The next morning, Juniper was her usual self, sitting at the dining table eating breakfast. Shanley sat opposite her, his handsome face grim as his long, elegant fingers peeled an egg. Juniper sipped her soup and nced at him. There he goes again, getting angry over nothing.


    "Dana, I won''t be home for lunch," Juniper announced. "I have something to take care of at the racing association."


    The racing association? Shanley slowly lifted his gaze, his deep eyes shadowed. That meant she would see Melvin. He desperately wanted to forbid her from seeing that creep, but he didn''t want to control her life and earn her resentment.


    "Very well," Dana nodded, instinctively ncing at Shanley. She had heard from Flint about the race car driver who was trying to woo Ms. Payne. No wonder Mr. Schwartz looked like he was about tomit murder.


    Dana then looked at Juniper, who was happily eating,pletely oblivious to the dark mood of the man across from her. Such a carefree girl. She hoped she wouldn''t get snatched away.


    ...


    When the car pulled up near Aurora High, Juniper opened the door to get out.


    "Wait."


    Just as she was about to step out, Shanley grabbed her wrist. Juniper froze, looking at him in confusion. In the next moment, Shanley leaned over her, his fingers brushing against the seatbelt buckle by her side.


    "You didn''t unbuckle your seatbelt," he murmured, his voice low and husky.


    "Oh." Juniper didn''t move, letting him handle it. With a soft click, the seatbelt released, but the man leaning over her didn''t pull away. His eyes stared deeply into hers. Juniper met his gaze and raised an eyebrow.


    "Something you want to say?"


    "Yes," Shanley said, a faint smile on his lips. “Exams areing up. You should focus on your studies and not get involved with the wrong sort of people."


    "The wrong sort of people?" Juniper pondered his words for a second, then her eyes narrowed yfully. "You mean Melvin?"


    Shanley was momentarily speechless that she had figured it out so quickly.


    "He doesn''t seem like the wrong sort


    of person," Juniper said, a


    mischievous smile ying on her lips Pet voice was light andzy "Actually... he''s not bad."


    Not bad? Those two words were like gasoline on a fire. The man''s face darkened, looking as if it might freeze over.


    "Melvin..." Juniper started to exin,


    but the test results weren''t definitive yet, and she was short on time. It


    could wait. Once the report came in tonight he wouldn''t be jealous


    anymore.


    "I have to get to ss. I''m leaving."


    Watching the girl walk away cheerfully towards the school, Shanley yanked at his tie


    in frustration. “Cancel my afternoon schedule,” he ordered coldly.


    "All of it, boss?" Flint asked cautiously. The afternoon meetings were quite important.


    Shanley didn''t reply, just shot Flint an icy re.


    "Understood, boss," Felton interjected immediately. "We''ll take care of it."


    "Right," Flint muttered, catching on. Damn it, how could he forget? Anything rted to Ms. Payne was top priority. Judging by his boss''s expression was he going to catch her cheating?