juliet!"
She hurried after her.
"Hey! Where are you going?"
But Juliet didn't stop. She didn't even glance back. Her steps remained steady and elegant as she crossed the ballroom floor.
The movement immediately drew attention. Several nearby guests noticed her approaching Vincent's group and quietly turned to watch. Whispers began spreading through the crowd.
Amara stopped several feet behind her and let out an exasperated groan.
"Oh, for God's sake."
Across the room, Vincent noticed Juliet approaching.
The moment his eyes landed on her, something tightened inside his chest. His heartbeat inexplicably skipped. For the first time all evening, the restlessness that had been gnawing at him eased slightly.
Yet outwardly, his expression remained completely cold.
Completely indifferent. As though her presence meant absolutely nothing to him.
As Juliet drew closer, he deliberately turned away and resumed speaking to the group gathered around him.
His posture practically screamed arrogance.
One hand rested casually inside his pocket while he continued conversing with a female executive standing nearby.
He acted as if Juliet wasn't even there. As if he hadn't spent the entire evening searching for her.
Standing beside him, Alexa immediately noticed Juliet's approach as well.
A smug smile curved her lips. Her gaze slowly traveled over Juliet from head to toe. The look she gave her was full of mockery and superiority.
Juliet, however, appeared completely unaffected.
Not a single change appeared on her face.
She walked directly up to the group and stopped in front of Vincent.
A small, polite smile appeared on her lips.
"Good evening, Mr. Jacobs."