Chapter 10
Julian didn’t speak for a long time. He just stood there, frozen in the crowd, watching Katherine from a distance as she laughed lightly at something the man beside her said.
It wasn’t just her looks that stunned him—it was her confidence. The quiet way she held her space. The ease in her movements. The fact that she didn’t even seem surprised to see him. She had known he’d be here. She was prepared.
And she had brought someone.
Someone who looked like the man she used to chase, but who now stood forgotten in the shadows.
Julian didn’t recognize the man’s name. But it didn’t matter.
He didn’t need a résumé to feel the threat.
When Katherine finally turned toward him again, her eyes met his without flinching. There was no hatred in her gaze—no sadness either. Just calm detachment. Like she’d already grieved what they were and moved on to something better.
He walked over, unable to help himself. “You came,” he said quietly.
Katherine tilted her head slightly. “Of course. I was invited.”
Her tone was polite. Neutral.
It made something in Julian twist.
The man beside her extended his hand. “Noah Grayson.”
Julian took it, trying not to let his grip betray the storm inside him. “Julian Nash.”
“I know,” Noah said with a friendly smile. “Katherine’s told me a lot.”
Julian’s chest tightened. He wasn’t sure why. He wanted to ask what she had said. Wanted to know how much of himself she had shared. But he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Not in front of him.
“I didn’t expect you’d show up,” Julian said, trying to focus on Katherine again. “You always hated these events.”
She smiled, just a little. “That’s because I used to come with the wrong person.”
Julian flinched, even if he didn’t show it.
The blow wasn’t loud. But it landed deep.
Noah placed a gentle hand on the small of Katherine’s back. “We should take our seats. They’re about to begin the keynote.”
Katherine nodded, giving Julian a slight nod as well. “Enjoy your night, Julian.”
And just like that, she walked away.
He stood there for a while after they disappeared into the crowd, the sounds of clinking glasses and distant applause blurring into nothing.
He had once had that woman standing beside him. Quiet, loyal, waiting for him to see her.
Now she stood tall beside someone else, and he was the one watching from the sidelines.
It wasn’t just about losing her.
It was realizing she was never his to begin with—because he never truly saw her until it was too late.