Vincent remained silent, his chest rising and falling heavily.
"I'm telling you, something is off," Griffin said. "She's trying to get a reaction out of you. Can't you see that? Every other time you did something that upset her, she'd be furious. She'd argue with you, make your life miserable, refuse to let things go. But look at her now. She doesn't react at all."
Griffin shook his head.
"That doesn't mean she doesn't care. It means she's trying not to show it. She's acting indifferent because she wants to get under your skin."
Hearing those words, some of the rage in Vincent's eyes eased, though only slightly. He gradually went still, his mind replaying everything that had happened.
Juliet had never been someone who accepted indifference or humiliation quietly. She fought for everything she wanted. She argued, challenged, and refused to back down. Yet this time, she had let him go so easily.
The more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.
There had to be a reason.
His friends were probably right. Maybe she was doing this on purpose. Maybe she wanted him to notice her. Maybe she wanted him angry, frustrated, and thinking about her.
The thought settled in his mind, and he slowly straightened.
Even so, something inside him refused to calm down completely.
His emotions were tangled into something he couldn't quite understand or put into words. Every time he remembered that mark on her neck, a sharp irritation twisted in his chest. But his pride refused to let him acknowledge it. His ego wouldn't allow him to admit that Juliet's actions had affected him this much.
So he forced himself to relax.
His shoulders loosened, and his expression gradually returned to its usual cold composure.
But the nerve ticking relentlessly in his jaw gave him away.
No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, the fury burning inside him wasn't disappearing nearly as easily as he wanted everyone to believe.
Chapter 24 Cheap
Juliet walked out of Vincent's house. Her face remained calm and composed, and as she stepped into the cool evening air, she let out a slow breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of relief settle over her shoulders. Everything had gone far more smoothly than she had expected. Vincent hadn't made a bigger issue out of it, nor had he tried to stop her from leaving. Now that it was finally over, it felt as though a weight had been lifted from her chest.
The thought made her shoulders gradually relax as she walked down the street. Everything was slowly starting to fall into place, and for once, she felt at ease.
By the time she returned to Cassian's house, night had already fallen. The sun had long disappeared below the horizon, leaving the streets quiet beneath the glow of scattered streetlights. The cool breeze brushed against her face as she made her way up the driveway.
She hadn't expected to come back this late, but after Vincent had dragged her away earlier, she hadn't really had a choice.
Thinking about it, she couldn't help wincing slightly as she reached for the front door.
Cassian was probably annoyed that she had returned so late.
With that thought in mind, she hurried inside and quickly climbed the stairs. Her pace slowed as she neared the bedroom, and her footsteps instinctively softened. She was already preparing herself for a lecture, imagining the cold look he would give her the moment she walked in.
However, the moment she pushed the door open, she stopped.
The entire room was covered in darkness.
Juliet blinked in surprise and stood frozen for a second before slowly stepping inside. The room was silent except for the faint sound of breathing. She gently closed the door behind her and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. A few moments later, she spotted a figure lying on the bed.
Cassian.
He was resting on one side of the mattress with his back facing her. A faint sliver of moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across his broad shoulders and outlining his figure against the darkness.
Juliet's expression softened immediately.
