Chapter 411 You Don't Know My Orientation?
On the way to the nursing home, Juniper's phone buzzed with a pair of trending notification:
#Supermodel Riley Returns Home to Launch Personal Studio
#Rumored Reconciliation with Civilian Boyfriend
Juniper instinctively tapped on the news. The top comments were dominated by Riley's devoted fans doing damage control, but scrolling down revealed a lively discussion about Riley's mysterious boyfriend's identity.
[Please no! I'm here for Riley's career, not her love life!]
[Total fabrication! She's only back because her contract with Sparkle Entertainment Co. ended. Better opportunities here, that's all! Riley doesn't get distracted by romance!]
[But according to the gossip, this guy has serious connections!]
[Apparently he's Riley's first love. When she signed that five-year deal with Sparkle Entertainment Co., she chose career over love.]
[I think I know who this is—isn't it that Brown heir? His grandfather's name and position are too sensitive to discuss openly without getting censored.]
[Wait, didn't that Brown guy get married?]
[Marriage of convenience, obviously... Everyone knows the Brown heir and that Blackwood guy from SY are the real deal. They're practically joined at the hip—where there's smoke, there's fire!]
[How naive can you be? I can't speak for Brown's preferences, but Mr. Blackwood seems completely straight. If he's gay, I'll eat my hat.]
[Why would Riley fall for a gay man? She's not stupid—with all her experience, wouldn't she have better instincts?]
[Maybe the Brown heir swings both ways! He's got quite the reputation for playing the field!]
[So Mr. Blackwood is the one who got away, while he's stuck pining after that trashy Harper. I don't know what he sees in her—I'd rather ship him with that Brown guy!]
[It's Harper who's clinging to Mr. Blackwood, not the other way around. Any scraps from his table could set her up for life—she's not stupid. As for Mr. Blackwood, he's obviously going to marry that Abbott heiress from Southern City. He'd never seriously commit to some influencer! You think these people actually fall in love?]
Juniper found herself both amused and exasperated by the wild speculation. These internet sleuths had quite the imagination.
Magnus glanced over from the driver's seat, catching her chuckling at her phone. "What's so entertaining?"
Juniper looked up at his handsome profile with a teasing smile. "They're shipping you and Robert pretty hard."
"Shipping?" Magnus frowned, clearly unfamiliar with the term.
"Your couple name is 'Mint Green.' The fans are absolutely obsessed."
Magnus shot her a look that was half-amused, half-incredulous. "I think you're well aware of my sexual orientation."
Last night certainly provided ample evidence of that.
The memory hit her like a freight train—kneeling at the edge of the bed, Magnus's fingers tangled in her hair, controlling her pace with deliberate precision while she tried to pull away, only to be guided back. When Magnus let loose, he could be devastatingly intense.
By the end, her eyes were red-rimmed and watery before he finally showed mercy, pulling her up and whispering wickedly in her ear, "Will you ever discuss my... performance... with others again?"
Her throat had been sore all morning.
Heat flooded Juniper's cheeks as she avoided his burning gaze. "During those seven years I was gone, Robert was your constant companion through thick and thin. You mentioned he's always had issues with me—don't tell me you actually turned him and now he's harboring feelings?"
Magnus visibly shuddered. "He's definitely not my type."
He looked genuinely revolted by the suggestion.
After a pause, his voice dropped to a dangerous register. "If you're still unclear about my preferences, I'm more than willing to provide another hands-on demonstration tonight."
His tone suggested he wasn't joking in the slightest.
Juniper's legs felt weak just thinking about it.
She scrolled to SY's official account, which had shared Riley's studio announcement. "Does Riley have some partnership with SY?"
Magnus wasn't particularly versed in entertainment industry dealings. "Probably some collaboration between her studio and SY's talent management division. Do you have history with her?"
Juniper shook her head. "Not me."
It was Ophelia who had beef with Riley. But business was business, and personal grudges were another matter entirely.
"She's technically Robert's client now," Magnus mentioned casually.
"Client?" Juniper raised an eyebrow.
"Robert stepped down from SY's management. Riley's now a major client at his law firm."
"Isn't it awkward, considering she's his ex?"
"Only if the parties involved make it awkward. They maintain a strictly professional relationship now. Robert may be morally questionable, but he never lets personal feelings interfere with business. As long as the price is right, he'd represent the devil himself. He adheres to legal ethics, just not necessarily human decency."
Truth was, most people in power operated without moral constraints. The accumulation of wealth and influence was built on ruthless foundations.
Meanwhile, at Mission Hills Villa, Robert received a call from the family estate.
The old patriarch tore into him mercilessly. "If you're getting divorced, do it quickly and cleanly. This dragging your feet helps no one! You've been married three years—no children, but plenty of scandals! What's this business with Ophelia and NovaTech's CEO?"
Robert was impressed by his grandfather's intelligence network. He'd just buried that story, yet the old man already knew everything.
Robert's brow furrowed, though his voice maintained its usual lazy drawl. "Grandfather, you missed your calling as a spy. Nothing escapes your notice."
The patriarch's tone turned icy. "If she and NovaTech's CEO crossed any lines during your marriage, you know the consequences."
Robert's eyes grew cold. "If they did cross lines, I wouldn't need your pressure to handle it."
His patience, like his grandfather's, was wearing dangerously thin.
Samuel delivered his ultimatum. "If she can behave herself and give the Browns an heir soon, I'll tolerate your antics a while longer. But if she can't deliver, you'll return home, follow my arrangements, divorce her, and marry the Phillips family daughter. Compared to your mother, she's utterly inadequate!"
Blair hadn't just been born into prestige—she'd given the Browns two children, understood her place, and built a stellar political career.
What was Ophelia by comparison?
Robert's tongue pressed against his teeth, his gaze turning predatory. "Understood. Once I have all the facts, I'll handle her departure very... thoroughly."
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