Chapter 15 Atonement
Jennifer was coming closer and closer…
The hallway was dimly lit.
Juniper looked up into Magnus’s deep eyes. Suddenly, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his. Despite his indifference, she clasped his face in her hands, tilting it toward the shadows to conveniently hide her own face as well.
Jennifer made it to the door, craning her little neck and peering inside strenuously. Failing to see the figures in the corner, she walked away.
Juniper silently exhaled a sigh of relief.
That kiss, initiated by her, became distractingly real.
Magnus watched her intently, eyes wide open as if trying to decipher her game.
Knowing Magnus was exceptionally clever, Juniper worried he would spot some flaw in her act, and decided to go all in.
Her red lips moved along his skin, whispering near his ear, "Is Mr. Blackwood so concerned about that doctor because he’s jealous? After six years, could it be that Mr. Blackwood hasn’t forgotten me?”
Her tone was teasingly light.
He watched her lips, a sneer playing on his face. "You're way too confident for your own good!"
Sure enough, he shoved her aside.
Magnus's touch was anything but gentle—in fact, it bordered on rough.
Juniper's back slammed against the wall once more.
There was a resounding 'thud'.
Ouch, that hurt.
She watched Magnus walk away, her facade of strength crumbling in an instant, the corners of her eyes reddening.
She hoped he could truly start anew, instead of getting mired in the past, getting filthy in the process.
She was already knee-deep in the mud of transgressions, atoning alone was enough.
...
Back in the hospital room, Juniper checked her phone—her bank account did show a transaction of a million dollars.
With a throbbing headache, she messaged her best friend Ophelia on WhatsApp.
Do you have Mary's contact info?
Ophelia, thrilled, replied: Why? You planning a showdown with your love rival?
Juniper held her forehead, No, just drop it. Do you have her info?
Yeah, I interviewed her last month, got her on WhatsApp. I’ll send it over.
True to her word, Ophelia forwarded Mary's WhatsApp contact card to Juniper.
After eating, Jennifer, lounging on the hospital bed, said out of boredom, "Mom, I wanna play some games on your phone, can I have it?"
"Sure."
Juniper handed her phone to her daughter, putting off adding Mary for the moment, figuring she'd do it later when she had the chance to return the million.
She already owed Magnus too much, and as for his fiancée's money—she couldn't take that either.
Once all debts were repaid, she'd put some money aside, then she and her mother, along with Jennifer, would leave the metropolis of Imperial Capital and start anew somewhere where no one knew them.
Thinking of her mother, it had been three years since Lyra Callahan had woken up. Juniper had moved her from X City's hospital to a recovery center in Imperial Capital where she was doing quite well—aside from not being able to walk, she was alert and active.
However, with all that had happened recently, Juniper hadn't visited her in a long time.
And then there was Alexander Beaumont's scolding over the phone. Juniper couldn't shake off her unease—fearing Alexander might seek out Lyra Callahan to threaten her.
Alexander Beaumont had mastered that move six years ago.
Juniper gently patted Jennifer's little head. "Jennifer, it's going to be Saturday tomorrow. How about I ask your godmother to keep you company? Mom is a bit worried about Grandma and wants to go check on her at the nursing home."
Jennifer was quite understanding. "Go ahead, Mom. Once I'm better, I'll go with you to visit Grandma."
...
Inside the black Maybach.
In the backseat, Magnus's phone buzzed with a new text message.
"Sir, I've memorized your number! :)"
Magnus was momentarily startled, then vaguely remembered the little girl he had met at the hospital...
She had indeed remembered his number, to his surprise.
But Magnus was hardly so idle as to reply to a text from a six-year-old.
After a while, another message arrived.
"Sir, why are you ignoring me? Didn't you say that if I remembered your number, I could introduce you to a beautiful lady?"
Magnus was at a loss for words.
The persistent little girl texted again: "Sir, please pay attention to me! If you do, I'll introduce my mom to you!"
So that was her angle.
Naturally, Magnus had even less interest in responding now.
For all he knew, the child's mother might have orchestrated the messages.
After years in the limelight, Magnus was all too familiar with women eagerly vying for attention and was no longer surprised by such tactics.
He put his phone away.
Magnus inquired with Joseph, who was driving, "Did you find out what I asked for?"
"Oh, that doctor? His name is William, a leading pulmonologist. What about him, Mr. Blackwood? Did he... did he trouble you?"
Joseph glanced at his boss in the rearview mirror, noting his usual icy demeanor showing no sign of emotion.
"No, he's quite good."
Except that he wasn't suitable for Juniper.
Nor for staying in Imperial Capital.
Uncertain, Joseph looked at Blackwood again. Was he really saying William was 'quite good'? His expression looked more stern than usual.
"Mr. Blackwood, Miss Sinclair has been calling me non-stop. She's arranged a private dining room at the Banyan Tree Restaurant and is inviting you to a candlelit dinner."
Magnus, absently fiddling with his diamond cufflinks, lips curving into a slight smile, mused, "She really fancies herself as Mrs. Blackwood already, doesn't she?"
It was all just playacting.
The influential position that Mrs. Blackwood held... it once belonged to Juniper.
But now, Juniper was deemed unworthy, and nobody else was any more deserving.
...
The very next morning, Juniper made her way to a renowned rehabilitation center in the heart of the city.
Lyra Callahan looked surprisingly well.
Noticing the agreeable weather, Juniper decided to take her mother out in the yard for a leisurely stroll.
As Juniper bent down to tuck a lightweight blanket around her mother's legs, a silver ring that she always wore around her neck slipped out from under her collar.
Lyra knew all too well who had given Juniper the ring, and she had heard the tales of her daughter's affection for Magnus.
"Juniper, haven't you gotten over Magnus yet?" she asked gently.
Juniper offered a wry smile. "What difference does it make if I haven't?"
Lyra always felt guilty, "It was because of me that you were threatened by that beast, Alexander Beaumont. You and Magnus were so in love; you should have never been forced apart. Did he ever try to reach out to you after he was released?"
"Mom, I don't want to dwell on the past. Right now, I'm focused on making enough money to take you and Jennifer away from here, to someplace where Alexander Beaumont can't find us."
Tears welled up in Lyra's eyes. "Juniper, it's my fault you're struggling so much. Are things really over between you and Magnus? I could go to him, apologize, explain..."
"Mom, it's not something that can be undone with an apology or an explanation. I caused him to spend three years behind bars; that's a fact no apology can erase. Besides, he's engaged now."
"Juniper..."
With a solemn movement, Juniper removed the necklace, "He's engaged, and I wish them the best. He was right, I shouldn't keep wearing this ring."
Opening her palm, Juniper tossed the silver ring far into the lawn.
It carved a beautiful arc through the air before vanishing into the grass.
And with that, it disappeared, perhaps forever.
Much like their past, once Juniper lost hold of it, it couldn't be found again.
After a morning spent at the convalescent home with Lyra Callahan, Juniper was about to head back to the hospital when Ophelia's call came through.
"Juniper, it's awful! Jennifer is missing!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
