Chapter 29 Moving On #2
"How do I look?" she had asked, smoothing down the fabric with both hands before spinning once more. Her eyes had sparkled with anticipation. "I bought it especially for this trip because I thought I'd look cute in it for you."
Back then, all Vincent had noticed was how short the nightdress was.
Several of their male friends had still been sitting in the living room.
His expression had immediately darkened.
"Go change."
Juliet had blinked, her smile faltering. "What?"
"I said go change." His voice had been cold and firm. "You're not wearing that in front of other men."
The excitement on her face had instantly disappeared.
"But I bought it for you..."
"Juliet."
That had been enough.
Without arguing further, she had quietly lowered her head and gone back upstairs. A few minutes later, she had returned wearing a much more conservative pair of pajamas.
At the time, Vincent had thought nothing of it.
Remembering it now, Vincent couldn't help scoffing softly.
So she had kept the dress all this while.
A strange sense of satisfaction rose within him.
Of course she had.
Why else would she still have it?
She must have kept it because of him.
She was probably wearing it tonight because she knew he would eventually come looking for her.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he suddenly heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him.
Vincent's entire body tensed.
He spun around sharply.
Standing only a few feet away was a tall man.
Vincent froze.
The man had changed out of his suit and was now dressed casually in dark lounge trousers and a fitted black T-shirt, but there was no mistaking that face.
Sharp features.
Cold eyes.
An overwhelming presence that made people instinctively wary.
Recognition flashed across Vincent's face.
"Cassian Han?"
His voice came out filled with disbelief.
Vincent stared at him.
He knew exactly who Cassian was.
The infamous business tycoon.
More importantly, Vincent and Cassian had crossed paths numerous times in the business world.
Their relationship could hardly be described as friendly.
Juliet had repeatedly infuriated Cassian over the years by interfering in several business negotiations and helping Vincent secure deals that had originally been meant for Cassian.
Which was why Vincent was utterly stunned to see him standing here.
"Mr. Han? What are you doing here?" Vincent demanded, his brows knitting tightly together. "Why are you at this house?"
Cassian slipped one hand into his pocket and regarded Vincent with an unreadable expression.
Unlike Vincent, he didn't look surprised in the slightest.
In fact, he looked almost amused.
"This house?" Cassian repeated casually, glancing toward the brightly lit villa behind him.
Then his gaze returned to Vincent.
"It's my house."
Vincent's eyes widened.
For a moment, he simply stared.
His mind struggled to process the words.
His house?
That meant—
Vincent abruptly turned his head toward the living room where Juliet was still sitting comfortably on the sofa, completely at ease, as though she belonged there.
A terrible thought suddenly crossed his mind.
He slowly looked back at Cassian, disbelief and hostility filling his eyes.
"What is Juliet doing in your house?"
Cassian stood beneath the warm glow of the garden lights with one hand tucked casually into the pocket of his trousers. Unlike Vincent, who looked as though he was barely restraining himself, Cassian appeared perfectly composed.
He glanced through the wall-sized windows toward the living room where Juliet was still curled up on the sofa, completely oblivious to the confrontation taking place outside. A faint softness flashed across his features before his expression turned indifferent once more.
"What Juliet does," Cassian said slowly as his gaze returned to Vincent, "and where she chooses to stay no longer concerns you, Mr. Jacobs."
Vincent's jaw visibly tightened.
"What exactly is your relationship with her?" he demanded, taking a step forward. "The last time I checked, the two of you couldn't stand each other."
A hint of amusement appeared in Cassian's eyes.
"The last time you checked was a long time ago."
Vincent frowned. "Mr. Han, don't play games with me. Juliet used to sabotage your projects and steal deals from you. You hated her."
Cassian's lips curved into a faint smile.
"People change."
Before Vincent could press further, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the tension.
Several security guards came running toward them, alerted by the motion sensors surrounding the property. The moment they recognized Cassian, they immediately straightened.
"Mr. Han," the head guard greeted respectfully before noticing Vincent. His expression instantly became guarded. "Is everything alright?"
Cassian didn't even glance at them.
"Yes," he said calmly. "Our visitor was just leaving."
The security guards immediately understood.
Two of them stepped forward.
"Sir, you'll need to come with us."
Vincent didn't move.
Instead, his eyes drifted past Cassian toward the brightly lit villa once again.
Through the massive glass windows, he could still see Juliet sitting on the sofa, completely unaware that he was standing only a short distance away.
She looked comfortable there.
At home.
The realization left an unpleasant feeling in his chest.
One of the guards cleared his throat politely. "Sir?"
Vincent finally looked away.
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the garden, escorted by the guards all the way out of the community.
By the time he returned to his car, his mood had deteriorated considerably.
Nolan had barely seen Vincent approach before he pushed open the driver's side door.
"What took so long?" Nolan asked, immediately noticing Vincent's expression. "And why do you look like you're ready to kill somebody?"
Vincent didn't answer.
He slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut with enough force to make Nolan jump.
For several seconds, Vincent simply sat there gripping the steering wheel, his chest rising and falling unevenly.
He couldn't stop thinking about what he had just seen.
Juliet.
Wearing pajamas.
Eating ice cream.
Sitting comfortably inside Cassian Han's house as though she belonged there.
The image replayed in his mind over and over again.
Nolan watched him in concern. "Vincent?"
Vincent finally leaned back against the seat and loosened his tie with an irritated tug.
"I saw Cassian."
Nolan blinked. "Cassian?"
"Han."
Nolan stared at him.
"The Cassian Han?"
Vincent gave a curt nod.
A look of disbelief immediately spread across Nolan's face.
"What the hell was Cassian Han doing there?"
Vincent let out a humorless laugh and turned to stare out the windshield.