He was like who?


    Her grandfather?!


    The words hung in the air, plunging the car into a dead silence.


    Shanley''s hand froze mid-motion. The smile vanished from his face, and his eyes stared at her like chips of ice.


    In the front seat, Felton and Flint desperately wanted tough but didn''t dare.


    Their boss had been trying so hard-buying her candy, tending to her wounds-and all for what? In the end, not only was the girl not moved, she actually thought he was like her grandfather. In Ms. Payne''s eyes, their boss was just an "old man."


    "How so?" Shanley managed to ask, forcing a smile and suppressing his irritation while keeping his voice gentle.


    "When I used to get hurt, my grandfather would put ointment on my wounds just like this," Juniper exined nonchntly, sipping her milkshake and chewing on the popping boba inside.


    "And no one else has made you think of him?" Shanley asked, his touch so light she could barely feel it.


    "Hmm?" Juniper looked up, her starry eyes blinking for a second. "No one else has ever treated my injuries before."


    When she was little, her grandfather was always the first to notice even the smallest scrape. As she got older and her medical skills improved, she started taking care of any injuries herself. As long as it wasn''t fatal, she didn''t really care.


    The injury on her hand was from a fall she''d taken while gathering herbs for her grandfather. It had been mostly healed, but ying the drums so intensely on stage had probably aggravated it. It would have been fine in two or three days; she hadn''t even considered putting medicine on it.


    "Is that so?" A faint smile touched Shanley''s eyes as the girl''s words sank in. His dark mood lifted. So, besides her grandfather, he was the only one who had ever been this close.


    Fine. If he was like her grandfather, so be it.


    The gloom on his face vanished. He capped the ointment and tucked it into the side pocket of her backpack.


    “Thanks,” Juniper said, flexing her wrist. Whether it was the medicine or just a cebo effect, it already felt less painful.


    "Don''t mention it," Shanley replied, his deep eyes crinkling as he watched her finish her milkshake. "Was it good?"


    "Mmm," she nodded, easily pleased.


    "If you like it, I''ll buy it for you often.” Shanley''s smile was full of satisfaction as he continued to charm her.


    "Is this your way of repaying me?" Juniper asked, tilting her head. Her eyes were clean and bright, as clear as a summer sea.


    "Yes," Shanley nodded, lying through his teeth. "You saved three of our lives. It''s a debt heavier than gold. Helping others is a virtue, and so is repaying kindness."


    Juniper studied his face for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Fine by me." Shanley was charmed. She was such a smart girl; how could she not see his real intentions?


    Oh well. She was still young. He would just have to be patient and wait for her to grow up. If she knew the truth now, she might run away. He would simply have to win her over slowly.


    ...


    Moonlight Peak, The Rooftop Garden.


    Shanley was about to hand Juniper a menu, but before he could, she had already reeled off a list of dishes with practiced ease.


    He paused, surprised. The dishes she''d ordered were exclusively for guests of the rooftop garden. And from her familiarity, it was clear this wasn''t her first time here.


    ording to his investigation, although the Sherwin family had taken her in, she''d had a difficult life, spending most of her time living in a sanctuary with her grandfather. So how had she frequented a ce that even the Sherwins couldn''t get into?


    Street fights. The ck market. Moonlight Peak...


    This girl, he realized, was full of secrets. And he found it utterly fascinating.


    During the meal, Shanley barely touched his own food. Instead, he used the serving utensils to fill Juniper''s te, carefully picking out any ingredients he noticed she disliked.