Chapter 30 Rumours and Gossips
Back at the Han Villa, Cassian pushed open the front door and stepped inside.
He had barely taken two steps into the living room when a familiar voice called out excitedly.
"Cassian!"
Cassian looked up just in time to see Juliet spring off the sofa.
A second later, she came running toward him.
His eyes softened instantly.
Juliet threw herself straight into his arms, nearly knocking him backward. Fortunately, Cassian was prepared. He caught her effortlessly around the waist, steadying her against him as she wrapped both arms around his neck.
Before he could say a word, she tilted her face up and kissed him.
Once.
Twice.
Then several more times in quick succession.
Cassian couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped him as he tightened his hold around her waist.
"You seem happy to see me," he murmured against her lips.
Juliet pouted immediately, still clinging to him.
"You disappeared for so long."
"It was five minutes."
"It felt like an hour."
Cassian smiled despite himself. The irritation and jealousy he had felt after dealing with Vincent outside vanished completely beneath her affection.
Resting his forehead against hers, he brushed a loose curl away from her face.
"Did you miss me that much?"
Juliet nodded without the slightest embarrassment.
"Obviously."
Cassian's expression softened even further. He leaned down and kissed her properly this time, slow and lingering, until Juliet melted against him with a satisfied hum.
When they finally separated, Juliet remained in his arms, absentmindedly playing with the collar of his T-shirt. Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, she pulled back and looked down at herself with a distressed expression.
"Cassian."
"Hm?"
Juliet pinched the soft flesh at her waist and sighed dramatically.
"I think I've gained weight."
Cassian looked at her. Then he looked at her again.
"You haven't."
"I have!" Juliet insisted, her cheeks puffing up. "Amara said my face looks rounder. I need to lose weight."
Cassian slid an arm around her waist and effortlessly lifted her slightly off the ground.
Juliet squeaked in surprise.
"You weigh nothing," he said calmly.
Juliet immediately narrowed her eyes.
"You're just saying that because you love me."
"I am saying that because it's true."
Juliet remained unconvinced.
"I still need exercise."
Cassian considered this for a moment.
"I can help."
Juliet's eyes lit up immediately.
"Really?"
Cassian nodded solemnly.
"Of course."
Ten minutes later, Juliet found herself sprawled on a yoga mat in the home gym, staring up at Cassian with pure betrayal written all over her face.
"This isn't what I thought you meant," she accused, narrowing her eyes at him.
Cassian lay comfortably beneath her, one leg stretched out while his hands were folded behind his head as if he didn't have a care in the world. Dressed in a simple black T-shirt and sweatpants, he looked infuriatingly relaxed.
"You said you wanted exercise," he said, looking perfectly innocent.
Juliet immediately pointed a finger at him. "I thought we were going for a romantic walk."
A smile tugged at the corners of Cassian's lips. "We can do that tomorrow."
He reached up and lightly tapped her shoulder. "Now, push-ups."
Juliet let out a dramatic groan, dropping her forehead onto his chest for a second. "This is a scam."
"Less complaining, more exercising."
Muttering under her breath, she reluctantly pushed herself up, her arms trembling slightly from lack of enthusiasm rather than effort.
The moment she straightened her arms, Cassian lifted his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
Juliet froze.
She blinked down at him. "What was that?"
"Encouragement," he replied smoothly.
Juliet eyed him suspiciously, clearly unconvinced, but lowered herself again anyway.
A few minutes later, she realized exactly what kind of encouragement he meant.
"Seven," Cassian said, watching her with obvious amusement as she strained through another push-up.
The instant she reached the top, he leaned up and kissed her again.
"Eight."
Another kiss.
"Nine."
Kiss.
By the tenth push-up, Juliet was glaring at him so hard that anyone else would have surrendered immediately. Cassian, however, merely smiled back at her, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
Unable to take it anymore, Juliet collapsed on top of him, her body landing across his with a soft thud.
"You're cheating," she complained, breathing hard.
Cassian wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from sliding off and raised an eyebrow. "How?"
Juliet lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. "You just want an excuse to kiss me."
He didn't even try to deny it.
"And?" he asked shamelessly.
Juliet stared at him for several seconds before an exasperated laugh escaped her. She shook her head and lightly smacked his shoulder. "You're impossible."
"Yet you're still here."
"Unfortunately."
"Very unfortunate," he agreed solemnly, making her laugh again.
By the time she somehow managed to reach fifteen push-ups, Juliet was completely exhausted. Strands of her long blonde hair had escaped and stuck to her flushed cheeks, and her breathing had become uneven.
"Last one," Cassian encouraged, brushing a loose curl away from her face.
Juliet let out a pitiful whine. "If I die, tell Amara you killed me."
"You'll survive."
"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one being tortured."
Determined to prove she could do it, Juliet pushed herself up one final time. Halfway through, however, her arms gave out completely.
With a squeak of surprise, she toppled forward and landed right on top of Cassian.
Cassian let out a soft grunt but immediately wrapped both arms around her, steadying her against him.
Juliet buried her face against his chest without hesitation, too tired to care about anything else.
"I'm dying," she mumbled miserably.
Cassian chuckled, his chest vibrating beneath her cheek as he stroked her hair. "No, you're not."
"I can already see the light."
"That's just the gym lights, sweetheart."
Juliet weakly pinched his side.
"It hurts," she complained.
Cassian tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"Then we're done."
Juliet immediately lifted her head from his chest, hope shining in her exhausted eyes.
"Really?" she asked, sounding almost too eager.
Cassian looked down at her flushed face, noticing the way her eyes instantly brightened at the thought of escaping any more exercise. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Instead of answering, he suddenly shifted beneath her. Before Juliet could react, he smoothly rolled them over, pinning her gently beneath him on the mat.
Juliet let out a soft gasp, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Cassian—"
He didn't give her a chance to finish. Lowering his head, he captured her lips in a deep, lingering kiss.
Juliet's hands instinctively curled around the front of his shirt as she kissed him back, all thoughts of exercise instantly forgotten. The kiss left her breathless, and by the time Cassian finally pulled away, her cheeks were flushed a deep pink and her breathing had become uneven.
Cassian studied her dazed expression for a moment before a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"My turn," he murmured, brushing a loose curl away from her forehead.
Juliet blinked up at him, still slightly dizzy from the kiss. "Your turn to do what?"
Instead of answering, Cassian slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her waist. With effortless ease, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
***
It was already late evening by the time Cassian returned home.
Outside, the night sky stretched endlessly above the Han Villa, the sprawling estate bathed in the soft golden glow of carefully placed garden lights. A cool breeze rustled through the trees surrounding the property, carrying with it the faint scent of blooming roses from the garden.
Inside, however, the atmosphere in the living room was unusually tense.
Cassian sat alone on the dark leather sofa, dressed in a crisp charcoal shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His broad shoulders were rigid as he leaned back against the sofa, one arm stretched along the backrest while the other rested on his thigh.
The television was playing quietly in the background, but he wasn't paying attention to it.
For perhaps the hundredth time in the past twenty minutes, his gaze lifted toward the staircase before returning to the untouched glass of whiskey sitting on the coffee table.
His expression remained calm, as it always did, but there was a faint crease between his brows.
The powerful billionaire who could make seasoned businessmen break into cold sweats with a single glance looked distinctly restless.
The soft sound of footsteps finally echoed from upstairs.
Cassian immediately looked up.
Juliet appeared at the top of the staircase, freshly showered and dressed in a simple cream-colored lounge set. Her long blonde hair, still slightly damp, cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves as she slowly made her way downstairs, absently drying the ends with a towel.
The moment she spotted him, her steps slowed.
Something was wrong.
Even when he worked from home, Cassian was rarely idle.
Most evenings, Juliet would find him in his study, buried beneath stacks of reports, taking business calls, or reviewing endless documents on his tablet. Seeing him sitting alone in the dimly lit living room, completely still, immediately made unease settle in her chest.
The only light in the room came from a lamp beside the sofa, casting soft shadows across his sharp features. His gaze was fixed on nothing in particular, his expression unusually tense.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
Cassian's dark eyes lifted instantly, following her every step.
Without waiting for an answer, Juliet climbed onto the sofa beside him. She naturally tucked herself against his side, curling one leg beneath her as she rested a hand on his arm.
"Did something happen at work?" she asked, studying him carefully.