"I promise. I don’t want to even see his face. I don't like him. Not at all."
Her voice softened, but there was no hesitation in it.
"I really don't."
For several long seconds, he simply stared at her.
Then some of the tension slowly left his body. The anger in his eyes faded, replaced by something quieter, something infinitely more dangerous.
Without a word, his arms slid around her waist and pulled her closer against him.
Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
One second Juliet was looking up at him, and the next, she was pressed firmly against his chest, completely surrounded by him. There was nothing gentle about the kiss. It was hungry, possessive, almost desperate.
As though he needed to hear her words again.
Needed to believe them.
Needed to erase every trace of Vincent from her memory.
Cassian deepened the kiss, one hand sliding into her hair to hold her in place while the other tightened around her waist. His lips moved against hers with an intensity that stole her breath, pouring every ounce of jealousy, fear, and relief into the kiss.
Juliet melted against him instantly.
Her fingers curled into the lapels of his suit as she kissed him back with equal fervor.
A low sound escaped Cassian at her response.
He pulled her even closer, if that was somehow possible, as though he couldn't bear even the smallest distance between them.
When they finally parted, neither of them moved away.
Cassian rested his forehead against hers, his breathing uneven.
For tonight, Juliet was in his arms.
And for the first time in weeks, he allowed himself to believe that maybe—just maybe—he hadn't lost her completely.
***
The Han Industries office buzzed with activity as employees hurried through the pristine white hallways carrying documents from one department to another. Phones rang intermittently, keyboards clicked, and conversations were kept low as everyone focused on their work.
Inside the main conference room, however, the atmosphere was noticeably different. A presentation played across the large screen while several executives sat around the conference table listening carefully. Or at least pretending to. Although the presenter continued explaining the quarterly figures, everyone'sattention kept drifting toward the man seated at the head of the table.
Cassian sat with effortless authority, his posture relaxed yet commanding as he watched the presentation with calm, unreadable eyes. From beginning to end, his expression never changed, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking.
Was he satisfied? Disappointed? Angry? Nobody knew, and that uncertainty only made the room more tense. Several executives exchanged nervous glances before quickly returning their attention to their reports, each person choosing their words carefully as they tried their best to avoid making mistakes.
The room had fallen completely silent except for the sound of the presenter speaking when a phone suddenly rang.
The sharp sound cut through the silence so abruptly that several people visibly stiffened. A few executives instinctively turned toward the source of the disturbance while others lowered their eyes, already expecting whoever owned the phone to be reprimanded. Instead, to everyone's shock, Cassian calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out his own phone.
The realization spread around the table almost immediately.
The phone belonged to him.
What surprised them even more was that he didn't look annoyed in the slightest. If anything, the moment he glanced at the screen, something in his expression softened. He answered the call almost immediately, as though he had been waiting for it.
