Chapter 2

In the private room of the club, Damien stared at his phone with a deep frown. He had expected tears and a scene from Juliet, not such a calm reaction. "What did she reply?" one of his buddies leaned over and widened his eyes at the response. "J-Just a 'Got it'?" "That's weird. Considering how much she loves you, she shouldn't be this calm," another chimed in and rubbed his chin. They all looked puzzled until someone perked up in realization. "Wait a second. What if she came by earlier and heard everything at the door? She probably knows the baby and wedding are fake, so she's pretending not to care!" Listening to their analysis, Damien's frown deepened. Knowing how stubborn Juliet was, she should've caused a scene after learning that he had a girlfriend and a child—given that she had liked him for years. This eerie calm could only mean she had found out the truth and was playing a game of retreat just to win him back by acting indifferent. His buddies agreed with the theory and piled on the advice. "If that's the case, just stick to the plan of acting with Callie. This is a rare chance to bond with her." "Juliet hasn't given up on you, but she'll have to let go for real once the two of you are really together." Another buddy added, "Exactly. Who cares what Juliet thinks? What matters is that you have to strike the iron while it's hot and seal the deal with Callie. Once it's done, all your problems will be resolved." They were in the middle of a heated discussion when Henry entered the room and locked his eyes on Damien. "Come out here, Damien. We need to talk about Julie." So, Juliet had gone crying to Henry, huh? Damien lazily looked up and was about to speak when his phone rang. When he picked up, Callie Frost's soft voice came through the line. "Got a minute, Damien? Since you mentioned putting on an act for Juliet, I thought we could pick out some baby products to make it look convincing." Damien didn't hesitate. "Sure." He immediately got up and brushed past Henry with a dismissive line. "Let's talk about it later. Something came up." "It'll just take a few minutes—" Henry reached out to stop Damien as he left in a hurry, but their buddies stepped in. "Forget it, Henry. He's got plans with the woman he loves, so don't bother trying to stop him." "Yeah. You know how much he loves Callie and how long he's waited for the chance to confess to her, so don't push Juliet on him anymore." Henry frowned at that. "That's not what I'm here for." He had meant to tell Damien that Juliet had decided to go abroad for her studies and wouldn't bother him anymore. … After a night's rest, Juliet left the house to get her visa processed. The staff told her it'd be approved in two weeks. She spent the next few days at home until Henry's birthday came around. He loved lively gatherings and made it a point to throw big parties every year. So, she changed into a fresh gown and showed up as promised. The ballroom was packed with cheers and laughter. Henry's friends were all there too, so she made a point to stay away from them. Soon, Damien arrived with Callie in his arms and the baby in the other. His radiant, triumphant expression sparked waves of envy and hushed whispers through the crowd. "Who would've thought Damien would be the first to settle down? I heard he's been in love with Callie for years, and now, he's got the girl and the kid! What a lucky guy!" "Too bad for all the girls who had a crush on him. I imagine they must be heartbroken!" Juliet's expression remained devoid of emotions even after hearing those whispers. Moments later, Damien led Callie up to her and casually called out, "Julie, let me introduce you to my future wife, Callie Frost. This is our baby." All eyes turned to her at once. Juliet held her smile steady and said, "Hello, Callie." Ever the perfect actress, Callie stepped forward and extended her hand with a warm, practiced smile. "You're Julie, aren't you? I've heard a lot about you from Damien. You're young, and it's easy to get your feelings confused. But now that Damien and I have a baby, you should let all that go, alright? "We're having our wedding next month, so be sure to show up!"