Can''t perform?


    Who on earth was spreading these rumors?


    Felton and Flint, who had heard everything, stared wide-eyed.


    Wow! Ms. Payne had just openly told their boss he "can''t perform." That was a greater insult than stabbing him twice in the heart.


    They wanted tough, but they were terrified of the consequences.


    "Alright, then." Having said her piece and feeling there was nothing else to add, Juniper pushed open the car door and bolted.


    After a few steps, she turned back and added kindly, "And cut back on the alcohol!" Shanley just stared at her, his expression too dark for words.


    "Bye!" Juniper knew this was a sensitive topic rted to a man''s pride. After giving her final piece of advice, she vanished into the night.


    Beneath the quiet moonlight, the dark gray sports car sat parked on the winding road. The wind rustled through the trees, adding to the deste atmosphere. Inside, the refined and powerful man''s face was a thundercloud, his handsome features so grim they looked like they might drip ice. The air in the car was thick with a deadly silence. Felton and Flint were too scared to even breathe.


    "Find them," Shanley finally said, his voice raw and cold, his eyes bloodshot. "Find out who is spreading these rumors!"


    "Yes, Boss!" Felton and Flint flinched in unison.


    Their boss was truly furious this time. And who knew what Ms. Payne was thinking now? They had thought she was starting to warm up to him, that his n to win her over would soon seed. Now... the ship hadn''t just sailed, it had crashed into a giant iceberg. And there was really no way for their boss to exin this one.


    How awkward!


    The next day, Juniper arrived at school early to see the news station''s interview with Queenie being broadcast on therge screen, along with a promotional video for Aurora High School. Era High School and Ynda were also trending, but for all the wrong reasons.


    Online forums were flooded withments calling Ynda vain and demanding she apologize to both Queenie and Juniper. Now, Ynda couldn''t even hold her head up at school. Overnight, she had fallen from the pedestal of the popr school belle to a pariah.


    Juniper smirked, satisfied with the oue.


    When she got to her ssroom, she found her desk piled high with snacks, letters, and notes. Apparently, they were from students in other grades and sses—both boys and girls.


    "Juniper, I''ll help you with this," Qadir immediately offered, eagerly organizing the items and wiping down her desk and chair like he was serving a queen.


    "Just return everything. Tell them I appreciate the sentiment, but this is a ce for learning. We don''t need all this clutter," Juniper said, putting down her backpack and taking out her textbooks to start her homework.


    "Yes, Juniper!" Qadir obeyed at once, ordering his underlings to handle it.


    "Juniper, if you don''t understand anything, you can ask me," Queenie said, popping open a carton of milk for her and unwrapping a small pastry. She sat beside her, resting her chin on her hands with stars in her eyes.


    "Alright," Juniper replied cheerfully, munching on the pastry.


    ...


    At 5:30 p.m., after dinner, all of Aurora High''s underachieving students gathered in one ssroom for tutoring. Today''s subject was math, taught by the head of the senior year''s math department, with Queenie as his assistant.


    The math teacher pushed open the door and saw Juniper sitting in the front row. This student was a brilliant dancer, but her grades were abysmal. Salma had given him the target of raising her score to at least 40. The pressure was immense.