Chapter 196 Secret Contest!
Robert leaned against the wall, smirking. "I've known Magnus for years and never knew he had such a mysterious lady friend. Ms. Robinson, you're quite the puzzle."
He emphasized "lady friend" like he wanted Juniper to hear it.
Aria, unfazed, replied, "Mr. Brown, you're kidding."
She didn't deny the title. Her goal tonight was to figure out Juniper's situation.
Magnus stayed silent.
Jenny asked Juniper, "Mom, what's a lady friend?"
Juniper calmly explained, "It's like you and Henry, really good friends."
Jenny said, "Okay! I want to be Dad's lady friend too."
Juniper smiled. "You already are Dad's good friend."
Magnus watched Juniper, looking for any sign of sadness or jealousy, but found none. She was completely calm, almost indifferent.
Was this how one acted around a "rival in love"?
Aria also noticed Juniper's unusual calmness. She seemed engaged but her enthusiasm felt fake. There was no real smile in her eyes.
After a while, Ophelia arrived.
Juniper said, "Everyone's here. I'll check on the food."
Ophelia, not wanting to face Robert, linked arms with Juniper. "I'll go with you."
They headed to the kitchen together.
Robert glared at Ophelia's back, annoyed. 'Can't you see me standing here?' he thought.
In the kitchen, the chef was still cooking. "Ms. Beaumont, a few more dishes, I'm almost done."
Juniper nodded. "No rush."
Ophelia peeked into the living room and then asked, "The woman in Robert's social media photo, that's Ms. Robinson, right?"
Juniper said, "Yes."
That night, Magnus got into Aria's car and didn't come back until the next morning, looking a bit disheveled.
Ophelia frowned. "Why is she here? Does she want to be Jenny's stepmom?"
Juniper said, "Aria seems decent. If Magnus wants to be with her and she's good to Jenny, it's fine."
Ophelia was shocked. "Juniper, aren't you jealous?"
Juniper asked, "Jealous? Why would I be?"
She wasn't Magnus's wife or current girlfriend. What right did an ex have to be jealous?
Ophelia couldn't believe it. "You and Magnus were together for years; have you really moved on?"
Juniper lowered her eyes, hiding a hint of sadness. "Sometimes, being compatible is more important than love. If being together only brings up bad memories, it's better not to be together."
Loving and hurting each other was just torture. What if you couldn't let go?
In this world, many things didn't have a clear ending. Not having an ending was an ending in itself.
When the food was ready, dinner began.
Six people—five adults and one child—sat at a rectangular table, three on each side.
Jenny naturally wanted to sit with Juniper. Ophelia also took a seat next to Juniper without hesitation.
Magnus shot her a cold look.
Ophelia felt a chill but didn't budge. She pointed to the opposite side and muttered, "You and Robert can sit over there."
After all, Magnus and Robert had a "deep brotherly bond"!
Magnus glanced at Juniper, who seemed fine with the arrangement.
Grinding his teeth, Magnus sat next to Robert.
But Robert wasn't one to compromise. He moved his chair outward, elbowing Magnus. "Ms. Robinson is your lady friend. Why should I sit next to her?"
Magnus ended up in the middle, with Robert on his left and Aria on his right.
Juniper also sat in the middle.
This way, Jenny was opposite Aria, and Ophelia was opposite Robert.
In the middle, Magnus and Juniper faced each other.
This setup seemed to work.
Magnus's right arm was injured, so he couldn't use his right hand to hold a spoon. Lately, either Juniper fed him, or he used his left hand.
Using his left hand wasn't impossible, but it wasn't as easy as using his right.
Juniper had gotten used to taking care of him. She was about to serve Magnus some food when Aria placed a shrimp on his plate.
Juniper picked up a piece of beef and, seeing this, gave it to Jenny instead.
The action was natural, but Jenny pouted. "Mom, you forgot! I don't eat beef!"
Juniper paused, then put the beef on her own plate. "Then have some ribs."
She served Jenny some ribs.
Jenny said, "I want shrimp too!"
Juniper served her some shrimp and started peeling it.
Jenny glanced at her dad's plate. "Dad can't peel shrimp with his hand. Mom, peel it for him."
Juniper finished peeling the shrimp in her hand and fed it to Jenny.
Then she picked up another shrimp, ready to peel it for Magnus.
Aria glanced at her and said lightly, "Ms. Beaumont, you're busy with the child. Magnus, I'll peel the shrimp for you."
As soon as Aria said this, the atmosphere at the table changed.
Magnus didn't refuse; he just watched Juniper's reaction.
It was easy to test if someone had feelings for another person. When a third party appeared, if the person remained indifferent, it was likely they no longer had feelings.
Otherwise, with Aria's provocation, why didn't Juniper react at all?
If it were seven years ago, Juniper would have already asserted her dominance.
With a table full of food, Magnus suddenly lost his appetite.
Juniper didn't say a word, kept her head down eating, or helped Jenny with her food, never once looking up at him and Aria. Not even a curious glance.
Ophelia, however, couldn't stand it. "It's rare for us to gather, Mr. Blackwood. How about we open a bottle of red wine? Ms. Robinson, how's your drinking capacity?"
Aria smiled and accepted the challenge. "Not bad. Ms. Perez, want to compete with me?"
Ophelia said, "Sure, let's have a contest."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "Then let's skip the red wine and go straight to vodka."
Ophelia, with her fiery temper, slammed her spoon on the table. "Fine, I have a ride home if I get drunk. Do you?"
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