Chapter 650: Caught in the Act
Juniper woke up feeling like a million bucks after a nightmare-free sleep. She hugged her pillow tight and said, "Man, I missed you, pillow. And you too, room."
How awesome would it be if she could just chill here every day? But nah, she’s already grinding at work for like ten hours a day. If she and Anthony shacked up, they'd be together 24/7. She'd be all for it, but Anthony might get annoyed. Early days in a relationship need that perfect balance; too much could mess things up.
Juniper got up and whipped up some sandwiches. Right on cue, Anthony strolled out of his room.
"Morning, Mr. Eilish!" Juniper flashed a smile that could light up a room.
She was all sunshine and rainbows, acting like yesterday's drama never happened. That’s good; it’s like a rainbow after a storm.
Anthony felt a bit more at ease. "Morning."
"Breakfast time! Made your fave sandwich and some fresh OJ. Gotta get those vitamins in the morning."
Looking at her glowing face, Anthony thought she was like a sunflower, always turning towards the sun, no matter the storm.
Honestly, he had missed her while she was gone. His place was usually dead quiet, but once she left, it was too quiet. He kept thinking about her, her lively chatter filling the silence.
He knew he had feelings for her. But there was still someone else in his heart. He wasn’t ready to dive into something new, scared it’d just end in heartbreak for Juniper.
"What’s on your mind?" Juniper waved her hand in front of his face.
Anthony snapped back and joined her for breakfast. They both silently agreed not to bring up last night’s craziness.
After breakfast, Juniper hitched a ride to work with Anthony. A little ways from the office, she asked him to pull over. "If people see us, they might get the wrong idea. See you at the office, Mr. Eilish."
As soon as Juniper hopped out, Mira, who was grabbing breakfast nearby, spotted her. Mira frowned. What’s the deal? Did Anthony give her a ride just because it was on the way?
She’d been his secretary for over a year and never got that kind of treatment. And the car was parked here to avoid suspicion. Looked like they spent the night together.
Mira was floored. Anthony was always so proper, not the type to mess around with coworkers. But she had to admit, Juniper was a knockout. Even Terry had hired her on the spot, and there were rumors she was a bit of a seductress.
Mira couldn’t figure it out but felt super uneasy.
As soon as Juniper got to the office, Terry called her in. He was all apologies for last night’s mess. "I shouldn’t have asked you to go to that event, but what happened after was out of my hands. Other companies might send pretty employees to schmooze clients, but the Eilish Group doesn’t roll like that."
"I know, Terry. You really helped me out yesterday."
"Anyway, thank goodness nothing happened. I wouldn’t be able to face you, your family, or Mr. Eilish."
"Face Mr. Eilish?"
"Yeah, I called Mr. Eilish as soon as things went south. He must've been super worried about you."
Juniper quickly added, "Mr. Eilish is just a good boss who cares about all his employees."
"Terry nodded, "True, but he seems to have a special concern for you. You might not know this, but we've cut all ties with the Woods Group. Our business relationship with them is over."
Juniper's jaw dropped. "Didn't you say yesterday that the Woods Group is our biggest client this year?"
"Yep, and Mr. Eilish's decision is gonna hit us hard. The shareholders are pissed, and Vice President Caleb Eilish is not happy either."
Cutting ties with a major client was bound to cause a ruckus.
She'd only been with the company for less than a week, and Anthony had already axed two clients for her. Was she some kind of bad luck charm?
Juniper felt a bit uneasy.
"I probably shouldn't have told you this. Just pretend you didn't hear it. Mr. Eilish is firm on this. Don't stress; just do your job."
"Okay."
But Juniper couldn't shake it off. After mulling it over, she brought a cup of coffee into the CEO's office.
"I didn't ask for coffee," Anthony said.
After a moment, Juniper spoke up, "About canceling the deal with the Woods Group, could you reconsider?"
"I've already made up my mind."
"I know, but there's still time to fix this. The shareholders are really upset. I don't want you to be under pressure."
"This is nothing. If I can't make this call, then I don't deserve to be CEO," Anthony replied coolly.
"Sure, you can make decisions, but this will cause unnecessary losses and make enemies. People only care about their own interests. The issue is over, and it won't happen again. Why not just let it go? It's a small thing."
"I don't see the safety of my team as a small thing. If I can't protect my people, then I shouldn't be CEO."
This wasn't the only reason, but part of it was because it involved Juniper. When he got Terry's call, he was really worried.
She called it a small issue because nothing happened, but what if it had? It could've ruined her life.
"You can't take chances with this kind of thing," Anthony said.
"I just won't go to those events anymore. Nothing happened this time, right? I'm not taking chances, but..." Juniper tried to explain.
"I've made my decision."
"Anthony," Juniper sighed. "Call it wishful thinking, but I don't want to cause any loss or trouble for you or anyone else."
"You're definitely wishful thinking. This has nothing to do with you. Just do your job and don't worry about other stuff."
"But how can I not think about it? This isn't the first time. Last time... I can't say I can help you much, but I don't want to drag you down."
"This matter is settled. Go back to work," Anthony said firmly.
Juniper felt helpless. Nothing she said would change his mind. But this made her feel really guilty. She wasn't worried about herself but about him. She could only turn and leave.
Just as she got back to her desk, a delivery guy walked in with a massive bouquet of 199 red roses. "Who's Juniper?"
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