Juliet didn't come to until three days later. Her wounds weren't deep, but they were scattered all over her body, as if something had gnawed holes in her skin. Thin streaks of blood seeped from them, making her look disturbingly ghastly.

Caspian was lounging in a leather chair with a book in his hand. The moment he noticed her stirring, he closed it and said coldly, "If you're awake, go apologize to Willie."

Juliet froze for a second before letting out a derisive chuckle. "And how is she worthy of that?"

Her words hit a nerve. Caspian's expression hardened in an instant, and he shot to his feet before stalking toward the bed.

He towered over her, exuding that familiar, suffocating pressure. "I must've spoiled you rotten if you've already forgotten your place."

Juliet abruptly burst into laughter. Her fingers dug into the sheets as she responded lazily, "Aren't you giving yourself a little too much credit, Mr. Henderson?"

If it hadn't been for her, Henderson Group wouldn't be what it was today. If not for her, he wouldn't be standing here so comfortably.

That title dropped between them like a stone in a well. It grated on him in a way he couldn't explain. She had always called him Cas, or Caspie, or anything playful she could come up with. Juliet had never addressed him in such a distant manner.

His expression darkened, and his tone turned frosty. "Don't forget your little group of friends."

"Caspian Henderson!" Juliet shot upright, bracing herself on the bed. The sudden movement tore at her wounds, making the color drain from her face, but her eyes burned with fury. "You're despicable!"

Caspian curled his lips in satisfaction as he took in her reaction.

"Oh, and one more thing. Willie is injured and can't work. So, you'll have to cover her shifts at the bar for a few days."

Right after saying that, he left.

Juliet trembled with rage as she watched his figure disappear through the door. Deep down, she felt nothing but disgust.

It turned out he did know how to love someone. He just never loved her.

He was willing to grind her into the dirt for another woman.

…

Night fell, and Juliet pushed through the stabbing pain and dragged her body to the bar.

The moment she entered, a set of clothes was tossed at her. The bar manager took one look at her and said, "Put that on and get to work."

Juliet pinched the fabric between her fingers. It was barely enough to cover anything. Her brows drew together. "I'm not wearing this."

Under the lights, her scabbed wounds looked dark and rough. These clothes would only draw more attention to the scars and make people stare at her like she was some kind of monster.

The bar manager sneered, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. His eyes were full of disdain as he said mockingly, "Do you still think you're the lady of the Henderson family? In this bar, whatever Mr. Henderson says goes."

That was right. She was in Caspian's territory, and she was nothing more than a drifting weed.

Juliet closed her eyes for a moment before pulling the outfit on. The fabric scraped over her scabbed wounds, making her suck in a sharp breath from the pain.

As soon as she emerged from the changing room, a crate of beer was shoved into her arms. "Deliver this to room 2061."

Juliet slowly carried the crate upstairs. When she reached the private room, loud laughter exploded from inside. "Ms. Everly, you lost the dare! You know the rules—you have to Frensian kiss the guy next to you for 30 seconds!"

"What a coincidence! The guy next to her is Mr. Henderson!"

Willow's clear, crisp voice followed, dripping with practiced innocence. "It's just a dare, Mr. Henderson. Please don't take it to heart."

Juliet had grown up in high society. She had seen all kinds of women, yet this was her first time seeing a mistress act so pure and unapologetic.

Then, she heard Caspian chuckle. "It'll be my pleasure," he rasped.

A heartbeat later, wet kissing sounds and soft moans seeped through the door. Juliet's stomach twisted, and she burst through the door, only to see Caspian cupping the back of Willow's neck.

He kissed her as though he couldn't breathe without her. Their tongues tangled in the dim light, and they were so lost in each other that they didn't even notice her walk in.

Juliet slammed the beer crate onto the table. "Here are your drinks."

The room went still in an instant.

Willow hurriedly pushed Caspian away. Then, she grabbed a tissue and wiped the corner of her lips.

Her cheeks were burning, yet her eyes were clear and bright. When she shifted her attention to Juliet, her tone was innocent. "Please don't get the wrong idea, Ms. Bennett. Mr. Henderson and I were just playing truth or dare. If it bothers you, I'll just kiss someone else next time. It's not a big deal."

"Don't you dare!" Caspian seized Willow's wrist. The desire that lingered in his eyes turned into blazing anger. He yanked her straight into his arms and kissed her cheek again and again, his voice thick with possessiveness. "You're mine."

Juliet couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a derisive chuckle. She spun on her heel and bolted out of the private room. She hurried into the restroom. Gripping the sink, she stared at herself in the mirror.

The woman staring back at her looked hollow. Her face was gaunt, her body marked with scars, and her complexion was pallid.

She was worlds apart from the woman who had married Caspian with a heart full of joy. The higher she had been then, the harder she crashed now.

Juliet splashed water on her face and turned to leave, but before she could take a step, someone grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward the door.

"Mr. Henderson asked for you."

Juliet was dragged back into the private room, where Caspian waved her over. "Come here, Jules."

Juliet didn't budge. The person behind noticed and pushed her forward. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get over there!"

When she approached Caspian, he picked up a glass of liquor from the table and handed it to her. "Willie's injured, and she can't drink. My mom said you handled all my social events while I was in a coma, so you can definitely take it. From now on, whenever she loses, you'll drink for her."

Juliet's expression changed drastically.

Back then, even though she had saved the Hendersons, her family wasn't based in the country, so she couldn't offer them much support. The only thing she could do was attend every dinner and meeting to pull in investments on Caspian's behalf.

Juliet had drunk so much alcohol that her stomach bled, yet she had still forced herself to push through it. She had always thought he knew nothing about it. Yet, he had known all along, and now, he wanted her to drink for the woman he loved.

Willow reached out as if she wanted to snatch the drink from him. "Ms. Bennett, if you don't want to drink, I can do it myself. Worst case, I'll just end up back in the hospital. I don't want to ruin everyone's fun."

Caspian dodged her and turned to Juliet with a cold look. "Juliet, you used to drink way more than this, and you were fine. What, is one glass going to kill you now? Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't want your friends to end up on the streets because of you, right?"

Juliet didn't want to hear another word from him. Without a second thought, she snatched the glass and downed it in one go.

Willow didn't spare her a glance. Her expression was full of arrogance as she said, "Thanks, Ms. Bennett."

From then on, every time the bottle spun and landed on Willow, she wouldn't answer anything, so Juliet had to drink in her place.

After an hour, Juliet was so drunk she could barely stay on her feet. Her wounds were burning and itching, and her stomach felt like it was on fire.

"This is the last round, Ms. Everly. If you don't answer this question, you'll have to drink three glasses."

Willow nodded.

The person smiled mischievously. "Have you and our Cas done it?"

As soon as their words fell, the whole room erupted. Dozens of eyes landed on Juliet, waiting to see her break. Her stomach hurt terribly, yet she bit her lip and remained silent.

Willow's face flushed, but she hastily schooled her expression. "Don't say things like that. Ms. Bennett is right here."

The people beside her didn't even acknowledge Juliet and kept fanning the flames. "That sounds like something's up!"

"Caspian's been learning from all the playboys in our circle. For all we know, he's already tested the waters."

Caspian smirked, pulled Willow into his arms, and ruffled her hair affectionately. "She won't be answering that question."

"In that case, she has to down three glasses!"

Caspian passed the glasses to the person beside him.

Juliet's forehead was damp with sweat, and her voice was hoarse. "I can't drink anymore, Caspian."

Hearing that, Willow broke free from Caspian's hold. "Then, I'll drink."

She snatched the first glass and downed it in one go. Then, she coughed so hard that her eyes watered, yet she still tried to reach for the second glass.

Caspian hurriedly took it away and patted her back with a frown. "Are you alright?"

Juliet watched him fuss over Willow and knew exactly what was coming next. Before he could force the drink down her throat, she snatched the remaining two glasses and gulped them down.

Clutching her stomach, she asked, "Can I leave now?"

Right after saying that, she turned and walked toward the door. Before she could push it open, Willow said, "I should thank you for today, Ms. Bennett. I have some hangover relief pills in my bag. You should take one."

"I'm good," Juliet turned her down coldly.

Willow took a step forward. "Are you looking down on me, Ms. Bennett?"

Juliet pursed her lips and looked at Willow icily.

Caspian's expression hardened. "Don't be ungrateful, Juliet."

Juliet didn't want to waste her breath on them anymore, so she took the pill and swallowed it. However, as soon as she took a couple of steps, her stomach lurched, and she doubled over, vomiting as everything went black and she crumpled to the side.

"Juliet!" Caspian's eyes widened, and he hurried over to catch her.

Then, he heard Willow gasp. "Oh no, I think I gave Ms. Bennett the wrong pills! I picked up the antibiotics by mistake."

"What antibiotics?" someone asked.

"Metronidazole."

Juliet's face flushed an unnatural shade of red, the color spreading from her cheekbones all the way to her ears. Yet her lips were drained of color, trembling faintly with each shallow breath.

A sharp pain spread across her chest as if something inside her were about to burst. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open her eyes.

A familiar voice sounded near her ear. "Is Ms. Bennett going to be alright, Mr. Henderson?"

Caspian noticed how calm Willow looked and felt an inexplicable wave of irritation. His expression hardened as he snarled, "What do you think? She drank alcohol and took metronidazole. Of course, it's serious!"

Willow stiffened when she heard his harsh tone. Then, she lifted her chin stubbornly. "Mr. Henderson, if anything happens to Ms. Bennett, I'm willing to take full responsibility. If she dies, I'll answer with my own life."

Without saying a word, he stared at her, his expression inscrutable.

Willow's heart raced, but she took a deep breath, stepped forward, and softened her tone.

"This is all my fault, Mr. Henderson. If I had checked the label properly, I wouldn't have grabbed the wrong medicine… and Ms. Bennett wouldn't be suffering right now. If you want to punish me, go ahead. I'll accept any punishment you give!"

Caspian sighed, pulled her into his arms, and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, Willie. She'll be fine. I'll take care of everything."

Willow pursed her lips, tears trickling down her cheeks. "But I did make a mistake. I need to pay for it."

Caspian lowered his head and looked at her helplessly. "Do you really want to pay for it?"

Willow nodded as tears slid down her otherwise calm face. "However you want to punish me, I'll—"

"Marry me." He pecked her lips, his tone dead serious. "Willie, you disappeared right after you saved me. We've already missed out on so many years. I don't want us to be apart anymore."

Willow froze for a moment before nodding. "Alright."

When Juliet heard that, her chest tightened so painfully that she couldn't bear it anymore. In the end, she coughed up a mouthful of blood and blacked out on the spot.

…

When Juliet finally regained consciousness, she had no idea how many days had passed. She opened her eyes, the sharp ache in her chest making it hard to breathe.

Caspian rushed over the moment she stirred. "You're finally up."

Juliet looked at him coldly. Her voice was so hoarse that it was barely audible. "Where's Willow?"

His expression shifted. He knew Juliet had been spoiled all these years, and he feared she might go after Willow. So, he handed her the documents in his hand.

"She took the wrong medicine because she was drunk and lightheaded. She didn't do it on purpose, and I've already decided on a punishment for her. This is something I prepared just for her. Sign it, and I'll put her to work."

He had prepared something just for Willow? Was he going to put her to work?

Was he talking about a divorce agreement for Juliet and making Willow work hard as the new lady of the Henderson family?

Juliet sneered inwardly. With a stoic expression, she accepted the document, signed it, and handed it back to him. "I hope you keep your word."

Caspian had braced himself for an argument. He hadn't expected her to sign it so readily.

He took the document and said, "I'll go take care of this first. Get some rest. I'll come check on you later."

As Juliet watched him walk away, she suddenly remembered how nervous she had been when he woke up from his coma. She had been terrified he wouldn't like her. Yet when he had said, "Please take care of me from now on", her heart had exploded with joy.

However, all of that was gone now.

Juliet tried to get out of bed when a sharp pain tore through her chest. In a heartbeat, a metallic tang rushed up her throat, and she coughed out a mouthful of blood.

Rowan, who had just reached the door, witnessed this scene. His eyes widened in shock. "Juliet!"

The moment she laid eyes on him, all her bottled-up frustration burst free. As she clutched his wrist, tears streamed down her face. "Ro…"

Rowan scooped her into his arms in one swift motion. His expression was dark with fury as he yelled over his shoulder, "Get a doctor, now!"

Within minutes, a doctor rushed in. After a thorough examination, his expression was grim.

"Ms. Bennett's health is far too fragile. We can't treat her here. She needs to be transferred abroad immediately!"

Rowan's eyes misted over as he made calls to hospitals abroad. Ten minutes later, he boarded a plane with an unconscious Juliet.