Juniper quickly turned off her phone and shifted in her seat. "When did you get here?" she muttered.


    Her senses were usually sharp; the slightest disturbance would catch her attention. But after spending so much time with him, she found her guard slipping.


    "Hmm?" Shanley brought over a te of peeled apple slices and set it in front of her. He leaned down, his deep eyes level with hers. "Probably around the time your ''wrong number'' was advising you to get..."


    "Ahem." Juniper knew exactly what he was about to say. Her face went hot, and she quickly cut him off. "I''m hungry."


    Shanley gazed at her, a wide grin spreading across his face, his eyes growing warmer. The words were innocent enough, but in context, it sounded suspiciously like she really did intend to pounce on him.


    “I want some cake,” Juniper added quickly.


    “Have some apple first to tide you over," Shanley said, a charming smile on his face. His voice was a soft, captivating whisper. "From now on, just tell me what you want. I can give you anything."


    Juniper''s cheeks burned. She ignored him and focused on eating the apple slices.


    "As for the money..." Shanley continued, "I promised I''d make money to support you. My money is naturally your money."


    "Alright," Juniper said. She picked up her phone and called her design director. “I agree to the partnership with Schwartz Group."


    The message was clear: The gig is up. I''m not pretending anymore. I am J-Five. "Boss, what should I quote them?" the director asked.


    "Fill up five checks," Juniper said with augh, popping another piece of apple into her mouth.


    The director quickly checked the maximum amount for a single check. Nine hundred and ny million... Five of those would be nearly


    five billion Five billion, not fifty dors! He knew his boss was a shark, but he never expected her to be this ruthless.


    "Boss, isn''t that a bit much?" the director asked cautiously. "Your man doesn''t know you''re J-Five, does he?"


    Last time they''d met, it was clear she wanted to keep her identity a secret.


    The words nearly made Juniper choke. "Who are you calling my man? Speak properly," she snapped.


    "Sorry, boss," the director chuckled. He supposed "your man" was a bit crude. He paused for a second before venturing, "So, um... is your future husband with it?"


    Juniper''s eyes widened, a blush instantly coloring her cheeks.


    Before she could respond, the man beside her spoke into the phone. "This is Shanley Schwartz. A team from Schwartz Group will be at the studio tomorrow morning to discuss the details of our partnership Add another billion to the offer


    What? The director''s mind went nk. He wasn''t hearing things, was he? The person on the phone was the CEO of Schwartz Group, Shanley? He was with Juniper thite at night? Were they living together?


    "Yes, of course! Absolutely!" The director quickly hung up, feeling light-headed. Their rtionship was clearly serious. If he''d known, he would have encouraged their boss to ask for even more money.


    After the call, Shanley looked at the blushing girl beside him. “The people at your studio.....” he said, his gaze intense, “...are very well-trained."