Juliette Leclaire's POV

My mind was in a whirl of unanswered questions that left me feeling unsettled ever since I heard that audio recording on Romeo's phone.

Every part of me still believes that Rogan isn't a minacious person who would have harmed his brother, but the audio recording is proving otherwise. Just how should I approach this matter? I don't want to doubt Rogan, at the same time I also don't want to leave Romeo in danger.

"Honey, are you okay?" Rogan called out to me and that cut me off from my thoughts.

"Yea, I am," I composed myself and assured him immediately.

"Did you heard me saying about the dinner tonight?" Rogan asked with a sceptical look."Dinner?" I asked with no recollection of that at all.

Rogan sighed and said as he walked up to me and pulled me into his embrace gently, "You must be worn out lately."

I gave him a perfunctory nod and smiled.

"I was saying my parents wanted us to go over for dinner tonight since Romeo is back. It will be our first dinner together with everyone present in the family," He said.

"Alright," I responded.

He gave me a peck on my forehead and said with his eyes laid on me gently," Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you this time around."

The taste of being in his safe arms was so assuringly satisfying that I found myself tugging even closer in his embrace.

Rogan...

*At the dinner*

After two bad prior experience at the Morgan's Residence, I couldn't help tightening my grip around Rogan's arm to make myself feel more secured the moment I stepped onto Morgan's Residence.

Rogan placed his hand over mine as a gesture to assure me further, making me feel safe in his hands.

"You two love birds are finally here, come on in, everyone is already waiting at the dining room," Rogan's mother said as she welcomed us.

Somehow I felt even more intimidated by her warm gesture after what had happened the last time when I was here.

"Sorry for keeping everyone waiting," Rogan said as we walked into the dining room.

Romeo's eyes shifted over to the sight of my hand around Rogan's arm for a brief moment before he looked away and gave a seemingly perfunctory smile at us.

"Welcome back home, Romeo," Rogan said as he gave a pat on Romeo's shoulder before pulling the chair out for me to sit on.

"Finally, everyone is back home together now. Let's get dinner started," Rogan's mother said in an exuberant mode as she gestured for the servants to start serving dinner.

The whole dinner setting was just deadly intense, the only sound that could be heard was just the sound of our utensils clanging against the dinnerware. Halfway through dinner, Rogan's father, Owen, suddenly cleared his throat and asked Romeo, "So when are you moving back here?"

Romeo clenched his jaws a little before replying, "I'm fine staying outside."

"Don't be silly, this is your home," Rogan's mother said.

Romeo snickered to himself.

"What's so funny?" Owen finally broke his silence and asked Romeo sternly.The intimidation from Owen got everyone tensed in a brief moment of dead silence.The fear was real but at the same time, I couldn't stay silent while watching Romeo being butchered emotionally by his parents. I felt terrible about what he has to stomach at this moment.

But before I could get a chance to say anything, Rogan broke his silence before me, "Father, I'm sure that's not what he meant."

I was heartened that Rogan did not leave his brother in a lurch and that made me felt relieved that he might not be what Romeo claimed him to be.

"Rogan is right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Romeo breaks into a smile and apologised but what I saw in his glistened eyes were not of joy but pain.

Then Romeo continued to explain, "I'm staying right next to Jared's apartment for the time being because it's more convenient for me to catch up with him on work stuff. After all, I have been out of the office for quite a while. Besides, the faster I get back into the game, the sooner I can relieve Rogan from having to shoulder a dual CEO role between two companies. I'm sure Rogan would appreciate that right?"

"Don't worry, Romeo, there is no rush for you to get back for now. With Juliette around, I can handle it," Romeo responded as he stretched his arm behind me and winked at me with a smile."Your brother is right. I have got better plans for you in Dublin," Owen said.

What?! He hasn't given up on the idea of banishing Romeo to Dublin?! I can't believe my ears that Romeo was right about Owen.

I cleared my throat immediately and cut into their conversation to salvage Romeo from being banished to Dublin, "Actually it has been quite a toll on me lately, given that I had to shuffle between the Leclaires and the Morgans. I certainly do think Romeo could be of a great pair of helping hands to Rogan while I'm not around."

Rogan seems slightly taken aback by my sudden suggestion while Romeo immediately added on, "I'm sure Rogan wouldn't mind me sticking around to help right?"

There was this slight tinge of hesitation from the uneasy expression of Rogan before he accepted Romeo's idea with a smile and gave Romeo a toast as he raised the glass of wine in his hand, "Of course, I wouldn't mind. Here's a thank to you in advance."

*The next day at the CEO's office*

I found trouble in sleeping for the past few nights ever since hearing from Romeo about Rogan. I can't possibly turn a blind eye on Romeo and live with it for the rest of my life. Neither could I possibly confront Rogan and take the risk of hurting his feelings if he learns about me doubting him when I was wrong about him. As much as I want to believe in Rogan, I would also like to put an end to this dubious doubt that had been troubling me.

"Honey, you sure you don't want to tag along with me for the meeting?" Rogan asked.

"Sorry Rogan, I really need to rush out this report for my father," I lied to him. After checking against his schedule, I realised this timing was the only best opportunity that I could have to secretly find out information to the truth I need from his office.

"Alright, please take care, don't work yourself out too hard," He said as he pecked a kiss against my forehead before leaving for the door.

I used to be able to savour blissfully in every kiss he plants on me, but this time around, I felt immense guilt within me when he did so.

I took in a deep breath and shake myself up when he left, "Alright, here goes nothing."

I began to flip through every drawer and possible spots in his office. After quite some time, I did not find anything until I realised something amiss, or rather the only new addition to his office, a modest-looking painting on the wall.

I stood in front of the painting, pondering for a second on the addition of this painting to his office until I realised some little bits of the wall debris on the top of the shelf just below it. It led me to wonder if there was anything behind that painting. So I lifted the painting slightly off the wall in a careful manner as I peek at the back of it. I stifled a gasp as my eyes widened and my heart lurched at the presence of an envelope attached to the back of the painting.Why would there be an envelope placed here?

I pulled out the envelope and my hands were shaking as a wave of anxiety swept me up while I fumbled through the opening of the envelope in my hands.

God... please don't let this be anything about what Romeo said about Rogan. Please...!

I prayed hard in my mind as I pulled out the contents in the envelope.

My heart sank with a sudden blow to it when I saw photos of Romeo. They were photos of Romeo while he was on the run, obviously not taken with his consent. I fumbled through the contents with my shaky hands, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw documents on checks that were related to Dublin. Does this means Rogan was involved in setting his brother up for Dublin too?!

Why didn't Rogan tell me anything about Romeo if he had already known the whereabouts of Romeo? What was he trying to do with Romeo?

What really gave me the ultimate blow was when I saw the note which Romeo claimed that he had written for me on the day of the wedding. In it was the confession of his feelings for me.Why did this note ended up being here? Didn't Romeo hand this to Julius? Why didn't Rogan showed this to me when he knew my feelings for Romeo right from the start?!

My hands turned weak as I dropped the contents onto the floor and cupped my gaping mouth in horror on what I had found out.

Suddenly, the door opened and Rogan came walking in, "Honey, I am back~! Did you miss me?"I stumbled backwards as he approaches me, still in a state of shock.

"You looked as if you have seen a ghost," He said jokingly until he realised the stack of contents on the floor and that's when he loses the smile on his face.

"You knew I was worried about Romeo all this while and yet you still hide his whereabouts from me. Why? What were you trying to do to him? Tell me!" I demanded an explanation, still shaking from a mix of shock and angst.

"It's not like what you think it is," Rogan said with a rare occasion of nervousness worn over his face and in his tone.

I picked up the note on the floor with my trembling hands as I faced him squarely with a stern glare over my wet eyes and asked him in grit, "Why is this here? When did you get this? Why didn't you show it to me when you knew... you knew how I felt towards Romeo?"

He looked remorse for brief second as he looked away from me before he breathed out heavily, "Would you had given us a chance if I had shown you this?"

"Rogan! That's not the point! How could you do such a thing behind my back?! How could you?!" I lose my composure at his response.

"Juliette, I didn't mean to hide this note from you. I had only learned about this note when I had sent men to search the wedding venue once more for clues of his whereabouts after the wedding. I had my doubts about this note initially, whether it was really from Romeo, until he mentioned about it recently. I just thought I could buy us some time before I verified the authenticity of it and show this to you eventually. If I didn't intent to show it to you eventually, I would have long destroyed this note," He explained in anguish before he looked at me with his wistful eyes, "I love you, Juliette. I love you so much that... I just didn't want to take the risk of losing you."

"No!" I sniveled in tears as I dodged away from his hand that attempted to reach out to me.At this point, I just don't know how to trust him anymore.

"How do you explain that then?! What were you trying to do to Romeo! He is your brother for god's sake!" I yelled at him as I pointed to that stack of contents on the floor.

"Juliette, I can't tell you, but please just believe me, please... You love me, don't you?" He pleaded as he inched towards me with his wet eyes.

I shook my head as tears came streaming down uncontrollably, "I don't know that anymore.""You don't mean that, I know you don't," A hurt expression hung on his face as his voice shook in a tone of disbelief.

My heart ached terribly from the blow that I have received.

I had trusted him so wholeheartedly... so foolishly... which is why it hurts so much.

I wiped my tears with my hands and walked away from him as I left him in silence because there was nothing else that I could say to him at this moment. I just didn't want to face himnor deal with him when I couldn't even deal with my own emotions.

———————————————————————Dear Readers,

Thank you for still hanging in there for this story! I'm terribly sorry for the delay in the update and this will be where I will have to leave this chapter hanging for now because I will still need more time to develop this story.

Don't forget to vote, comment and add this story to your library if you haven't!

Do you think it was right of Rogan to have kept that note from Juliette right from the start? Is his love forgivable? I can't wait to hear from you on your thoughts for this chapter!