Juniper''s gaze returned to J. "Go take your exam. I''ve got things covered here.”


    "Juniper, aren''t you taking it?" J asked, her face crinkling with guilt.


    "It doesn''t really matter if I do or not," Juniper replied with a casual shrug and a quirk of her brow. "I''ll find someone to drive you."


    "I want to "


    J wanted to stay, not wanting to leave Juniper alone, but her cousin cut her off with a stern look. "No, you don''t. Pack your bag and go take that test."


    J wanted to argue, but one look at Juniper''s determined face and her resolve crumbled. "Okay," she mumbled.


    “Felton.....” Juniper started to call for Shanley''s assistant, but Melvin stepped forward. "I''ll take her."


    “You?” Juniper narrowed her eyes, studying him with a knowing look.


    "What, you don''t trust my driving? I''m an internationally renowned race car driver, you know," Melvin said with a slight, almost forced, smile.


    "It''s not your driving I''m worried about..." Juniper trailed off, her meaning perfectly clear.


    Melvin didn''t dare respond. Shanley, however, understoodpletely, a faint smirk ying on his lips. So, his brother-inw, the one who so vehemently opposed cradle-robbing, was thinking of doing a little robbing himself? How amusing.


    "Go on, let Melvin take you," Juniper finally said to J. "Focus on your exam. I promise Saskia will be fine."


    "Okay." J''s eyes welled up as she nodded, giving Juniper a tight hug before she left. Her mom had beenining of headaches for two years, but this time it hade on so suddenly and violently. If it weren''t for Juniper, her mother might not have made it. Her mom was right. Juniper was their family''s guardian angel.


    "I''m leaving, Juniper. I''ll be back as soon as the test is over." J promised tearfully.


    ? then turne


    to Melvin and gave a respectful bow. "Thank you for your trouble, Melvin."


    In her mind, Melvin was Juniper''s older brother, which automatically made him an elder she had to treat with deference.


    "Don''t be so formal," Melvin said, taking her backpack. "Let''s go."


    "Okay.” J seemed intimidated by him, keeping her head down as she meekly followed him out.


    After they left, Juniper turned and found Shanley smiling.


    "What are you smiling about?" she asked.


    "Nothing," Shanley replied, his voice a low, rich timber. "Just thinking that Melvin... is very kind-hearted."


    "Right,” Juniper scoffed. She knew exactly what he was smiling about. From now on, there''d be one less person giving him grief about their rtionship.


    With a roll of her eyes, she stuffed her hands in her pockets and headed toward the ICU.


    As she entered the observation room, all the doctors, including Dr. Landon, immediately stood up, their attention fixed on her.


    "Ms. Payne, Mr. Schwartz, please, have a seat." Dr. Landon personally pulled out a chair for her before respectfully stepping aside.


    ?


    "Thank you, Juniper said softly, her eyes already glued to the monitor disying the live feed from the ICU, Saskiay peacefully in bed, her head wrapped in bandages, while the heart monitor beeped steadily.


    "Ms. Payne, her vitals arepletely stable," Dr. Landon said with a deferential bow and an admiring smile. "Your surgical technique js truly extraordmary, May I ask where


    mentor


    you studied, or Woo


    was?"


    As far as he knew, almost no one in the country could perform that procedure. Except, perhaps, for one person: the legendary surgeon, Nocturne. But no one had ever met the elusive master.