Vincent stared at the photographs spread across his desk—images taken by the person he had assigned to track Julie's movements.
A smirk slowly formed on his lips.
He tried to suppress it—
but a low laugh slipped out anyway.
"Damn…" he muttered, flipping one photo over. "So who exactly is this guy, Julie? The one who conveniently shares your last name?"
He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that little detail. Julia…" he murmured. "And Gabriel. So he's her cousin."
He went through the photos one by one.
"Julie…" he chuckled softly. "You really are something. So you and Villanueva have this kind of relationship? A secret romance?"
The corner of his mouth curled upward.
"Is this part of their little plan?" he whispered. "What plan?"
He slid the photos back into a brown envelope.
Should I rub this in Dawn's face?
His grin widened.
That would be fun.
His phone suddenly rang.
"Hello, Charles," Vincent answered casually, still staring at the envelope.
"Man, what do you even want from us today? We're already outside your place and you're not answering," Charles complained.
Vincent froze.
Right.
Today.
He had completely forgotten.
"If this is postponed, just say it! Don't leave us waiting at the gate," Dawn snapped from the background.
"Oh. Yeah, yeah. I'm coming," Vincent replied with a sigh.
He headed toward the gate and opened it. The irritation on their faces was unmistakable.
"My bad. Sorry. Come in."
"Unbelievable," Charles muttered as they stepped inside. "You were zoning out again, weren't you?"
Vincent only smiled.
His parents weren't home.
Perfect.
Dawn dropped onto the couch immediately, exhaling in annoyance. Airah sat beside her, while Claire stood near the armrest. Charles settled into a chair, crossing his legs.
"So?" Dawn said sharply. "What is this about?"
Vincent took his time before sitting down across from them.
Should I just say it directly?
He suppressed the excitement rising in his chest.
"Nothing too serious," he said smoothly. "Just something about our little group… and our little rules."
Claire crossed her arms. "Then say it clearly."
"Wow," Vincent sighed dramatically. "Why are you all so tense? I was about to share something interesting—but if no one's curious…"
He feigned disappointment.
They exchanged glances.
"That Julia and Julie—they're not the same person, right?" Airah asked cautiously.
Vincent grinned.
"Good observation, Airah. Julia is the girlfriend of your president—Caden."
His gaze shifted to Charles.
"What are you trying to imply?" Charles asked coldly.
"Oh, come on." Vincent leaned forward. "You want Julie to expose her secrets, don't you? Then we go through Julia. She probably knows everything. Wouldn't it be nice to catch them slipping?"
"You look like you're enjoying this too much," Charles remarked.
Vincent's smile widened.
"You know I enjoy dominating her. Think of this as a game." His eyes flicked toward Airah. "And you—you hate Julie, don't you? She's close to Nicole. You want revenge. We can use that."
Airah studied him silently.
"You can have Joel back," Vincent added softly.
Airah exhaled sharply. "Do I even have a choice? I don't. Because you're unbearable."
"Appreciate the honesty," Vincent replied smugly.
"So how exactly are you planning to approach Julia?" Charles asked. "She's Gabriel's cousin—and Caden's girlfriend."
Vincent leaned back casually.
"Relax. It's easy."
"I'm out," Dawn suddenly said. "I don't want to be involved in whatever drama Julie's tangled in—Pop Princess or not. And I'm definitely not feeding your obsession."
Vincent tilted his head.
"Are you sure, Dawn?"
"I have bigger problems right now," she said coldly.
"Oh?" His tone lowered. "Crisha? Or the girl you didn't expect?"
He paused deliberately.
"Kelly."
He watched her reaction carefully.
"I'm not part of your madness," Dawn replied firmly. "Neither is Claire."
Vincent nodded slowly, gripping the envelope.
"What's that?" Charles asked, eyeing it.
"Oh. Just a little gift for Dawn. But since she doesn't want to help… I suppose there's no point. Her problems aren't mine, right?"
Dawn's jaw tightened.
"What do you want, Vincent?"
"I just want your cooperation. But if you're not interested, it's fine."
Deliberately—
he let one photo slip onto the glass table.
Cielo and Julie.
Holding hands.
"Oh. Oops."
He pretended to reach for it—
but Dawn grabbed it first.
Her eyes widened.
"What is this?" she demanded.
Claire leaned closer. "Dawn…?"
"It's just a gift," Vincent said lightly. "Looks like Cielo's having fun. Or maybe… someone's being played."
He chuckled.
Dawn snatched the rest of the photos from his hands.
Vincent let her.
He observed her carefully.
The tightening of her jaw.
The flicker in her eyes.
Exactly as planned.
"So," he said calmly, leaning forward, "are you going to help me?"
He lowered his voice.
"I wonder who's being betrayed here. Julie? Or Cielo?"
He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Did you really expect Cielo to resist something like this, Dawn?"
He leaned closer, voice barely above a whisper.
"If you want answers… then Julie should be our primary target."
He leaned back again, satisfied.
"We could include Kelly too. Two birds. One stone."
Silence filled the room.
"What do you think?"
Dawn's face twisted with disgust.
Without warning, she threw the photos back onto the table. They scattered across the glass surface.
Charles let out a low whistle. "Well. That explains a lot."
"Fine," Dawn snapped. "Do whatever you want. But after this, stay out of my problems."
Vincent smiled.
"You're still part of this group, Dawn. I won't abandon you. Just follow my lead—we'll handle everything like we always do."
He reached out and brushed her cheek lightly.
Dawn slapped his hand away.
"I'm leaving."
"Dawn, wait—" Claire hurried after her.
"Let her cool down," Vincent said calmly.
Claire hesitated.
He shot her a sharp look.
She slowly returned to her seat.
Airah remained silent.
"You really enjoy controlling people, don't you?" Charles muttered.
Vincent only smiled.
Now…
How should he approach Julie?
He leaned back against the couch, fingers tapping lightly against the envelope.
The board was set.
And the game—
had only just begun.