Page 178 of King of Sin
"You don't gain anything from this engagement, and I don't receive any benefits from it either. So neither of us has anything to lose anymore."
She nudged the papers a little closer to him and smiled again, looking genuinely satisfied with the conclusion she had reached.
"Now you don't have to worry about anything. Let's cancel the engagement and the marriage as soon as possible and inform everyone."
Her voice was light and relaxed, and the hopeful look she gave him made it seem as though she had just solved a complicated problem.
Across from her, Vincent could feel his patience slipping away little by little. He drew in a slow breath and forced himself to remain composed. Every instinct inside him urged him to react, but he refused to let her see how much her words were affecting him. Even so, the muscle in his jaw continued to twitch, and his eyes had already darkened considerably. Every sentence that came out of her mouth felt like a direct blow to his pride.
Swallowing his frustration, he lifted his chin slightly and answered in a calm voice.
"Yes."
His tone was controlled.
"There is no need to keep a dead relationship alive."
He repeated her own words back to her while keeping his eyes fixed on her face.
He was watching carefully.
Waiting.
Expecting some sort of reaction.
Surely she would become upset hearing him agree so easily. Surely there would be at least some sign that she still cared about what happened between them.
Instead, Juliet's entire face brightened.
The smile on her lips widened immediately, and she even clasped her hands together in front of her chest.
"All right then."
Her voice sounded genuinely cheerful.
"That's great. I'm glad we're finally on the same page."
The sight made something tighten painfully inside Vincent's chest.
"We can just be friends from now on."
Juliet smiled at him warmly, as though the idea genuinely pleased her.
"If we happen to run into each other in the future, we'll still be friends."
There wasn't a trace of bitterness or sadness in her expression. She looked completely sincere.
Without waiting for a response, she pushed the documents fully toward him and turned around.
Then she simply walked away.
Her steps were light and unhurried, and she never once looked back.
Vincent remained standing beside the counter, staring at her retreating figure. His expression stayed controlled, but the anger inside him continued to build with every step she took toward the door. He couldn't understand it. He couldn't understand how she could be this happy, how she could walk away so easily, or why she looked relieved instead of heartbroken.
Juliet crossed the living room without slowing down. Griffin and Nolan immediately looked up as she passed, both of them sensing the heavy tension hanging in the air. Their eyes moved between Vincent and Juliet, but neither dared to say a word.
Without acknowledging either of them, Juliet continued toward the front door.
