Chapter 72 Making Juniper Stay the Night
Michael withdrew his hand and said coldly, "I won't help you."
"Michael, if you're content being a subordinate, that's your business, but you have no right to make me as spineless as you!"
With that, Patricia turned on her heels and stormed out, the click of her high heels fading into the distance.
Standing by the car, Michael watched Patricia's retreating figure, his face etched with worry.
He was truly afraid that Patricia would lose her way.
If such a day came, he feared he wouldn't be able to protect her.
Leaning back in his car, Michael felt drained.
He reached for the glove compartment to grab a cigarette, but his fingers brushed against a photo.
The photo was torn. Only half of it remained.
Originally, there were three people in the photo.
Himself, Juniper, and Magnus.
It was the only photo of him and Juniper together, but even in it, they were overshadowed by Magnus.
At the time, he and Magnus were taking graduation photos, and Juniper had come along for Magnus.
Out of gentlemanliness and politeness, the lady had been placed in the middle.
Later, for reasons he couldn't explain, he had cut out Magnus from the left side of the photo.
Now, the damaged photo only showed him and Juniper.
He had kept the photo well protected in a plastic sleeve, and it remained in pristine condition.
Patricia was right. he was a coward.
He was fond of Juniper, but he had never fought for her from the start.
He kept his feelings hidden deep within, never seeing the light of day.
He remembered that summer, he and Magnus had moved out of the dorms and rented a house together.
Juniper was still living on campus. One Saturday night, not wanting to return to X City and with nowhere else to go, Magnus brought Juniper to their shared house.
That day, he wasn't supposed to be home, but due to an unexpected turn of events, he had to return.
As he entered the home, the bathroom door suddenly opened.
At first, he thought it was Magnus.
But he was met with the sight of Juniper, dressed in a white cotton camisole and shorts, her long hair damp and misty from just having showered, casting a soft dreamlike glow around her.
She was bending over, searching for a hair dryer in the cupboard.
The camisole was short, exposing a slice of her fair, slender waist as she bent forward.
Damp hair, collarbones, a delicate waist, and evenly toned legs, her whole being seemed to radiate with a pure, alluring glow.
At that moment, he stood behind her, completely stunned.
Juniper, thinking it was Magnus at the door, called out.
She called for Magnus.
When she turned around, she was visibly startled, her scream piercing the air.
He quickly turned his back to her.
When Magnus arrived, he wrapped a large towel around her.
Protected by Magnus's embrace, she retreated into her own bedroom.
At the time, the soundproofing in their shared rental house was terrible.
In the living room, he could hear Juniper muttering to Magnus about how mortified she was, vowing never to return.
Back then, Magnus was quite indulgent with her, hating to see her upset.
That very night, he took her to a hotel to stay.
It wasn't long before Magnus moved out and rented a place of his own, and he was done with sharing a house.
He teased Magnus about it at the time.
What had Magnus said in response?
He had said, "Juniper doesn't like it." His tone was a mix of helplessness and doting fondness.
For Juniper, that incident was merely an embarrassing moment she wished to forget.
Yet, for Michael, it was the only time his heart truly fluttered.
He closed his eyes, and the image of Juniper fresh from the shower with her wet hair and in a white tank top haunted his mind relentlessly.
On Wednesday morning, Jennifer was discharged from the hospital.
The two adults were preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Jennifer, ever sensitive, clung to both Juniper and Magnus's hands.
When they reached the car, Juniper hesitated, unsure if she should join them.
Jennifer, already seated in the car, implored her, "Mommy, get in the car. It's so hot outside."
Juniper glanced at Magnus.
The man suggested with loaded significance, "Get in for now, we'll talk at Royal View."
So, Juniper followed them, filled with trepidation on the road.
Jennifer tugged at her hand, "Mommy, where are we going? To daddy's house?"
"Yes, we're going to Daddy's house."
"But I didn't bring my Patrick Star."
"It's with us. I packed some clothes when I went home, and I've got the suitcase in the trunk—all your stuff is there."
Jennifer stared at her with wide eyes, then suddenly asked, "What about your things?"
Juniper's expression, clear and innocent, made her reluctant to lie to her.
"My stuff is here too."
The little girl seemed skeptical, pouting as if interrogating her, "Really?"
Juniper simply hummed in response before changing the subject, "Haven't you always wanted a cat? Daddy has an orange cat named Potato. He's chubby and adorable. You'll get to see him soon."
Children are easily distracted.
Juniper skillfully diverted Jennifer's attention.
All the way, Juniper painted a picture of how wonderful daddy's house was, doing everything to make Jennifer fall in love with that home as quickly as possible.
Before long, they arrived at Royal View.
The car rolled into the villa's driveway, and before their eyes stretched, a vast, lush green lawn adorned with a swing set and a large swimming pool.
Because he had decided beforehand to have Jennifer over, Magnus had made a point of instructing Joseph to give some of the villa's landscapes a touch of childlike charm.
In the pool, there were several swim rings and floating rubber ducks.
At the entrance of the yard, there stood a kid-sized electric toy car.
Magnus had told Joseph to buy it, especially for this occasion.
When Jennifer saw the toy car, she stopped in her tracks.
Juniper noticed her interest and said, "If you want to play, go ahead and try it out. Dad bought it just for you. It’s your car. You can drive it whenever you want."
Maybe it was the unfamiliar surroundings, but the normally cheerful and spirited Jennifer suddenly clung to Juniper's legs, refusing to let go.
Magnus crouched down and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"
Jennifer pouted and said nothing, rubbing her face against Juniper's leg.
"Mommy, can we go home?"
Juniper paused and said, "Jennifer, what are you talking about? This is your home."
The little girl didn't seem enthused and remained silent.
Juniper squatted down to look her in the eye, holding her small hand gently, she softly spoke, "Didn't you say before that daddy's house is so big and you wanted to explore it thoroughly? Let's go inside and take a look, okay?"
Jennifer didn't budge.
"Don’t you want to play with Potato? Potato is really cute, you’ll surely like him."
Still, Jennifer was unmoved.
Seeing this, Joseph went inside and brought out Potato.
"Meow~"
Joseph handed the orange cat to her and said, "Jennifer, this is Potato."
She glanced briefly at Potato but didn't take him.
It wasn't until Magnus said, "Jennifer, why don't you take a look at the room Daddy set up for you?" that she finally responded.
Clutching Juniper's hand tightly, she looked at Magnus with wide eyes and said, "Mommy goes too."
Jennifer was more dependent on Juniper than Magnus had anticipated.
He conceded with a strategic retreat, "Alright, you both go."
Jennifer led Juniper into the villa, with Magnus following behind.
In a low voice, Joseph suggested, “Magnus, Jennifer seems a bit off today. Maybe let Juniper stay the night to comfort her? The kid seems really scared that her mom might leave her behind.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
