Blood immediately began trickling down his hand, running over his fingers before dripping steadily onto the pristine white marble floor, staining it crimson.
But Juliet never turned around.
Not even once.
Cassian remained standing behind her, motionless.
His entire body was rigid, every muscle drawn tight. Slowly, his bloodied hand curled into a fist as he stared at her cold, indifferent back.
"Give me one more chance, Juliet," he said hoarsely.
His voice was rough and strained, thick with pain and barely restrained emotion.
"Juliet, I’m hurt."
Juliet remained silent.
"Juliet?"
He called her name again, desperation and restlessness evident in his voice.
Still, she didn't respond.
"Juliet?"
This time, his voice cracked.
"Do you really not care about me anymore?"
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Juliet kept her eyes tightly shut, refusing to acknowledge him. Beneath the blanket, however, her fingers slowly tightened around the fabric until her knuckles turned white.
Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs.
Hearing the desperation in his voice hurt.
It hurt far more than she wanted to admit.
But no matter how much it hurt, she couldn't forget the cruel words he had thrown at her the night before. The humiliation, the distrust, the complete lack of respect—those wounds were still fresh, still bleeding.
They were enough to stop her from turning around.
Behind her, Cassian's breathing grew increasingly ragged and unstable. Every harsh inhale and uneven exhale echoed through the darkened room. His broad shoulders were taut, his entire body radiating frustration, helplessness, and desperation.
Yet Juliet still refused to look at him.
The rejection finally snapped the last thread of restraint he had left.
In the next second, the mattress dipped sharply beneath his weight.
Cassian climbed onto the bed, his expression dark and tormented. Reaching out, he grabbed her shoulder and forcefully turned her over to face him.
Before Juliet could even react, he leaned over her, caging her beneath his body, one hand braced beside her head as he lowered himself and tried to kiss her once again.
Juliet turned her face away, refusing to let him kiss her, and the rejection hit Cassian like a spark thrown into fire. His breathing grew heavier as he leaned in once more, more forceful this time, but she immediately pressed both hands against his chest, pushing him back with firm resistance that stopped him cold.
“Let go of me,” she snapped, her voice sharp as she held her ground, refusing to let him close the distance again.
