ance was almost laughable, but instead of humor, it only fueled his rage. How dare they, after everything they've done, they think they could still hold any power over him? His fists cle

you're falling for it." Juliet's stomach twisted as she struggled to process what Julian was saying. The confusion in her mind only deepened. She knew what she saw, knew the badge had been a symbol of power, of legitimacy. How could anyone fake something like that? Yet here Julian was, insisting that everything she had believed was a lie. She looked back at Asher, but he didn't seem angry, or defensive, he only watched, calm and collected. The man in front of her seemed as if he had no need to prove himself, like he knew something they didn't. And that made her more uncomfortable than anything else. Julian's words continued to ring in her ears, but doubt had started to creep in. Could Julian really be right? Or was it possible that Asher, the very man they had tried to destroy, was everything he claimed to be? The thought unsettled her, and she could feel her grip on reality slipping. Julian, seeing the hesitation in Juliet's eyes, pushed harder, his tone growing more desperate. "Think about it, Juliet. He's playing us. Don't let him fool you! He's not the man he pretends to be." He turned back to Asher with a glare, his voice dripping with disdain. "You can keep the act up, but we both know the truth. You're just pretending." As the weight of the revelation sank in, Juliet's expression twisted from confusion to anger. Her eyes, once filled with doubt, now burned with fury. She couldn't accept what she had just heard, she couldn't comprehend how she had missed it all the time. She had thought Asher was the supreme general but she was wrong. Without hesitation, she moved forward to Asher. Her voice was sharp, dripping with venom. "So, this is your big play, huh?" she sneered. "You really think I'll just buy into your little act?" She continued, "You're no supreme general-just a deceiver, pretending to be someone you're not. You should've stayed dead, Asher! You should have never come back!" Juliet's words were harsh, each one slicing through the air like dagger. She took a step forward, her eyes flashing with hatred, a look that was all too familiar to Asher. But what came next made his blood run cold. "Maybe if you had stayed dead," she spat, "your pathetic parents wouldn't be in the mess they're in. What a joke, right? To think I'd actually care about you... and them!" The words hit Asher like a physical blow, but he didn't flinch stikk. His jaw tightened, his fists clenched as she continued, each insult fueling the fire inside him. Juliet's face twisted with satisfaction, her wo