Vincent's head snapped to the side from the force of the slap.
Everything fell silent.
Even Alexa froze in shock.
Vincent remained motionless for several seconds, clearly stunned.
Juliet lowered her hand. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were ice-cold.
"Stay away from me," she snapped, her voice trembling ever so slightly with suppressed anger. "And stop touching me. You don't have that right anymore."
Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked away, brushing past him without a second glance.
This time, Vincent didn't reach for her.
He simply stood there, stunned, one hand pressed against his reddening cheek as he watched her walk away from the secluded corner and head toward the mall entrance.
A few moments later, Nolan rounded the wall. He had arrived just in time to witness the slap but had wisely decided not to interfere.
Seeing Vincent standing there motionlessly, Nolan let out a quiet sigh and walked over.
"She's probably just angry," he said, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
Vincent remained silent.
Nolan glanced at Alexa, who was still standing a short distance away looking pale and shaken, before turning back to Vincent.
"You know she never trusted Alexa after what happened at the club," Nolan continued. "With Alexa lying about being pregnant with your child before, and now seeing the two of you together again, she probably misunderstood."
Vincent's brows furrowed slightly.
Nolan patted him on the shoulder. "From Juliet's perspective, it probably looked like nothing has changed. She might think you're still choosing Alexa over her. That's probably why she got angry and took it out on you."
Vincent said nothing.
His gaze followed Juliet's retreating figure as she made her way through the crowd toward the mall entrance.
For some reason, an unfamiliar uneasiness slowly spread through his chest, making it difficult to breathe.
He couldn't explain it, but as he watched her leave, he suddenly had the unsettling feeling that Juliet truly didn't care anymore.
Just then, Juliet stopped near the entrance and pulled her phone out of her purse when it started ringing.
Almost instinctively, Vincent's attention shifted to her.
The moment she looked at the screen, the coldness on her face melted away completely.
A soft smile immediately appeared on her lips.
Vincent froze.
He had not seen that smile in a very long time.
"Hello?" Juliet answered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Even from where he stood, Vincent could hear the warmth in her voice.
"I'm coming," she said softly, her eyes curving with happiness. "Just give me a minute."
