Chapter twenty one
Juliette’s POV
I couldn’t sleep. Again.
Every time I closed my eyes, that same face stared back at me. Soft brown eyes. A jawline sharp enough to cut glass. Blood on his shirt. My hands reaching out—grabbing air. And pain. Deep, soul-ripping pain that made my chest tighten until I couldn’t breathe.
But when I opened my eyes, he was gone. Just like that. Like he never existed.
I sat on the edge of the bed, gripping the blanket like it was my lifeline, the memory teasing the edges of my mind like smoke slipping through my fingers.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting there before I heard a soft knock on my door.
“Juliette?” Dominic’s voice floated through. Calm. Steady. Too steady.
“Come in,” I whispered.
He stepped inside, wearing another one of his perfectly
