Chapter 416 Answer Me, Will You Marry Me? (2)
After leaving the nursing home, Juniper returned to Royal View.
Magnus had already left for the office, leaving the house empty. She unlocked the door with her fingerprint and headed straight for his second-floor study.
Under her pressing questions, Ava had claimed the broken necklace wasn't in her possession—she had no idea where it had gone. Juniper suspected that once Magnus learned the necklace's origin, he'd hidden it away.
His study contained two safes and a drawer secured with a combination lock. She'd never invaded his privacy before, but Magnus had broken their agreement, and if she wanted to uncover what he was hiding, this was her only option.
Magnus's passwords were predictable—always significant dates. Her birthday opened both safes easily, but the broken necklace wasn't there. When she tried the same code on the locked drawer, it failed.
He'd changed this password. Magnus wasn't impulsive—he wouldn't alter a password without reason. The only explanation was that this drawer contained something far more sensitive, something he absolutely couldn't let her discover.
Her second attempt with his birthday failed. Jenny's birthday also triggered an error. After three failed attempts, the lock engaged its security protocol, refusing further tries.
Just as frustration set in, an engine roared in the courtyard below. Panic seized her—the study's open layout offered nowhere to hide. As she moved to leave, Magnus appeared at the top of the stairs.
They faced each other in stunned silence before Juniper abandoned all pretense. "I thought you went to the office. Why are you back?"
Magnus stood there, his expression cold and penetrating, those dark eyes seeming to see straight through her. A slight smile played at his lips. "That's my question, Juniper. Why are you here?"
Without shame, she met his gaze directly. "I left something in your study. I came back to find it."
"What exactly?"
"My necklace."
Magnus reached into his coat pocket and produced a clear plastic bag, holding it up. "This one?"
A glass-type purple jadeite Guanyin pendant gleamed before her eyes.
Juniper's breath caught. She recognized it—Christopher had described this very piece when discussing her origins. When the Abbotts' enemies had taken her as a newborn, this necklace had vanished without a trace. She and Christopher had assumed it was lost during the kidnapping or stolen along the way.
Yet here it was, in Magnus's possession.
The fog of mystery began to clear, but her heart hammered with dread. "How did you get this?"
Magnus approached and took her wrist, placing the necklace in her palm. "A caregiver accidentally broke it. I had it restored—this was the best the craftsman could manage. I just picked it up today."
He paused, his voice softening, "Consider it returned to its rightful owner."
Juniper's stare didn't waver. "You still haven't answered my question."
Something helpless flickered in Magnus's eyes as he gave a bitter laugh. "Juniper, I don't know how to answer you."
"What do you mean?"
His throat worked visibly, and when he looked at her, his gaze held suppressed anguish. "Without this necklace, we could have gotten our marriage license after the New Year. But now... I'm not sure I have any right to ask Christopher for your hand."
He continued, "I don't know what role my mom played in all this. I don't want to know—I'm afraid to know. The only thing I need to understand is this: Juniper, will you still marry me?"
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