A boyfriend? Juniper was stumped. What in the world was that?
"If you don''t, would you consider my grandson?" the old woman asked, gripping Juniper''s hand as if to prevent her escape. Sheunched into her sales pitch. "He''s been a perfect gentleman his whole life, handsome, in great shape, and he makes a ton of money."
"But most importantly, we have a wonderful family dynamic. The women in our family are treated like queens!"
The first rule of the Schwartz Group''s family creed was: Listen to your wife, spoil your wife, and you will prosper. It was the reason the Schwartz Group had endured for centuries, growing ever more powerful and wealthy.
Juniper finally understood. The old woman was trying to set her up.
"I—" Juniper started to refuse, but was immediately cut off.
"Don''t answer just yet! Look at a picture first, then decide." The old woman hurried off to find the photos, as if a second''s dy might mean her grandson would be left on the shelf for good. Shanley might be a little old, but he was certainly handsome, and years of exercise had kept him in excellent shape. She hoped his looks or his money could seal the deal.
Juniper waited for a while, but the old woman didn''t return. Instead, she got a call from Lue. "Shanley''s people have contacted the J-Five design department again. It sounds urgent," Lue said. "The meeting is in fifteen minutes. I''m leaving the pricing to you."
"Okay."
With time running out, Juniper had no choice but to leave a farewell note. Her original reason for staying in Era City was to fulfill her grandfather''sst wish. Once she graduated, she would return to Australis. It was probably for the best that she hadn''t rejected the old woman to her face. If things went as nned, they would never meet again.
...
Hannah rummaged through her drawers, carefully selecting the perfect photo. She finally found one of Shanley with his cor slightly open, hinting at the abs beneath. She''d heard young girls were into that sort of thing.
"Found it! My dear-" She emerged triumphantly, only to find the living room empty. Seeing the note, Hannah froze, the feeling of a prized treasure slipping through her fingers washing over her. All that effort for nothing.
Sighing, Hannah looked at the pills Juniper had left. Her ungrateful grandson was just unlucky, destined to be single forever.
"Honey, honey, where did the miracle worker go?" Kent Schwartz, the patriarch of the Schwartz family, emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron and carrying a tray of snacks, looking around expectantly.
"This is all your fault!" Hannah''s smile vanished, her anger finding a target.
Kent looked utterly baffled. What did Shanley''s inability to find a wife have to do with him?
"You raised a useless son, who then raised a useless grandson," Hannah fumed. "I had to help your son find a wife, and now I have to worry about my grandson''s too? It''s infuriating!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she marched outside and started pulling up all the vegetables Kent had nted.
Kent could only watch in silent despair. "My poor vegetables..."
...
In his car, Shanley had just finished his meeting when he heard that Hannah was on
a rampage, having destroyed the entire vegetable garden. Kent, not daring to confront his wife, had called Shanley instead, warning him to get home immediately and smooth things over.
Shanley''s head throbbed. He had never seen his grandmother react so strongly. What kind of girl could have provoked such a response?
"Back to the manor," he said, settling into his seat and loosening the top two buttons of his shirt. "And contact J-Five."
Hannah would not be easily appeased this time. He would have to resort to a grand gesture. Otherwise, their rtionship might truly be on the rocks.
The car had not been driving for long when Flint''s voice broke the silence. "Sir, I think that''s Ms. Payne."
At the sound of her name, Shanley, who had been resting, snapped his eyes open and looked out the window.