An eerily heavy silence descended. Dominic didn’t immediately grasp what he had just heard.
〈I’m getting married.〉
There wasn’t a single word he didn’t understand, and it was a simple sentence with no room for ambiguity.
Did I hear it wrong?
For the first time, he doubted himself. Juliet, standing before the coldly frozen Dominic, was steadfastly staring at the wall — as if the nuclear bomb he’d just dropped had nothing to do with him. Dominic, watching him, slowly moved his lips.
“…What?”
Did he somehow know I was going to propose?
Maybe he wanted to propose first and beat me to it. Because he must feel the same way as Dominic.
Absurdly, he grasped at that ridiculous hope. Otherwise, how could this make any sense? Juliet is getting married, so the other person has to be me. We must have had the same thought by chance. If not, it doesn’t make any sense…
“I’m getting married, next month.”
Juliet shattered all of Dominic’s expectations with a stiff tone. There was no more denying it. Juliet was getting married. With someone other than Dominic.
Juliet, still refusing to meet Dominic’s eyes, continued to speak.
“So, I’m really busy these days with wedding preparations. I came out to tell you that.”
Even though the food hadn’t even started to come out properly, Juliet hurriedly made to get up.
“Today is the last time I’ll see you. It’s been fun. Take care, goodbye.”
He blurted out what he had to say and tried to leave. But that was absurd. Dominic had no intention of letting him go so easily.
“Wait.”
Juliet, who was about to get up, paused. Hesitating, he awkwardly sat back down, but he still didn’t try to look at Dominic. Dominic stared intently at Juliet, who was stubbornly avoiding his gaze, and finally spoke.
“What did you just say? Married? To whom?”
Juliet shrugged his shoulders and answered with a sigh.
“To the daughter of the H&J Representative’s lawyer.”
Dominic frowned, opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t get the words out. After spending a few seconds looking elsewhere, he turned his gaze back to Juliet.
“…Since when?”
Dominic asked, shaking his head as if he couldn’t comprehend any of it.
“Didn’t we fuck until recently? Since when exactly?”
For the first time, Juliet met Dominic’s eyes. There was no need to deceive him anymore. He had already gotten everything he wanted.
“I fucked you to marry her.”
Finally, he confessed. The truth.
“You asked me too, didn’t you? What did I agree to in return for working so hard? This is the reward. Marrying the Representative’s daughter.”
Juliet now looked relieved to have finally revealed the secret he’d kept hidden. His face was stiff with tension and guilt, but that didn’t last long.
Juliet, who closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, was different. Unlike before, he began to look Dominic straight in the eye.
The change was so stark it felt like he was acting.
His eyes gleamed with a desire Dominic had never seen before.
“As time goes on and the Representative retires, I’ll take over the company. H&J will be mine. For that, sex is nothing.”
He paused deliberately before adding.
“It’s no big deal, right?”
Dominic’s mind went blank. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that too many thoughts rushed in all at once, causing everything to evaporate entirely.
“What about when you told me you loved me?”
After a long silence, Dominic finally spoke. Juliet chuckled at the question — a question that could have been interpreted as a last grasp at hope or a desperate attempt to blame Juliet. As if it were a trivial matter.
“Because it was the last fuck.”
It was a blunt, unfeeling answer. Was that all? Dominic still couldn’t believe it.
“As a memory?”
He asked in a low voice, his tone trembling faintly.
“No.”
Juliet paused before adding.
“I thought it would make me more excited.”
Dominic seemed to have stopped breathing. Juliet continued speaking as if giving up.
“Since it was the last time, I wanted it to be the best. And it was.”
He winked playfully and asked.
“My guess was right, wasn’t it? That fuck was the best we ever had, wasn’t it?”
He asked jokingly, but of course, Dominic didn’t laugh. Juliet, who was trying to somehow defuse the heavy atmosphere, quickly averted his gaze. Dominic stared at Juliet’s profile as he avoided him again.
Why does he keep avoiding my eyes while pretending to joke around?
He thought he knew everything about other people’s inner thoughts, but it didn’t work on Juliet.
The way he kept looking away and the way he pretended to joke around so casually.
He had no idea which part was real.
But above all, one thing was clear.
Juliet had deceived him. No, it would be more accurate to say he had played him.
The presence of the ring he hadn’t taken out yet felt like a lead weight pressing down on Dominic. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but he had to ask.
“Do they know? That you fucked me to become the Representative’s son-in-law.”
It was a fact that could easily become a weakness, but Juliet wasn’t flustered at all. As if he’d already expected the question, he met Dominic’s eyes.
“No. But you’re not going to tell anyone, are you?”
Dominic looked back at Juliet without even blinking and asked.
“Why?”
Juliet answered with a smile.
“Because you wouldn’t want the world to know that you’re a fool who was swayed by sex and moved law firms.”
Silence fell again. After a long, suffocating pause, Dominic finally spoke.
“Why, why?”
His face twisted as he asked.
“Why go so far?”
Juliet’s face went blank. The emptiness in his expression said more than words.
“I told you.”
He smiled, twisting the corners of his mouth.
“My parents are greedy.”
They wanted too much from their only child. A life of running, striving to meet their endless demands. Sleeping with professors for grades, stepping on rivals without hesitation.
It had all led to this.
“I’m not really sorry.”
Juliet said firmly.
“You stepped on countless people to get where you are, didn’t you? It was just your turn this time.”
It was true. But Juliet’s words sounded more like desperate self-justification.
Juliet, noticing Dominic’s silent reaction, revealed the truth as if he didn’t care anymore.
“Since it’s come to this, I might as well tell you everything. It wasn’t a coincidence that we ran into each other at the hospital that day. I knew you were there and went to find you.”
And then he revealed another secret.
“I put a GPS tracker on your car.”
Juliet added a light wink, muttering.
“It was a bit of a hassle retrieving it from the damaged car without getting caught. Anyway. Is there anything else you want to know? Ask me. It’s your last chance.”
Juliet smiled as if relieved. His face looked more relaxed than ever. Because Juliet would be the only person to ever make Dominic Miller look like a fool.
Dominic finally spoke after a long silence.
“Was it worth risking your life? Didn’t you think you could mutate from my Pheromones?”
Juliet’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Dominic.
“Of course, there was no need to risk my life. I have strong Pheromone resistance.”
Then he laughed, as if finding the whole thing ridiculous.
“There’s no way I would’ve done something that reckless without being sure.”
Everything had been a calculated scheme. Dominic had been completely played.
Juliet, who had been staring at Dominic across the table for a while, prepared to get up.
“I’ve said everything I needed to say, so I’ll be going now. Wedding preparations are a lot of work; I’m busy every day.”
“What if.”
Dominic called out to Juliet, stopping him.
“What would you have done if I hadn’t fallen for your trap?”
Juliet let out a hollow laugh, sounding almost relieved.
“But you did.”
Dominic didn’t say anything more. Juliet didn’t wait. He left, leaving Dominic alone. With the proposal ring still in his pocket.
The Harpsichord performance, echoing throughout the music room, sounded more grandiose and ominous than ever. The cigar smoke that filled the room only added to the heavy atmosphere.
There were already several cigar butts piled up in the ashtray, but Dominic ignored them and lit a new one.
He took a long drag, inhaling deeply before exhaling the smoke into the air. The bitter scent of tobacco lingered in the air as he brought the cigar to his lips again, his mind replaying every moment with Juliet, from their first encounter to now. As vivid as if it were happening all over again.
‘Classics are the best, aren’t they?’
Come to think of it, he’d declared it confidently from the very beginning. That all of this was intentional.
From the way he innocently bumped into him, to the day he came to his office and moved the chess piece, piquing Dominic’s interest; to shamelessly showering and appearing before him flushed, claiming there was a risk of mutation; to stubbornly insisting on playing chess even while bleeding from being hit by hail.
…And even the way he sweetly called his name in bed.
‘Don’t you want to try a new experience?’
Yes, he had definitely said that. Is this the new world you were talking about? If fucking me over is the new world you’re showing me, then yes, you’ve succeeded perfectly.
〈I fucked you to marry her.〉
No matter how many times he replayed it in his mind, the outcome didn’t change. Juliet had used him, manipulated him, and discarded him the moment he was no longer of use. That was all there was to it.
Dominic lowered his gaze from the empty air and looked at the object in his palm.
A pink diamond ring, resembling cherry blossoms. The ring he’d had custom-made for Juliet. Now, it was just a worthless piece of stone.
Dominic stared at it for a while before slowly closing his hand. He squeezed so hard that his knuckles turned white, and his purple eyes began to glow with a dangerous golden hue.
When he finally opened his hand, the ring was crushed beyond recognition. Its shape was completely gone.
The answer was clear. Just like this pathetic object left in his palm.
You played with me.
Dominic’s expression twisted into something unrecognizable, and he threw the ring across the room. The worthless piece of stone hit the wall with a dull thud and fell to the carpet.
The harpsichord music surged, racing toward its climax.
“What? He wants to meet?”
Juliet, startled, repeated Dominic’s words. He quickly turned around to see his fiancée talking to a staff member about some items. He hurriedly moved out of earshot. Soon, Dominic’s familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.
“Yes, because I still have business with you.”
“What business?”
Dominic replied to Juliet, who was frowning, in his usual indifferent tone.
“Your wedding. I didn’t get to properly congratulate you last time.”
It was an unexpected remark. Congratulations? From this man? To him?
“Um… no, it’s okay. There’s no need to go that far…”
“No, I have to.”
Dominic’s tone wasn’t particularly forceful, but it carried an underlying sense of intimidation. As Juliet fell silent in confusion, Dominic continued.
“Anyway, I signed a contract with H&J, and we’ll be working at the same company. I’m not an executive now, but who knows? My mind might change. It’s best to avoid uncomfortable situations. It would be strange if our relationship seemed awkward — people might think it’s weird.”
That wasn’t wrong. Besides, this man could become an executive whenever he wanted, just by saying the word. He was always the man who said he didn’t need such things, but people’s minds could change at any time.
However, he couldn’t just nod his head. Was this man really thinking about his social reputation? That couldn’t be. Could he have some other ulterior motive?
Juliet hesitated, unable to answer, his mind in turmoil. Then Dominic spoke again.
“It wouldn’t be easy to guess that you even lobbied me with your body to marry the Representative’s daughter, would it?”
Juliet’s face instantly hardened. What the fuck was this man suddenly saying?
“What… what are you talking about…”
He managed to get the words out, then quickly looked around to ensure his fiancée was still far away, chatting with the staff member. Lowering his voice, he whispered.
“Are you threatening me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You know I wouldn’t say something stupid like that myself, right? And…”
Dominic denied his words without a hint of emotion.
“Didn’t I say that no one would guess that far?”
It was just a nasty game of words. But how many people would not take it as a threat?
Images of the Representative, the other executives, his fiancée’s furious expression, the employees’ disdainful eyes, himself being fired and blacklisted, and his parents screaming and crying flashed through his mind.
What a fucking mess…
Barely holding back a curse, Juliet bit his lip and glared at the ceiling. No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one conclusion. He had nowhere to run. He had no choice but to listen to Dominic’s demands.
But what if he threatened him like this again?
Did he have to live like this forever? For the rest of his life?
At that moment, Juliet realized what he had done.
He had fearlessly provoked someone he never should have touched.
As if he could see Juliet’s pale face right in front of him, Dominic spoke.
“Juliet, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but what I want is clear. I just want to properly congratulate you on your wedding.”
“Why is that so important?”
“It’s important to me.”
Juliet asked impatiently, but the answer that came back was maddeningly simple. What the fuck was Dominic trying to do? Juliet, face twisted with frustration, had no choice but to ask in a hushed voice.
“All you want is to congratulate me on my wedding, right?”
Juliet, who had asked after hesitating, deliberately added.
“Properly.”
Dominic reacted to the emphasized word.
“Yes.”
Juliet tried to interpret those words as favorably as possible. Maybe Dominic was regretting that he’d been humiliated that day. As a proud man, he might feel like he had made a fool of himself.
Yes, maybe that’s it.
If he were going to harm Juliet in any way, he wouldn’t use such a roundabout method. Dominic knew dozens — no, hundreds — of ways to legally ruin him in a very public way. There was no reason to go to such trouble.
Juliet had seen many people who didn’t care about other people’s feelings but couldn’t tolerate their own dignity being damaged. The common denominator was that they were all incredibly upper class. The kind of people who had to smile and talk about the weather even when they were facing someone they wanted to stab in the throat. And Dominic Miller was one of them.
〈My first love was my nanny.〉
Suddenly, Dominic’s words came to mind. And the next words too.
〈Isn’t that the case for everyone?〉
From the fact that he had a nanny, it was already unusual. Juliet’s expression tightened, but he quickly forced himself to relax. Anyway, he had no choice. The wisest thing to do was to think about what he could gain from this situation.
And, in fact, he felt a little guilty. After all, it was true that he had deceived and used Dominic. Even if the other person was a villain.
…Was he really that much of a villain?
His conscience raised its head again. Objectively, Dominic was definitely a bad person. A man who destroyed people’s lives as a pastime, even though he had more money than he could ever spend. Just as a pastime in his boring life.
But he had been kind to Juliet.
It wasn’t right to say that someone who commits evil acts against others is a good person just because they’re kind to me, but that didn’t mean Juliet could blame him. Even though the scale was different, hadn’t Juliet done the exact same thing?
He recalled everything that had happened between them, but strangely, only the pleasant memories resurfaced. Especially the words and actions that had been kind to him.
I shouldn’t have said I loved him.
Juliet sighed deeply, regretting it. If he hadn’t said those words, he wouldn’t feel so guilty. Why did he say those words back then? It wasn’t like him to do such impulsive things. Things that wouldn’t benefit him in any way.
Feeling a headache coming on, he closed his eyes. He had to finish what he had started. With a deep sigh in between, he opened his mouth.
“Okay, then. Where and when?”
As Juliet asked, having made up his mind, Dominic said in a businesslike tone.
“Come to the villa where you last fucked me.”
Juliet frowned at the vulgar expression that didn’t match Dominic’s cold tone. Dominic sneered.
“Perhaps you’ve ‘lobbied’ too many people to remember?”
He dragged out the word, emphasizing it. Juliet wanted to grit his teeth. It was true that he had used his body to achieve his goal, so even if Dominic treated him like a whore, he had nothing to say.
That didn’t mean he had to accept the insult. Juliet ignored the provocation and replied, voice deliberately cold.
“Okay, then. At that place.”
Falling for such provocations was something a five-year-old would do. Juliet, pretending to be mature, brushed off the barb and added.
“Goodbye, Dominic.”
After that curt farewell, he hung up first. He exhaled deeply and tilted his head back, only to see someone approaching in his field of vision. He straightened his posture and turned around.
“Ashley, what’s wrong? Was that a call from the Representative?”
Juliet smiled at his fiancée as if to reassure her.
“It’s nothing, you don’t have to worry about it. Did you find anything you like?”
Juliet immediately changed the subject and asked, and his fiancée seemed to think for a moment before shaking her head with a smile.
“I want to see some other things. Is that okay?”
They were already going around the fifth shop. Juliet almost made a bored expression but quickly forced a smile. Seeing him like that, his fiancée’s expression became apologetic.
“I’m sorry, I usually don’t even look at things I don’t like. I go through every store until I find something perfect. Sometimes, I walk around all day and end up buying nothing.”
She continued in a sweet, sing-song tone.
“I don’t care if it’s secondhand. No matter how many owners it’s had, I wouldn’t know anyway, right? Then it’s as good as new to me.”
Why the hell was she saying this?
When he felt a chill run down his spine, she said it.
“But if I ever find out who the previous owner was, I throw it away. I thought it was new and cherished it, but if it’s just something that’s been passed around, I get tired of it.”
His fiancée smiled at Juliet. Juliet also smiled back, as if he wholeheartedly agreed with her.
As if she liked his response, his fiancée’s tone shifted again.
“Why don’t we have dinner first? I’m getting hungry.”
“Of course. May I guide you? I know a place that’s really good for seafood.”
While casually guiding her, Juliet felt a cold sweat running down his back.
〈It wouldn’t be easy to guess that you even lobbied me with your body to marry the Representative’s daughter, would it?〉
Dominic’s words from earlier echoed in his mind.
It’s okay. She doesn’t know.
Juliet tried to reassure himself. She was just giving a vague, ominous warning. Whether she was just sensing something off or outright threatening him, what mattered was that the affair with Dominic must never come to light.
Absolutely not.
Juliet kept repeating that to himself as they walked. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was constantly pulling at his ankle, dragging him down.