"You’ve been talking about this wine for nearly a year. I think you’ve earned it."
Juliet’s smile widened at that, and she handed over her card while still holding onto the bottle for a moment longer than necessary, as if reluctant to let it go even for payment. She waited patiently as the transaction was processed, her gaze repeatedly dropping to the bottle sitting safely beside her, excitement still bubbling beneath her calm exterior.
Once it was done, she carefully tucked the bottle into her shopping bag, adjusting it gently to make sure it wouldn’t tilt before looking back up at him.
"Thank you again."
"Enjoy it," Timothy said simply.
"I definitely will."
With that, Juliet finally stepped away from the counter.
Her mood was light, almost glowing, as she walked through the bar. The music pulsed softly in the background while she moved through the crowd, her shopping bags swaying lightly at her side, one hand instinctively staying close to the bag that held the bottle as though protecting something valuable.
Her thoughts drifted ahead of her without resistance. Cassian.
She could already picture him opening the bottle, the way his expression might change when he realized she had brought this for him. That thought alone made her lips curve into a softer smile as she continued toward the exit.
She was so lost in it that she barely registered the people around her.
Then her eyes landed on Vincent.
Everything in her expression changed at once.
The smile that had been there just a moment ago disappeared so cleanly it was almost like it had never existed.
Without stopping, without hesitation, she looked away.
No acknowledgment. No reaction. Not even surprise.
Just a complete, effortless dismissal.
And she kept walking.
Vincent noticed it immediately.
The way she didn’t even pause.
The way she looked through him instead of at him.
Something in his expression tightened at once, irritation flashing across his face as he stepped forward and caught her wrist, stopping her mid-step.
Juliet’s body halted abruptly at the contact, her brows drawing together as she slowly turned toward him.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked, her tone flat, genuinely puzzled rather than emotional.
Vincent’s eyes dropped briefly to the shopping bag in her hand, catching sight of the wine bottle before returning to her face.
"Didn’t you see me?" he asked, his grip still firm. "Where are you going with that?"
Juliet stared at him for a moment longer, as if trying to understand why he was even here, before her confusion deepened.
"What are you talking about?"
Vincent’s jaw tightened slightly, though he still kept his composure.
"That bottle," he said, nodding toward it. "Didn’t you buy it for your boyfriend?"
