"Okay," Juniper replied, obediently setting her phone down and taking a small sip. It was a little sour for her taste.


    "Drink some more," Shanley urged with a slight frown. "You''ve been eating too many sweetstely. I specifically asked them to use less sugar in this."


    Juniper pouted but didn''t move.


    "Be good," he coaxed, pushing the ss closer. "I made sure they added extra mango to your dessert."


    With a reluctant sigh, she took another drink.


    Across the table, Qadir and Queenie exchanged a look of disbelief. Juniper was so...pliant around Mr. Schwartz.


    "I''ll be right back, just need to use the restroom,” Juniper announced, using the excuse to go check on the restaurant''s ounts.


    "Be careful," Shanley said, his eyes following her until she disappeared from view.


    With Juniper gone, an awkward silence descended. Qadir and Queenie, already intimidated by Shanley''s powerful aura, felt even more nervous without their friend as a buffer. They both stared down at theirps, too afraid to look at the formidable man sitting across from them.


    “Has Juniper been doing all right at schooltely?" Shanley asked, breaking the silence as he signaled for a waiter to pour them some water.


    Queenie was too nervous to speak, so she just picked at her fingernails.


    "She''s fine!" Qadir piped up, forcing a goofy grin. "Don''t you worry, Mr. Schwartz. With me around, no one would dare bully Juniper.”


    Shanley raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over Qadir''s slight frame.


    Him, protect Juniper? It was more likely that Juniper could send him flying with a single punch. He wondered who was protecting whom.


    After a moment, he asked, his voice low, "Has anyone been giving her love letters?" "Huh?" Qadir nearly bit his tongue.


    So this was an interrogation about dating. This wasn''t a friendly lunch; it was a trap.


    "No love letters..." he began, then hesitated, unsure if he should continue.


    "No letters Shanley said, picking up a cherry and meticulously removing the pit, a faint smile ying on his lips But perhaps something else of special nature?"  fo


    "No, no, it was just a bottle!" Qadir blurted out, then immediately regretted it. What if the bottle really was from some secret boyfriend? He would have just thrown her under the bus! Mr. Schwartz was dearly against her dating. Qadir wanted to cut his own tongue out.


    "A bottle?" Shanley repeated, setting the cherry aside and wiping his fingers on a napkin.


    Qadir mped his mouth shut, refusing to say another word.


    Seeing his dilemma, Shanley''s smile widened. "The bottle was from me.”


    The kid was surprisingly loyal to Juniper. A decent little sidekick, he mused.


    “Oh!” Qadir let out a huge sigh of relief. "So you were the one who gave it to her! No wonder she treasures it so much!"


    He had been so worried she was getting mixed up with some boy. Thank goodness it was just her brother.


    “Treasures it?” Shanley''s eyes narrowed slightly, the curve of his lips deepening as he savored the words.


    "Oh yeah," Qadir confirmed with an enthusiastic nod. "She loves that thing. Keeps it with her all the time and won''t let anyone else touch it. She''s Super protective of it. If it'' wasn''t from you, Mr. Schwartz," he added taking a sip of water would''ve thought she was looking at it and thinking of some secret


    admirer."


    Thinking of him, was she? Shanley listened quietly, a pleased, subtle smile gracing


    his handsome features.