"You don't love me."
Vincent's face paled.
Juliet held his gaze, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I think you actually hate me."
"That's not true!" Vincent snapped instantly, panic flashing across his face. He took another hurried step toward her, shaking his head vehemently. "How can you even think that? I could never hate you."
"Really?" Juliet asked softly. A tear slipped down her cheek, but she made no move to wipe it away. "Because people don't destroy someone they love."
Vincent looked stricken, as though she had physically struck him.
"You know I didn't mean those things." His eyes searched her face desperately, silently pleading for her to believe him.
"But you still said them," Juliet whispered.
The quiet pain in her voice made Vincent's chest tighten painfully.
Acting on instinct, he reached for her, his hand stretching toward hers.
Juliet immediately stepped back.
It made Vincent freeze.
His outstretched hand remained suspended in midair as disbelief slowly spread across his face.
For years, no matter how angry or upset she had been, Juliet had always moved toward him.
Never away.
As the distance between them widened, Vincent suddenly realized with horrifying clarity that he was losing her.
Maybe he already had.
When she finally spoke, her voice was calm.
"I'm done, Vincent."
Juliet didn't wait for Vincent to respond.
She turned away from him, as though the conversation—and perhaps he himself—no longer deserved another second of her attention.
Without hesitation, she reached for Cassian's hand.
Cassian immediately intertwined their fingers, his grip firm and reassuring. His cold gaze lingered on Vincent for a brief moment before he gently tugged Juliet toward the door.
The room remained eerily silent.
No one moved.
Vincent stood frozen where he was, staring at their joined hands as if he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. His face had gone completely pale.
Juliet and Cassian had barely taken a few steps when hurried footsteps suddenly echoed behind them.
"Juliet, wait."
Juliet stopped.
