Page 113 of King of Sin
The metal groaned softly under his grip.
A dangerous darkness settled into his eyes as he watched her weave through the crowd, every graceful step carrying her closer to another man.
His jaw clenched.
A muscle ticked sharply in his cheek.
For the first time that evening, the calm mask he had worn so flawlessly began to crack.
He straightened abruptly, every muscle in his tall frame locking tight as though an invisible wire had been pulled through his spine. His shoulders went rigid beneath his suit jacket, and his jaw clenched so hard that the muscles visibly flexed along the side of his face. One hand gripped the balcony railing with enough force to whiten his knuckles while his dark eyes remained fixed on Juliet below, refusing to look anywhere else.
Beside him, Xavier immediately noticed the change.
He straightened as well, his attention following Cassian's gaze toward the ballroom floor where Juliet was making her way through the crowd.
Neither man looked pleased.
In fact, the longer they watched her approach Vincent, the darker Cassian's expression became. A dangerous tension radiated from him, filling the space around him like a brewing storm. Although he stood perfectly still, there was something unsettling about that stillness. It looked less like calmness and more like restraint, as though every ounce of his self-control was being used to stop himself from marching downstairs and dragging Juliet away from Vincent himself.
"Is she going back to him?" Xavier suddenly asked, breaking the silence as he glanced sideways at Cassian.
Cassian didn't answer.
His eyes remained glued to Juliet.
Xavier sighed before continuing.
"Are you really not going to stop her? You're just going to stand here and watch this happen? Watch Juliet fall for Vincent's words all over again?"
The second those words left Xavier's mouth, Cassian's entire body stiffened.
A vein pulsed sharply near his temple.
The hand gripping the railing tightened even further, the metal creaking faintly beneath his hold as his dark gaze remained locked on the pair below.
"Absolutely fucking not," he growled through clenched teeth.
The jealousy in his voice was impossible to miss.
It was raw, possessive, and ugly enough that even Xavier raised an eyebrow.
Still, Cassian never looked away from Juliet.
Downstairs, Juliet finally stopped in front of Vincent.
The two began talking.
Cassian and Xavier were watching them with intense focus.
Cassian's eyes narrowed every time Vincent shifted closer to her.
His jaw flexed.
His shoulders remained tense.
Several times, his fingers tightened around the railing before loosening again as though he was physically fighting the urge to interfere.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, Juliet simply turned around.
