"And you''d have to call me that, you know."


    "Deal." Shanley''s body tensed for a moment before he broke into augh. "As long as I can be with Juniper, I''ll call you whatever you want."


    "Well, you''d better step up your game," Jimmie said lightly. "Juniper starts school soon, and I hear Era University has no shortage of handsome guys..."


    "I know." Shanley''s lips pressed into a thin line, a dark glint in his eyes. "I''ll be on my best behavior."


    He had no intention of giving any of those other guys a chance.


    Downstairs in the living room, Juniper was lounging on the sofa, ying a game with Lue Langley. They chatted as they yed.


    Lue: [Got a gift for Shanley''s birthday?]


    Juniper: [Yep.]


    Lue: [Tsk, an old man of 28. But what''s with him? Does he think he can just skip all the steps and carry the princess away?]


    Juniper''s fingers, which had been flying across the screen, paused for a fraction of a second when she read Lue''s message.


    That was true. She''d forgotten about that. Shanley hadn''t actually confessed his feelings to her yet.


    Lue: [Oh, Juniper, Juniper. Right now, I really wish you had terrible eyesight.]


    Juniper: [Huh?]


    Lue: [So you wouldn''t be so easily charmed by a handsome face!]


    Juniper: [I wasn''t!]


    (It was a very unconvincing denial, even to herself.)


    Lue: [If Shanley ever dares to treat you poorly, we''ll see what the several hundred long-range cannons at the Subterra Vanguard base have to say about it!]


    Juniper''s lips twitched as she typed back azy reply: [Fine. If that day everes, I won''t stop you.]


    Lue: [??? You''d let me?]


    Juniper: [Just don''t hit his face.]


    Lue: [...]


    She was officially proposing that being lovesick be considered a capital offense.


    As evening approached, Shanley drove Juniper to the club. In the car, Juniper was curled up in her seat, casually ying a game on her phone to pass the time.


    Shanley nced over at her. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt, ck cargo pants, and a ck baseball cap. Her long, smooth hair was draped over her shoulders, her fair skin was strikingly beautiful.


    But she wasn''t carrying anything besides her phone, and her clothes didn''t seem to


    have any pockets. It looked like she really hadn''t gotten him a gift.


    A wave of unease washed over Shanley, his confidence faltering. Did Juniper truly have feelings for him? What if his confession ended in failure?


    ...


    The Diamond Club was located in the heart of Era City, where every square foot was worth a fortune. The ce was dazzling and bustling with energy.


    “Ms. Payne, Boss." Felton and Flint were already waiting by the entrance. They respectfully opened the car doors.


    "Careful," Shanley said softly, cing a hand on Juniper''s back and guiding her quickly toward the VIP section.


    When the door opened, Jimmie, Harold, Melvin, J, Lue, and a crutch-using Kurt were all there.


    Lue hadn''t wanted toe, but she was worried that the worldly-naive Juniper might get taken advantage of, so she''d reluctantly shown up.


    “Juniper,e sit here!” J called out happily as soon as she saw her.


    "Okay." Juniper smoothly slipped away from Shanley''s side to sit between J and Lue. She picked up a ss of light fruwine.


    and clinked it against theirs.


    “So, this is your cousin?" Lue''s eyesnded on J, a wicked grin ying on


    her lips. "She''s quite a cute one."


    J looked up at the "boy" with short, silver-gray hair and diamond earrings, whose sharp features were softened by a smile, and felt her. cheeks grow warm at the


    Melvin, who had been chatting with Shanley, immediately went on high alert.