Grayson Pierce and Eloise Caldwell novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174 That Was My Girlfriend

Juliette had a pretty good idea who it was. She could feel eyes on her from behind, and she knew it was Colton, but she didn’t have the nerve to turn around.

She didn’t take the bouquet.

Honestly, it was kind of ironic. She’d been with Dustin for years and never got a single flower from him. Now that they’d broken up, he suddenly got all romantic.

“Could you return the flowers to him and let him know I’ve got plans at noon?” Juliette said.

The receptionist paused for a moment.

‘What’s up with that?’ she thought.

But she kept quiet.

“Alright, I’ll bring them to him downstairs,” she replied.

The receptionist cradled the bouquet and stepped into the elevator.

The others shot each other a look, then followed her inside.

Juliette thought, ‘The elevator’s always a pain to catch at this hour, so she went in too.

Once she was inside, she turned to face Colton.

Colton walked in with one hand in his pocket, standing right next to Juliette, so close their sleeves touched.

Juliette subtly shifted half a step to the side, trying not to make it obvious.

Colton’s brow furrowed just a little.

The group behind them stared like laser beams, their minds abuzz with gossip and wild speculation.

The receptionist, holding the bouquet, was wedged into the corner.

She was just the receptionist. She had no clue what the higher-ups were up to.

While everyone else was eagerly watching the drama unfold, she was just counting flower buds to keep herself occupied.

When the elevator reached the first floor, Juliette and Colton were standing at the front. They stepped out and let the others go ahead.

Dustin was in the lobby. As soon as he saw Juliette, he walked over with big strides.

“Jules,” he called out.

Everyone paused mid-step, the air suddenly tense.

‘Jules… That’s pretty close, everyone thought.

Juliette shot Colton a glance. He looked seriously pissed.

They’d hooked up more times than she could count, and Juliette knew Colton wasn’t exactly a sweetheart. When he was pissed, he could be downright intimidating, and he’d take it out on her in bed.

The receptionist was the only one oblivious to the heavy atmosphere. She stepped out, glanced at Juliette, then walked over and handed the flowers to Dustin. “You should give these to Juliette yourself,” she said.

With Juliette right there, the receptionist didn’t need to explain anything else.

Dustin took the bouquet, looked at Juliette, and handed it to her. “Let’s grab lunch. You love caviar, don’t you? I booked your favorite spot. I’ve got something to say to you.”

The group that was supposed to head out for lunch slowed to a snail’s pace, moving even slower than ants.

Lunch? Who cared about food? Watching the gossip unfold was way more fun.

‘He even knows her favorite food? Do they hit up restaurants together all the time? Were they always grabbing lunch? What’s their deal, anyway?’ the crovillem Chino ter v among themselves.

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Chapter 174 That Was My Girlfriend

‘Whoa! Colton’s face was so dark it could scare off a storm, someone muttered.

The macho vibes were off the charts.

‘Are they about to throw down?’ someone whispered.

Juliette shot Dustin a glare.

‘Damn it, why does he have to say stuff like that?’ Juliette grumbled to herself.

‘I swear, I could smack him right now,’ Juliette thought angrily.

Juliette didn’t take the bouquet. “I already have lunch plans, and besides, I’ve got a pollen allergy. Why don’t you give them to your fiancée instead?”

Dustin raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you have a pollen allergy? How come I never heard about that?” “Who do you think you are? Why would I tell you?” Juliette snapped.

Juliette knew that letting this drag on would only backfire, so she started to step toward the elevator. Dustin reached out and caught her arm. “I know you’re lying. You don’t really have lunch plans, do you?”

Before Juliette could say anything, her arm was suddenly released.

Colton grabbed Dustin’s wrist and made him let go.

“Mr. Carter, is this how you show your manners, forcing a girl in front of everyone?” Colton said, his voice icy. His voice was so cold it could freeze the air.

Dustin squinted, thinking Colton looked familiar, like he’d seen him somewhere before.

Then it clicked. He’d run into Colton at Juliette’s old place.

‘Wait a second… Dustin thought, his mind racing.

He glanced back and forth between Colton and Juliette.

“You two…” Dustin started, his voice trailing off.

Colton pulled Juliette in, wrapping his arm around her waist, making it clear she was his. “You just hit on my girlfriend.”

Dustin was left completely speechless, just staring blankly.

The crowd was so stunned that they could hear a pin drop.

Juliette felt speechless.

She couldn’t even bring herself to look at her coworkers. She was pretty sure their jaws had hit the floor, and honestly, she just wanted to disappear.

Dustin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Juliette, we just broke up. Can’t you even wait a little?” he blurted out.

They’d only been apart for a few months, and Dustin always thought Juliette would fall apart without him, begging him to take her back.

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