Chapter 216: Take a Few More Glances at Her
Meanwhile, Paul had hustled all the way from D.C. to Miami overnight, only to find Magnus looking like he'd been through a meat grinder.
As soon as Magnus waked up, he asked, “How's Juniper doing?”
Paul gave him a look. "Dude, your spine was almost toast. Maybe worry about yourself for a sec?"
If Magnus hadn't been lucky, he'd be rolling around in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Good thing the theater's chandelier was cheap plastic, not real crystal. It only left him with some injuries that meds and rest could fix.
If it had been real crystal, he'd be toast or worse.
"Ms. Beaumont's with the Abbotts, so she's good," Paul said.
"Go check on her," Magnus ordered.
Paul hesitated. "Boss, you're still hooked up to an IV."
Juniper was just knocked out, what's the big deal?
Magnus's face went dark. "You disobeying orders now?"
Paul sighed. "Should I go in plain sight or sneak around? If she sees me, she'll know you're here too. And she probably doesn't know you saved her."
Magnus leaned back, thinking.
Considering Juniper's freak-out around him, he didn't want to scare her off again.
Mental stuff like that was tough to handle.
"I promised her I wouldn't just show up," Magnus muttered, frustrated.
Paul sighed. "But you saved her. She should know and come take care of you."
'Even a dog will wag its tail if you save it,' Paul thought but didn't dare say.
Magnus frowned. "She's out cold, how's she gonna take care of me?"
"She's been out for a night, she should be up by now. I bet Ronald told her he saved her," Paul said, getting worked up.
Magnus shot him a cold look. "Why you getting all worked up?"
"Boss, you got hurt saving her and she doesn't even know. What's the point?"
Magnus looked down, indifferent. "It was no big deal."
"But what if Ronald uses this to get her? You really won't regret it?" Paul had been with Magnus for three years and never spoke this boldly.
The whole Magnus and Juniper drama was driving him nuts.
One wouldn't talk, the other wouldn't ask.
One didn't want to leave but had to, the other wanted to keep but pushed away.
They were a perfect mess.
Despite all the baggage, if Magnus just asked her to stay, she probably would.
But he wouldn't.
Seeing Magnus silent, Paul called out, "Boss?"
"She's already with Ronald," Magnus said, his voice icy.
"Ms. Beaumont just got back to Southern City. Even if she's with Ronald, it's just starting. You can still win her back, Mr. Blackwood."
Magnus let out a cold laugh. "If I just liked Juniper, I'd do whatever it takes to win her back. But I love her, Paul. I can't gamble with her. I've already pushed her to the edge once, I can't do it again."
Lyra's death wasn't his fault, but it was tied to Ava.
And Ava was his biological mother.
When Lyra died, Juniper lost all will to live.
How could he not feel guilty?
He couldn't push her again. Even if she was with someone else, at least she was still alive, right?
At least he could still follow her and see her a few more times.
Paul was taken aback. "If Ms. Beaumont really marries Ronald, Mr. Blackwood, you..."
Magnus smiled faintly, his eyes red. "Then I'll just follow her like a lost puppy until she turns back."
When you just liked someone, you could be reckless. But he loved Juniper, and the thought of losing her terrified him.
A year ago, Juniper jumped into the sea.
He was in so much pain he couldn't sleep, smoked packs of cigarettes a day, and took lithium carbonate until he felt sick and his hands shook, but it still couldn't calm the intense fear of loss.
From that moment, he understood.
As long as Juniper could come back alive, he'd do anything, even let her go.
Paul left the VIP ward and headed to the nurse's station.
He had actually checked yesterday which ward Juniper was in.
But when he went just now, the ward was already empty.
"Nurse, has the patient in 603 been discharged?" Paul asked.
"Yes, is her name Quinn?" the nurse replied.
"Yeah."
"She just completed the discharge procedures. She's probably still at the hospital entrance. Do you need to find her?"
"No. As long as she's okay. Just checking." Paul returned to the ward, feeling down.
"Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Beaumont had just left when I went, but she's fine now," Paul said.
Magnus's mood was indifferent, and his tone matched. "As long as she's fine."
Paul couldn't hold back. "Ms. Beaumont is probably still downstairs at the hospital. If I go after her, I should make it in time."
Magnus lifted his eyelids slightly and said irritably, "Bring her back to pity me?"
Paul was stunned.
What was wrong with pity?
Magnus was indeed quite pitiful now.
But Paul didn't dare say this.
Proud as Magnus was, he hated sympathy and pity very much.
Anyone could pity him, but not Juniper.
He could only accept Juniper's love.
At the hospital entrance, Juniper got into the car.
She sat in the back seat, lost in thought about what had happened at the theater yesterday.
Suddenly, she remembered the man she had met in the theater lobby.
Although that man's clothes and walking posture were different from Magnus's, his shape and scent were very similar to Magnus's.
Ronald had said that someone else had saved her yesterday.
Juniper's heart sank as she asked, "Ronald, what was the person who saved me yesterday wearing?"
Ronald frowned, trying to remember. "He was dressed casually, wearing a black mask. I didn't see his face clearly."
"Was he wearing a dark gray hoodie?"
"I think so," Ronald nodded.
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