Chapter 32 Danger
In an instant, Juniper clutched the rooftop railing, pain searing through her palms.
Magnus reached out to her.
Juniper seemed stunned and didn't immediately grab his hand.
"Quit staring, give me your hand!" Magnus bellowed, furrowing his brow.
Juniper, mustering her strength, lifted her other arm.
Magnus's broad, powerful palm securely clasped her hand.
The other colleagues on the rooftop helped, and together, they pulled Juniper to safety.
After the harrowing ordeal, Juniper sat pale and breathless, cool sweat drenching her as she gulped in the fresh air.
For a moment, she had been close to suffocating.
Had Boris actually fallen?
Her pupils dilated, and she instinctively wanted to look back.
Magnus had already spoken indifferently, "The cops set up a rescue airbag on the 15th-floor terrace. He won't die; at worst, he might end up crippled."
Juniper exhaled in relief, grateful there was no loss of life.
Soon enough, Joseph had dispersed the onlookers from the rooftop.
Now, only Magnus and a still-shaken Juniper were left in the vast space above.
Juniper collapsed onto the ground, trying to stand but her legs were too weak to hold any weight.
A hand with distinct knuckles and a lengthy reach steadied her once again.
Once she had regained her balance, the supporting hand swiftly withdrew.
Magnus returned to his usual aloofness.
He was a stark contrast to the urgent concern that had briefly flickered in Magnus's eyes when he saved her.
Juniper caught her breath, now steady, "Thank you for saving me, Mr. Blackwood."
"Don't thank me. My actions weren't entirely selfless," he said.
"Selfless?"
Hand casually in pocket, he replied with an arrogant gaze, "Dying is the simplest thing, almost a release. So, I won't let you off that easily. If you were to die, who would atone?"
With those words, he turned and left the rooftop.
Juniper stood still, watching his retreating figure until he vanished from her sight.
Her phone rang.
The caller ID showed Ophelia.
As soon as she answered, Ophelia's worried voice came through, "Thank God! You're alive to answer the call! I heard from Robert that you were taken hostage by Boris to the rooftop, that lunatic wanted to jump with you! Are you alright now?"
"I'm safe now, Ophelia. Really, I am."
Annoyance tinged Ophelia's voice, "Had I known, I wouldn't have complained to Robert. I just wanted to stand up for you, but who knew Boris was a maniac!"
Juniper was taken aback, "You mean, you asked Robert to fire Boris and Christopher?"
"Yeah, well, not exactly! Didn't you vent to me about Christopher, that jerk stealing your credit? So, I sent the screenshots of our chat to Robert. Robert didn't know you were working at Sycamore group and asked Magnus. Next thing, Blackwood knew about it as well, and... It's all my fault! I've dragged you into this mess!"
So, did Magnus fire them as an excuse for stealing her credit?
Of course, Juniper wasn't going to flatter herself, "Boris and Christopher were harming the company’s interests. It was only a matter of time before they were fired. Boris taking me hostage was probably inevitable. Don't blame yourself, you were just trying to defend me."
After comforting Ophelia, Juniper stood on the rooftop, letting the wind cool her emotions until she felt more at ease.
...
Once Boris and Christopher left the sales department, the overall atmosphere seemed to improve significantly.
During the following week, Juniper practically lived at the property showroom, but luck didn’t seem to be on her side. Prospective clients hesitated at the last minute, and she didn’t close a single deal.
Selling, it appeared, was truly a tough job.
Juniper took a personal day off on Monday, and Ophelia played hooky from work to go shopping with her.
Ophelia tried to lift her spirits, "You've only been in sales for a week. It's normal not to have any deals initially. Don't get discouraged. I have no doubt you’ll start closing sales regularly. If I say you've got this, then you've got this!"
Juniper managed a wry smile. "Let's drop the stressful talk. Didn't you want to buy a new purse? Let's check out the boutiques.”
"Right, I'm having dinner with Robert's parents this Saturday. His dad enjoys a specific brand of cigars, and they have them here. Let’s get the gift first."
"Sounds good."
Ophelia groaned, "I'm just planning on keeping my head down and eating through the dinner. Whatever they say, I'll just nod along."
"If you like kids, it's not out of the question to consider having one. You seem to adore Jennifer, and you're not opposed to kids."
Ophelia massaged her forehead, “Oh please! I'm perfectly content being Jennifer's godmother; having my own is out of the question. Besides, Robert and I, we're just having fun. Why bring a kid into that?"
Juniper looked at her with concern, "Neither of us is having the best of luck. I'd feel better if at least you were happy."
Ophelia draped an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s just stick together. I can be Jennifer’s dad, and you still be her mom. Who needs men anyway?”
"Right, love is the root of all evil. Toss it aside!"
"Let's go. Shopping is a woman's true bliss!"
...
At the tobacco counter, Ophelia quickly picked out the cigars.
While the clerk was wrapping them up, Juniper spotted something unusual amidst the products—a name of an herb: "Agarwood. Why does a tobacco shop sell something like that?"
The clerk smiled as she explained, "These are agarwood sticks. You insert one into your cigarette as you smoke. It helps to soothe the throat and gives off a subtle fragrance when burned. It's believed to have health benefits, like lung purification and reducing the harm of smoking."
Not being a smoker herself, Juniper was naturally unaware. "This is new to me. Does it really work?"
"Oh, absolutely, a lot of our customers who buy cigarettes always grab a pack of those agarwood sticks too."
Ever since her reunion with Magnus, Juniper couldn’t shake the scent of his cigarettes.
She had come across him twice, and both times he was inseparable from his smokes.
Back when they dated, smoking would make his throat hurt. As his girlfriend, Juniper had the right to nag him into quitting.
But those days were gone, and so was her right.
Ophelia asked her, "Are you planning to buy those for Magnus?"
Juniper didn't hide her intentions, nodding, "I figured I'd buy him a pack, as a thank you for saving me last week."
The sales associate packed a box for Juniper and slipped it into a paper bag, praising, "Is it for your boyfriend? That’s thoughtful. Not many girlfriends buy agarwood sticks for their boyfriends, you’re really considerate."
"He’s not my boyfriend, he’s just..."
Ophelia teased, “Oh? Future husband?”
Juniper’s cheeks flamed. “Cut it out.”
“Then what is it? You still care so much after breaking up? Magnus treats you like dirt. Let him smoke his lungs out! How much more can you love the guy? Even when he smokes, you worry about his throat...”
“I’m not... it's just that I...”
“You’re just too good to him!” Ophelia retorted without amusement, “But does the current Magnus really deserve it?”
Ophelia tilted her chin, gesturing for Juniper to look across the hall.
There was Mary, donning oversized sunglasses and a face mask, striding into the Chanel store, followed closely by a young, pretty-faced man.
"Who's that?" Juniper couldn't recognize the figure.
Ophelia arched an eyebrow, "That's Mary. With my years of paparazzi instincts, I bet that pretty boy is her sugar baby. Come on, let's follow and see for ourselves!"
Juniper was shocked, "You can tell from this distance?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
