"Don't you have anything to say to me, Julie?"
Vincent finally spoke, noticing her silence.
My bad. I can't resist teasing her.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
Julie lifted one eyebrow slightly—but said nothing.
"Hey," he added, tilting his head, "are you really okay?"
He wanted a reaction.
Any reaction.
Julie only sighed.
"Is that all you're capable of, Vincent?" she asked calmly, meeting his gaze without hesitation.
Yeah. She's tough.
She refuses to break.
Vincent smirked again.
"When are you going to stop pretending to be brave? I know you're scared. Go ahead." He stepped closer. "Beg me."
"Beg you?" she repeated, genuinely confused. "For what exactly?"
Irritation flickered across his face, but he quickly suppressed it.
Calm down. She'll fold eventually.
He inhaled slowly.
"You know," he said casually, "I've always been curious. You kept your little secret, didn't you? You never really told me who you are."
His eyes scanned her from head to toe.
Julie's frown deepened.
"Vincent, just say what you want so we can end this," she replied flatly.
He chuckled.
Then burst into laughter.
"You've completely lost it," she muttered.
"Did you ever question my questions?" he pressed. "You're scared. Tell me—did Cielo play you too?"
Julie exhaled, clearly tired of him.
"You really want the truth? Fine. Yes, Cielo is my boyfriend. Happy now?"
She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Vincent let out a low whistle.
"So you're the secret girlfriend, huh? The hidden one no one's supposed to know about. That stings, you know."
"And why would that matter to you?" she asked coolly.
"Of course it matters," he replied. "We had something once."
Julie laughed softly.
"Vincent… are you the one who can't move on?"
His patience cracked.
He grabbed her arms tightly.
"What the—hey! That hurts!" she protested.
"Let her go," Julia snapped, shoving him away.
Tsk. Annoying.
He was about to retort when—
"Julie!"
A voice called out.
She turned immediately.
"Cielo?"
Vincent followed her gaze.
Cielo was walking toward them.
And behind him—
Dawn.
Vincent's smile faded.
I'm disappointed in you, Dawn.
She avoided his stare and rolled her eyes.
This brat…
Fine.
He would adjust.
If Cielo was here, even better. He'd hear Julie's "little secret" himself.
Vincent forced a faint smile.
"Oh, you're here, Cielo."
"Vincent," Cielo replied evenly. "Why are Julie and Julia here? What do you want from them?"
Wait.
Why does he know Julia?
Oh. Right.
Caden's girlfriend.
"Relax," Vincent said casually. "I just wanted to talk."
"About what?" Cielo asked directly.
Still blunt as ever.
Vincent sighed.
"Julie told me you're together. I just wanted confirmation. Dawn's my friend. I wouldn't want her to feel cheated."
"Yes. Julie and I are in a relationship," Cielo answered calmly. He glanced at Dawn. "As for her, she's been playing games with me for months. She's not hurt. Don't worry."
He even smiled.
Vincent's fists clenched.
His irritation rose steadily.
"Is that all?" Cielo asked.
Vincent looked up at the sky.
"Why is everyone irritating me today?"
"You should rest," Cielo said calmly. "Julie. Julia. Let's go."
They turned to leave.
"This is boring," Vincent called out. "Hey, Cielo—do you even know who Julie really is? Do you know her secret?"
Cielo stopped.
He turned slowly.
"Secret?" He looked at Julie. "Is there something you haven't told me?"
"So you really don't know," Vincent grinned.
He stepped forward, but Cielo instinctively moved in front of Julie.
"Did you know your girlfriend goes by another name? She calls herself the 'Pop Princess.'"
He said it proudly.
Cielo looked at Julie.
"Oh," he said lightly. "So you were with Pop Princess before? That's interesting. That event wasn't even public. How did you get that information?"
Vincent blinked.
That wasn't the reaction he expected.
"It's not an insult," Cielo continued calmly. "You're just impressive. You dig deep."
"Wait," Vincent said slowly. "You're not shocked? She's Pop Princess."
"Oh. Sorry," Cielo replied with a faint smile. "I've known for a long time."
Vincent stared at him.
Then at Julie.
What?
Then Dawn spoke.
"What about your friends, Julie? The ones who trust you? I bet they don't know."
Julie scratched her head.
"They do. Kenneth knows. The band knows. Kelly's friends know. Melissa and Nicole too. They've known for a while."
Vincent's mind stalled.
They knew?
Then—
This whole plan…
They were ahead of me?
That explained her calmness.
Julie had always been calm.
And that unsettled him.
He laughed softly.
"Damn. You got me, Cielo. I thought I cornered you."
"I didn't realize I was your target," Cielo replied smoothly.
"Yeah," Vincent admitted. "You were."
"If this was a game," Cielo said evenly, "then what's the prize?"
Vincent smirked. "What do you want? Julie? I don't care about her anymore. I just wanted control. If you want me to back off, I will."
"That's not the prize," Cielo said. "You wouldn't disturb her anyway."
His gaze sharpened.
"You know what happened to Crisha too, don't you?"
Ah.
Sharp as ever.
Vincent sighed.
"I had nothing to do with her death. I just helped Dawn."
"What kind of help?" Cielo asked. "Did you know someone else was mistaken for the suspect?"
Direct.
Always direct.
Vincent smirked faintly.
"Yeah. Dawn didn't know the man made a mistake. I was the one who told her. She chose not to inform her father."
"And that's how you got close to Julie?"
Vincent shrugged lightly.
"I observed her. I pitied Dawn at first. Then I got bored." He glanced at Julie. "That's when she became my ex."
Julie glared at him.
"Oh. That explains a lot," Cielo nodded. "Thanks for the clarification. We're leaving."
Vincent watched the three of them walk away.
Airah turned to him angrily.
"What was that? You used us for your entertainment?"
"Yeah," he replied lazily. "I was bored. So I challenged Cielo quietly."
He sighed.
"But damn… he's smart."
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Let's call it a day. I'm tired."
He ignored their complaints.
Interesting.
He had been sure he cornered them.
But in the end—
They had cornered him.