Chapter 87 We Can't Go Back
Slowly, Juniper rose to her feet, her legs numb from sitting too long.
Magnus steadied her.
Then, he turned his back to her and bent down. "Come on, I'll carry you on my back."
Juniper hesitated for a few seconds on the steps. Magnus seemed to guess her thoughts, glancing over his shoulder, "Don't you want to hurry up and see Jennifer? She's been crying."
It was like she had been preparing for a final goodbye.
Seeing Magnus again just felt like an unexpected stroke of luck, an extra glimpse to cherish.
She climbed onto his back. It wasn't the first time he had carried her.
As Juniper gazed at his profile, her voice hoarse, she asked, "Why did you come to X City?"
"And you?" he countered.
"I came here to atone."
"I've been cleared, but now, you're the one with the tainted reputation."
He should have felt relieved to have his innocence proved, but it seemed he wasn't feeling the weight lift as he had expected.
Juniper pulled a wry smile, "I've always lived in the mire. Whether I'm innocent or not doesn't really matter to me."
Integrity meant nothing to someone on the brink of death.
She had never imagined she'd do this, that she would beg for Magnus' forgiveness.
All she wanted to do was to pay off her debts to him while she still had breath, nothing more.
On the road back from X City to the Imperial Capital.
The four of them remained silent.
This time, as usual, Robert was driving.
But Ophelia was sitting in the passenger seat.
Magnus and Juniper were in the back.
Six years ago, when he went to prison, he grew to despise X City.
Three years ago, upon his release, he vowed never to set foot there again.
But within just two months of reconnecting with Juniper, he had visited X City twice, both times for her.
The first time was to rescue her from David's clutches, braving a storm to use a piece of property in the South of the Imperial Capital.
Tonight was the second time.
For him, she had turned her back on her family and reported Alexander.
It was as if the tightly sealed, impregnable fortress had crumbled in an instant.
Juniper looked terrible, drained of all spirit and utterly defeated.
He didn't take her to Royal View, but instead, he dropped her off at the place she usually stayed.
Juniper staggered into her bedroom, her chest and stomach aching.
She managed to fall asleep for half an hour but woke up to a sharp pain in her abdomen—it seemed her period had started.
She was sweating profusely from the pain and tried to get up to find a sanitary pad in the bathroom.
But as soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, she found that Magnus hadn't left.
He was sitting in a chair in the living room.
In her small, 60-square-meter home, his tall frame and dignified presence seemed so out of place.
Juniper's spine stiffened, "Why haven't you left? I might not be able to join you at Royal View to see Jennifer tonight. Let's wait a few days. when I'm feeling better, I'll arrange to meet Jennifer, but maybe we won't go to Royal View. We'll meet somewhere else."
She thought he was waiting for her to go to Royal View to see Jennifer.
Her voice was weak, her face pale as paper.
Magnus stood up, confronting her directly, "Are you on your period?"
"Yeah, it's just my usual painful periods; I'm used to it; you can go now."
Juniper turned and entered the bathroom to search for a sanitary pad.
She remembered using up the last one and, with everything that had happened recently, she had forgotten to buy more.
Frantically, she rummaged through the cabinet, breaking into a sweat.
She was overwhelmed with frustration.
Lately, it seemed like any little thing could easily breach her defenses, triggering an emotional collapse.
Magnus suddenly spoke up, "I'll go downstairs to buy some. Just wait here."
Juniper stood with her back to him, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Once, Magnus had left and closed the door behind him.
She looked up and noticed a small medicine bottle on top of the cabinet.
Maprotiline hydrochloride tablets.
She quickly shoved the small bottle into a corner beneath the cabinet and closed the cabinet door.
About ten minutes later.
Magnus returned with a bag full of items.
He handed her a pack of sanitary pads, "Go ahead and change."
"Thank you."
After she had changed her pants and sanitary pad and came out of the bathroom, she saw a tall figure crammed into the tiny kitchen.
Magnus stood in front of the stove, cooking something.
Not only had he bought sanitary pads, but he had also bought hot cocoa, which he placed in front of Juniper.
Looking at the hot cocoa, her heart surged with a bittersweet feeling.
"I had to clear my name, even though I was coerced by Alexander. It was indeed due to my testimony that you suffered for three years. You don't have to be nice to me just because I helped expose Alexander."
If only he had been nice to her earlier, so much earlier, how wonderful that would have been.
But now, she couldn't bear it, nor did she dare to entertain the thought.
Magnus pushed the hot cocoa towards her with an indifferent tone, "Drink it while it's hot."
Juniper didn't say anything more and just held the warm bowl of cocoa, sipping it slowly.
The warm liquid flowed down her throat to her stomach, bringing comfort.
Juniper was exhausted. She had no energy to spar with Magnus.
All she wanted now was a good, long sleep to escape the turmoil outside.
"I'm tired. You should go back. Jennifer might still be waiting for you."
She got up, intending to enter the bedroom.
Suddenly, she was tightly embraced by a pair of arms.
Magnus held her from behind, his kisses gently landing on the nape of her neck.
"Magnus..."
Juniper instinctively tried to pull away.
His hoarse voice rose from behind her, "Why did you suddenly quit your job? Why did you suddenly go to court to expose Alexander? Why are you trying to push me away? When you wanted to cling to me, you did with all your might. And when you wanted to throw me aside, did you ever consider my feelings?"
She was immobilized in his arms, afraid to move.
All she could muster was a dazed response, "It's true I caused you to go to jail, and it's true you nearly died there. Everything that has happened since our reunion, the hurts we have inflicted on each other, is real. Magnus, we can't go back, and I don't deserve you."
She forcefully pushed his hands away.
Tears dropped, one by one, onto the back of his hand.
Juniper retreated into her room, and she locked the door behind her.
She leaned against the door, taking deep breaths as pain clenched her chest, threatening to suffocate her.
She didn't know if Magnus had left.
Her actions were not motivated by a desire for reconciliation but by a wish to board a ship guilt-free—a ship that would take her away from him forever.
Downstairs, Magnus sat in his car, having spent the night there.
In the wee hours of the morning, a call came from the nursing home.
"Hello, Magnus? Your mother suddenly went up to the rooftop in the middle of the night, saying she needed to find Benjamin. We've tried to coax her down, but she won't budge. Can you come over right away?"
"I'll be right there."
After hanging up the phone, Magnus glanced at the building one last time before driving away.
On the rooftop of the nursing home, Ava stood in the wind. Her frail body seemed like it could be blown away at any moment.
She mumbled to herself, "Benjamin, I dreamt of Benjamin again. His death was so tragic."
"Ava, please come down. It's too dangerous over there!"
"But I want to see Benjamin. Can you help me find him?"
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