Chapter 48 Stubbornness
When Juniper received Paul's call, she hurried to Royal View.
She knew the security code for Royal View but, opting for courtesy, rang the doorbell first.
The door swung open, and the moment Juniper and Paul locked eyes, there was an unmistakable pause.
Joseph was the first to snap out of it. "Juniper, what brings you here? Did Magnus ask you to come?"
A glimmer of joy shone in Paul's eyes.
He thought that perhaps Magnus had come to his senses and forgiven Juniper.
Paul quickly ushered her in, "Juniper, don't just stand there, come in. It's hot outside."
His demeanor remained as warm as ever.
Once inside, Juniper couldn't help but feel remorseful. "Paul, I've left the Beaumonts behind. You don't have to call me Juniper."
"Since before you were born, I've been serving the Beaumonts. I watched you grow up. You were the only one with a kind heart, always treating us staff well, offering us cold drinks in the summer. I remember once, when I was sick and delayed Mr. Alexander's schedule, he nearly fired me. It was you who spoke up for me."
Juniper's guilt deepened, "Those were just trifles, not worth mentioning. But I caused Magnus to end up in jail. Don't you hate me for that?"
"I know you had your reasons. Someone as kind-hearted as you wouldn't change overnight. Honestly, put in your shoes, neither Magnus nor I might have done any better."
"Paul, a mistake is a mistake. You don't need to make excuses for me."
She almost wished Paul would hate her.
His understanding only compounded her guilt, made her loathe herself even more.
She was at a loss for what she could possibly do to atone for her wrongs.
Before Paul could say more, the villa's door opened yet again.
Their eyes simultaneously turned to the entrance.
Magnus returned with an icy aloofness in his voice, "I brought you here to cook, not to chat."
Juniper got up hurriedly and asked Paul, "Paul, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
"Anything's fine with me."
Magnus had just entered the house. He slipped his cufflinks off and tossed them onto the table.
The diamond cufflinks hit the marble surface with a sharp clink.
Paul, unused to being waited on, felt uneasy as Juniper went to cook, “Juniper, let me help you.”
He had just stood up, intending to assist Juniper in the kitchen, when Magnus stopped him.
"Sit down, Dad."
The man’s voice carried his usual dominance, cold and not open to argument.
Paul stood there, glancing at Magnus then back at Juniper in the kitchen.
He was visibly restless.
It wasn't until Juniper said, “Paul, you’ve just had surgery and haven’t fully recovered yet. Please, just sit and rest.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Paul then took his seat.
The atmosphere in the villa chilled considerably after Magnus’s arrival.
There was a slight tension in the air.
It was the cat, bored and lying on the couch, that meowed listlessly.
Finding something to talk about, Paul turned to the cat and asked Magnus, "I remember this cat was adopted by you and Juniper? It was just a little thing back then, and now look at it, so plump..."
Before Paul could finish, Magnus got up, announcing as if setting a reminder, “Early tomorrow, I’m heading to S City.”
"On business?"
"Hmm." The man gave a noncommittal reply.
Paul's mind raced for a moment, then he said, “I remember, the sea in S City is particularly blue. Why not take Juniper with you?”
"Dad, I'm going to S City for work, not for a vacation."
"Oh come on, you’re always working without a break. Surely, you can find the time to look at the sea even while on a business trip. Work is important, but so is leisure. Didn’t you tell me once that Juniper loves the beach and that you planned to take her to the sea someday?"
In the open kitchen, Juniper, who was cooking upon hearing this, froze in her tracks.
Once, they had indeed made plans to see the sea together—to see it in the summer and winter, but now was not those times anymore.
"You're mistaken, I never said that," Magnus declared with a steady voice, ascending the staircase to his second-floor study with a determined gait.
Juniper's eyes followed his retreating figure, zoning out for a moment.
Paul tried to console Juniper, "Juniper, you know how stubborn Magnus can be. He's just being hard-headed; don't take it to heart."
With a resigned smile, Juniper answered, "Paul, stop trying to play matchmaker. He's engaged now, and... he doesn't feel the same about me anymore."
"Engaged? Since when? He must be playing you!"
Juniper didn't want to delve into whether it was true or not.
It didn't matter if Mary really was his fiancée; things between her and Magnus had no future.
Paul, always keen and observant, challenged her thinking, "You and Magnus are both highly educated and intelligent. Why do you both get so confused when it comes to feelings? If he were really engaged, why would he invite you over? If he truly disliked you, wouldn't he avoid even glancing your way, let alone have you come over to trouble himself?"
Juniper fell silent.
Paul went into the kitchen, handing her a plate of neatly sliced fruit, "I'm getting on in years, and I have to watch my sugar intake; I can't eat these. Take them up to Magnus; he's fond of cantaloupe."
Juniper hesitated.
Joseph urged her, "Go on, he's just being stubborn. He'll soften up once you cajole him a bit."
...
Holding the plate of cantaloupe, Juniper ascended the stairs and knocked on the study door.
"Come in."
She entered and said, "I've brought some fruit. Paul mentioned his sugar concerns, so I thought I'd bring them to you..."
"My father is hypoglycemic, not diabetic."
There was an awkward silence.
Juniper stood at the doorway, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
"Paul said you enjoy cantaloupe, so..."
"I'm not keen on sweets. Have you just met me today?" Magnus's tone was icy, leaving no room for pretense.
Juniper felt like she was on pins and needles standing there.
She mustered up the courage to say, "Then I should probably take this back down to Paul."
As she turned to leave, "Come back," he ordered.
Magnus stopped her, "My father doesn't like cantaloupe."
In the end, Juniper brought the plate of cantaloupe into the study.
No sooner had she set down the plate did Magnus's voice slowly fill the room, "Tomorrow morning, you're coming with me to S City."
Juniper looked up at him in surprise, "Paul was just talking. You don't have to—"
"I just don't want to listen to his nagging. Going to S City, it's not like there will be time to even see the ocean."
Juniper kept her head down, silent.
Magnus's brow furrowed slightly, "You don’t want to go?"
"It's not that I don't want to, but I came here to cook for Paul, didn't I? If I go on a business trip to S City with you, who's going to take care of his meals?"
Magnus suddenly stood up, towering over her as he looked down.
His presence was cold and imposing as an unyielding winter.
Instinctively, Juniper took a step back.
She retreated a step, and he matched her movement, advancing.
Until her back hit the bookshelf and she had nowhere to go.
His dark eyes bore into hers, "Juniper, are you saying that you'll do whatever I tell you?"
"I acknowledge my debt to you," she confessed.
"So, if I say that the silver ring on your neck is an eyesore and you should throw it away, you'd actually obey?"
A ring slid from the palm of his hand, swaying on a delicate silver chain, and came to dangle in front of Juniper.
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