The moment Juliette Weaver walked into the police station, she spotted Gunner Bryant standing by her mother, Paulina.
After what went down the night before, the last thing Juliette felt for the man she'd once adored was affection.
"Juliette! There you are!" Gunner called out once he saw her at the entrance.
He stood up, smooth as ever, that charming smile permanently plastered on his face—the kind that could melt even the iciest of hearts.
"Juliette, if it wasn't for Gunner, I never would've gotten to see your father," Paulina said, tears streaming down her face no matter how hard she tried to stop them.
Gunner offered her reassurance. "Auntie, don't be like that. It's the least I could do—after all, I'm Juliette's boyfriend!"
The word "boyfriend" hit Juliette like a punch to the gut.
She watched Gunner's phony performance, her fists balling up with rage.
Gunner came up behind her, letting his hand settle on her shoulder in a show of support. "Don't worry. I'll handle your father's situation. Auntie's been stressed all morning—I'll have someone take her home so she can rest."
Juliette struggled to hold it together. Turning to her mother, she said, "Mom, go home and get some rest, okay?"
"Alright. With Gunner here, I can breathe a little easier," Paulina said, lowering her voice as she reminded Juliette, "You know Gunner's the heir to the Bryant fortune now—the future chairman. He's sticking by you despite all that. Don't let this chance slip through your fingers."
Once Paulina had been driven off in the car Gunner arranged, he said, "Juliette, let's head back to the office."
He didn't mention a single thing about the night before. Acting as if nothing had happened, he opened the car door and handed her a breakfast sandwich.
Juliette couldn't keep the act up any longer. "Cut the crap, Gunner. What do you take me for?"
Gunner smirked as he drove. "My girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Do you actually mean that? You handed me over to that older man last night. Is that what a boyfriend does?"
Gunner answered, cool as ever, "Didn't you say you'd do anything for my career?"
Juliette's gaze turned to ice, her trembling frame radiating fury.
"Juliette, you lost your innocence five years ago. One more night with somebody isn't going to change a thing. When I go public, I won't forget what you've done for me."
Smack!
Juliette's palm cracked across Gunner's face. She remembered borrowing money for him, suffering through a brutal assault—and now he was using it as an excuse to degrade her.
His cheek still stinging red, Gunner threw a file at her, pissed. "Juliette, if you don't want your father rotting in jail, you'll entertain some guests tonight!"
This time, Gunner didn't even bother hiding his true colors.
"My uncle just got back. Christopher Bryant—a major player on the international scene. Whether I go public depends on him. If you don't serve him well, just imagine what'll happen to your father."
With that, Gunner got out of the car, slamming the door shut.
Juliette's heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. Tears she couldn't hold back streamed down her face.
Five years of devotion. And it meant nothing.
Her phone buzzed, yanking her out of her despair. A text from a number she didn't recognize: "Ms. Weaver, you left in such a hurry this morning. Did you forget your underwear?"
The words were teasing, downright provocative.
Thinking of the man from the night before, she texted back, "I don't need them. Throw them out!"
Nearby, a sleek car was idling in the company parking lot.
In the backseat, Christopher Bryant watched Juliette climb out of her vehicle. He replied, "Since you don't need them, I'll just hang them outside your company's entrance."
