Chapter 33 I’m The Villain? #2
"I just think you're being too harsh on him," she said softly. "You and Vincent have known each other your entire lives. He's your childhood friend."
Juliet folded her arms across her chest.
"So?"
Alexa hesitated, visibly choosing her words.
"I just think..." Her gaze drifted toward Cassian before quickly returning to Juliet. "Maybe you should be gentler with him."
Juliet's expression remained blank.
"And?"
Alexa took a deep breath.
"Mr. Han comes from a very prestigious family," she began carefully. "People from backgrounds like his care a lot about status and reputation."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
Cassian's expression turned glacial.
Standing beside Juliet, he slowly lifted his eyes to Alexa. There was no emotion on his face, which somehow made him even more terrifying.
Alexa either didn't notice or deliberately ignored it.
"Relationships like this are exciting in the beginning," she continued softly, sounding almost sympathetic. "But eventually, someone like him won't want an orphan with no family."
Juliet's eyes narrowed.
A few guests nearby visibly stiffened.
Yet Alexa pressed on, emboldened by Juliet's silence.
"Especially not one who's jealous, manipulative, and has a history of stealing."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even the air seemed to freeze.
Juliet simply stared at her.
Then she blinked slowly.
Lifting a hand, she rubbed her forehead as though she had just developed a headache.
"Oh my God."
Before anyone could react, Juliet suddenly strode forward.
Alexa barely had time to widen her eyes before Juliet grabbed her firmly by the cheeks with one hand.
"Get out of my way, you pick-me bitch."
With a sharp shove, Juliet pushed Alexa aside.
"Ah!"
Caught completely off guard, Alexa stumbled backward in shock. Her heels slipped against the polished floor, and before she could regain her balance, she crashed face-first into the wall with a loud thud.
A chorus of shocked gasps immediately erupted around the room.
She cried out in pain, tears instantly springing to her eyes as she clutched her face with both hands.
Juliet, however, didn't spare her so much as a glance.
She turned on her heel and walked straight toward Cassian. Stopping in front of him, she wrapped both arms around his waist and pressed herself against him before tilting her face up.
Batting her eyelashes with exaggerated innocence, she asked sweetly, "Cassian, Alexa says someone like you could never like someone like me."
A ripple of awkward silence spread through the room.
Cassian lowered his gaze to her. For the briefest moment, unmistakable amusement flickered in his dark eyes.
"Is that so?"
Juliet nodded solemnly.
"Apparently, I'm an orphan, manipulative, jealous, and a thief."
For several seconds, Cassian simply looked at her.
Then, without warning, he cupped her face with both hands and lowered his head.
The room fell silent.
He kissed her.
Slowly.
Thoroughly.
Several guests openly gasped.
When he finally pulled away, he didn't move far. Resting his forehead gently against hers, he kept one hand cradling her cheek.
"I don't care if you have no family," he said quietly, his voice carrying clearly through the silent room. "Because from now on, you have me."
His gaze softened as he looked at her.
"And for the record, I love every part of you."
Juliet's face immediately broke into a bright smile.
Without another word, Cassian slid one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back before effortlessly lifting her into his arms.
Juliet let out a startled squeak, automatically wrapping both arms around his neck as Cassian gathered her closer against his chest and carried her out without a second glance at anyone else.
The entire drive back to Cassian’s mansion was unnervingly quiet.
Juliet sat in the passenger seat, stealing glances at Cassian every few minutes.
He looked calm.
His hands rested steadily on the steering wheel, his expression unreadable as the city lights flashed across his sharp features. The only sign that something was wrong was the faint tightening of his jaw every now and then.
Juliet sighed inwardly.
The moment they stepped into the mansion, Cassian loosened his tie and tossed it onto a nearby armchair before turning toward her.
"Did you really cry in his arms?"
Juliet blinked.
"What?"
Cassian slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned casually against the edge of the desk in the living room, though there was nothing casual about the look in his eyes.
"You heard me."
Juliet stared at him for a moment before realization dawned.
"Oh."
Cassian's gaze remained fixed on her.
"You cried in his arms." His voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it. "You considered him your family. You promised to marry him and spend the rest of your life with him."
Juliet couldn't help it.
She burst out laughing.
Cassian's eyes narrowed immediately.
"You're laughing?"
Juliet quickly walked over to him and grabbed both of his hands.
"You're jealous."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
Juliet smiled, standing on her toes slightly to look up at him.
"Cassian, there was nothing between Vincent and me."
His expression remained unchanged.
"You agreed to marry him."
Juliet sighed dramatically.
"Only because marriage was supposed to give me a family." She squeezed his hands gently. "Back then, I thought if I married him, I wouldn't be alone anymore."
Cassian's eyes softened for the briefest second.
"But?" he prompted.
Juliet smiled.
"But I never loved him the way I love you."
Cassian remained silent.
Juliet groaned.
"You're still upset?"
"I don't like imagining you crying in another man's arms," he admitted quietly.
The honesty in his voice made her heart soften.
She stepped closer until she was standing between his legs.
"Then what should I do?" she asked teasingly. "Should I let you hit me to vent your anger?"
One of Cassian's brows rose immediately.
"Oh?" He slowly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Would you be able to take it?"
Juliet's confident expression instantly faltered.
She pouted.
"You'd really hit me?"
Cassian looked down at her dramatic pout and let out a soft chuckle.
"Juliet, if I were truly angry, do you think you'd still be standing there teasing me?"
Before she could answer, he pulled her fully into his embrace.
Juliet let out a startled squeak, her hands automatically landing on his shoulders.
Cassian gave her a light, playful swat on the hip.
Juliet gasped.
"Cassian!"
"That's your punishment," he said calmly, though amusement danced in his eyes.
Juliet immediately glared at him.
"You're bullying me."
"No." Cassian brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before cupping her face gently. "I'm reminding you that from now on, if you need someone to cry to, someone to rely on, or someone to call family—"
His gaze softened.
"It's me."
Juliet's expression immediately melted.
Without hesitation, she wrapped both arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest.
"Okay," she mumbled.
Cassian smiled faintly and tightened his arms around her.