Juniper''s words struck Yelena like a bolt of lightning. Her face turned ashen, and her body trembled uncontrobly. Online? She had just passed her art academy entrance exams and was nning to study film. If her identity as the "daughter of a mistress" was exposed, her future acting career would be over before it even began.


    No. She absolutely could not let that information get out.


    "Don''t..." Yelena was terrified. She finally understood that this parentless wild child was not someone to be trifled with. Wisely, she softened her tone. "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have bothered you while you were eating, and I shouldn''t have said those things."


    "Sorry?" Juniper''s lips curled into a cold smile. "Sorry to who, exactly?"


    "To you," Yelena ground out through clenched teeth, deliberately avoiding any mention of J.


    "Is that all?" Juniper''s gaze hardened, her patience clearly wearing thin.


    “Juniper, should I post it now?" Qadir asked, his phone already in hand, the message drafted and ready to send.


    "No, wait! There''s more!" Yelena quickly interrupted, turning her face reluctantly toward J. "J... I''m sorry."


    "I can''t hear you," J shot back, staring her down. Her pretty face was a mask of displeasure, showing none of the saintly forgiveness Yelena might have hoped for.


    A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Juniper''s lips as she watched the exchange. She had initially thought J was a pushover, someone who would just take the abuse. But now, it seemed she had some backbone after all.


    "You-!" Realizing J was deliberately making things difficult, Yelena''s nasty nature red up. She was about tosh out when she caught Juniper''s different gaze and froze. She bit her lip, swallowing her anger.


    Damn it. Had Juniper trained in martial arts or something? How was she so strong?


    "J..." Yelena stood up straight,


    then bent into a deep, ny-degree bow. Her voice was much louder this time. "I''m sorry. I''m truly, truly sorry was in a car ident


    recently,


    and I''ve been on a lot medication. I haven''t been thinking clearly. The things I said I didn''t mean them." Now that her own secret was out, she didn''t even dare use the word "mistress" anymore. "So, please, can you forgive me?"


    J listened silently, her expression softening slightly. After a few seconds, she took a step forward until she was standing over the bowing Yelena, looking down at her with cold eyes.


    "The reason I didn''t fight back before


    wasn''t because I was afraid of you.


    It was because I didn''t want to


    ет


    cause trouble for the school, for my momor for myself when I needed to be studying. But everyone has their limits." J''s lips moved each word delivered with sharp precision. Yelena my mother and I have zero interest in the Wilcox family fortune, and I couldn''t care less about the title of ''the Wilcox heiress.'' Frankly, I''ve never wanted anything that you hold so dear. This is yourst warning. If you ever dare to act so brazenly in front of me again..." J''s eyes, now bloodshot, locked onto Yelena''s. "We''ll settle all our scores, new and old."


    Yelena was stunned into silence. She stared at the girl who had always silently endured her taunts, now suddenly so articte and fierce. How had J changed so much?


    “Juniper, let''s go,” J said, turning away.


    “Okay.” Juniper released Yelena and meticulously cleaned her hand with a wet wipe, her face a mask of disgust.


    Qadir, Queenie, and Dolce followed, equally shocked. They never would have guessed that the gentle, quiet J could be so formidable.


    As they walked past Ynda, Juniper paused for a beat.


    Ynda sucked in a sharp breath and averted her gaze, too cowardly to meet Juniper''s eyes.