Chapter 32 Desperation
By the time he saw Cassian kiss Juliet's forehead, he had already lost all rationality.
Ignoring Griffin and Nolan calling after him, Vincent strode across the ballroom, his expression dark and stormy.
Guests instinctively stepped aside.
Juliet looked up in surprise when he stopped directly in front of them.
Cassian didn't move.
His arm remained firmly around Juliet's waist as he looked at Vincent with cool indifference.
"What is it, Mr. Jacobs?" Cassian asked calmly.
Vincent's eyes immediately dropped to Cassian's hand resting possessively against Juliet's waist.
His jaw tightened.
"What exactly are you doing?" he demanded.
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
Vincent laughed harshly.
"This woman stole your deals, betrayed you, publicly humiliated you, and nearly got you killed." He pointed toward Juliet. "After everything she's done, you're still making her your girlfriend?"
Juliet stiffened.
But before she could speak, Cassian let out a low chuckle.
The sound was deep and distinctly masculine.
Amusement flickered in his dark eyes as he studied Vincent.
He could see through him completely.
The jealousy.
The regret.
The desperation.
Cassian turned toward Juliet, his expression softening for a brief moment before he looked back at Vincent.
"First," he said calmly, "Juliet isn't my girlfriend."
Vincent frowned.
Cassian's hand slid higher on Juliet's waist, pulling her even closer until she was practically tucked against his side.
"She's my fiancée."
Vincent's face drained of color so quickly that he looked as though all the blood had been forcibly drained from his body.
For a moment, he looked like a man who had just received news of his own death.
All the color drained from his face. The hand holding his champagne glass lowered slowly to his side, his fingers tightening unconsciously around the delicate stem as he stared at Cassian in complete disbelief.
Cassian, meanwhile, remained perfectly composed.
Standing tall beside Juliet, he looked every inch the powerful billionaire. One hand rested securely around her waist, his broad body angled slightly toward her in a protective stance. Despite Vincent's obvious hostility, there wasn't the slightest hint of tension in his posture.
"As for everything else," Cassian said smoothly, glancing down at Juliet with a faint smile, "my soon-to-be wife does enjoy making my life difficult from time to time."
Juliet immediately turned to glare at him.
"You make it sound like it's entirely my fault."
Cassian merely smirked, completely unfazed by her irritation.
"But that's between her and me."
His expression turned cold as he looked back at Vincent.
"And frankly, Mr. Jacobs, it's none of your concern."
The entire group fell silent.
Vincent simply stood there, staring.
Fiancée.
The word continued echoing inside his head.
No.
This had to be some kind of joke.
His gaze slowly shifted from Cassian to Juliet. He searched her face desperately, almost as if hoping she would suddenly laugh and admit that this was all some elaborate act.
Instead, she merely looked back at him calmly.
"Juliet..." Vincent's voice came out rougher than he intended. "Is he telling the truth?"
Juliet frowned slightly.
"About what?"
Vincent took a step forward.
"About being engaged." His eyes remained fixed on her face. "Are you really his fiancée now?"
"Yes."
Vincent's breathing visibly faltered.
For several long seconds, he simply stared at her.
Then the questions began.
"You went to live with him after arguing with me that night at the club?"
Juliet nodded.
"Yes."
Vincent's jaw clenched.
"So that night when I called you..." His voice lowered dangerously. "The man who answered your phone was him?"
"Yes."
"You slept with him?"
"Yes."
"You're living in his house?"
"Yes."
Each answer seemed to strike Vincent physically.
He kept staring at her as though unable to comprehend what she was saying.
"No," he said suddenly, shaking his head. "No, that's impossible."
Juliet crossed her arms.
"Why is it impossible?"
"You hate him."
Juliet let out a small laugh.
"I never hated him. It was you and my aunt who kept pushing me to do those terrible things. Neither of you ever cared about what would happen to me if Cassian really decided to take revenge. The two of you are selfish sons of bitches. I was just too blind to see it."
Vincent stiffened.
The words cut deeper than they should have.
His expression darkened.
"So you've really been living together all this time?" he demanded.
"Yes."
"And you're shamelessly admitting it?"
Juliet's brows furrowed.
"What exactly am I supposed to be ashamed of?"
Vincent took another step toward her, anger finally overpowering shock.
"Juliet, do you even hear yourself? You moved into another man's house immediately after leaving me. You're publicly kissing him, living with him, and now you're standing here claiming to be engaged to him?"
His voice had risen noticeably.
Nearby guests had begun openly watching.
Juliet, however, remained completely calm.
That calmness only enraged Vincent further.
"How can you—"
He abruptly stepped even closer.
Instantly, Cassian moved.
Without any visible effort, Cassian pulled Juliet firmly back against his chest, one strong arm wrapping securely around her waist while his free hand slipped casually into his trouser pocket.
The movement was smooth.
Effortless.
Possessive.
Juliet stumbled backward slightly before settling naturally against him.
Cassian's dark eyes settled on Vincent.
He hadn't raised his voice. Hadn't even frowned. Yet something about the way he looked at Vincent made the temperature around them seem to drop several degrees.
Vincent unconsciously stopped.
The sheer difference in presence between the two men became painfully obvious.
Cassian was calm.
Controlled.
Dangerously composed.
Vincent suddenly became aware that if he took one more step, things would escalate in a way that would humiliate him further.
Juliet looked up at Cassian briefly before turning back toward Vincent. To Vincent's disbelief, she actually smiled.
As though his reaction no longer affected her.
That smile made something inside Vincent snap.
Alexa quickly grabbed his arm.
"Vincent," she whispered urgently, pulling gently. "Calm down. Everyone's watching."
Only then did Vincent realize that dozens of eyes had gathered around them.
His face darkened further.
Griffin and Nolan immediately stepped forward, helping Alexa guide him back.
Vincent allowed himself to be led away, but his eyes never once left Juliet.
Even after he sat down at his assigned table, his posture remained rigid. His shoulders were tense, one hand clenched tightly against the armrest while the other still held the half-empty champagne glass.
Across the ballroom, Juliet released a quiet breath.
"That was exhausting," she muttered.
She turned, intending to walk toward their table. She had barely taken two steps before a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist.
With a startled yelp, Juliet found herself pulled backward directly into Cassian's chest.
His familiar scent instantly surrounded her.
"Cassian," she protested softly, looking up.
Cassian lowered his head, his lips brushing lightly against the shell of her ear.
"That asshole is clearly jealous."
His deep voice rumbled softly beside her ear.
Juliet blinked.
Then she shrugged.
"What does that have to do with me?"
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
Juliet looked completely sincere.
"He has his own date," she said matter-of-factly, glancing briefly toward Vincent and Alexa before dismissing them entirely. "We should focus on ourselves, not strangers."
Strangers.
The word clearly pleased Cassian.
A slow smile spread across his face.
His gaze softened as he looked down at her.
Without warning, Cassian lifted a hand and gently cupped Juliet's face.
His fingers brushed against her cheek with such tenderness that Juliet's breath caught. She looked up instinctively, meeting his dark gaze. For a few heartbeats, it felt as though they were the only two people in the room.
Cassian's thumb slowly stroked her cheekbone before he lowered his head.
Juliet's eyes softened. Without realizing it, she rose onto her toes, one hand instinctively coming to rest against his chest, her fingers curling lightly around the lapel of his suit.
Their lips met.
The kiss was slow.
Tender.
Intimate.
Cassian's arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer until she was pressed securely against him. His touch was protective, possessive even, as though he wanted the entire world to know exactly where she belonged.
Across the ballroom, Vincent watched everything.
He stood completely still, his gaze locked on the couple as if unable to look away.
Every trace of color slowly drained from his face.
The hand holding his champagne glass tightened unconsciously.
Juliet had laughed like that with him before.
She used to look at him with that same softness in her eyes.
She used to stand close to him.
She used to belong beside him.
A dark, irrational jealousy surged violently inside him.
The sight of Cassian's hand resting possessively on Juliet's waist felt like a knife twisting in his chest.
Beside him, Alexa noticed the sudden change immediately.
"Vincent?" she called softly, reaching for his arm.
He didn't respond.
His eyes remained fixed on Juliet.
Then, as though the universe had decided to mock him further, Cassian lowered his head and pressed a lingering kiss against Juliet's forehead.
Crack.
The champagne flute shattered in Vincent's hand.
The sharp sound cut through the surrounding conversations.
Nearby guests gasped in alarm as shards of crystal scattered across the floor.
"Shit!" Griffin immediately grabbed Vincent's wrist. "Are you crazy?"
Blood dripped steadily from Vincent's palm, sliding over his fingers before falling onto the polished marble floor.
Yet Vincent didn't seem to notice.
Or perhaps he simply didn't care.
Because across the ballroom, Juliet hadn't even turned around.
She remained tucked securely against Cassian's side, laughing at something he whispered into her ear.