The executives exchanged bewildered nces. What was going on? Aside from his watch, Mr. Schwartz never wore any essories, let alone something like a bracelet made of wooden prayer beads. Everyone knew he was a man who scoffed at the very idea of fate.


    "Not bad. Next," Shanley said, a rarepliment escaping his lips as he listened to the marketing director''s report.


    The others were stunned. Mr. Schwartz seemed to be in an unusually good mood today. The marketing director was usually the one who got chewed out the most during these meetings. Had hell frozen over?


    "Thank you, Mr. Schwartz," the marketing director said, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.


    "Next," Shanley began, but his gaze fell to the bracelet on his wrist, and his expression softened. "Actually, that''s all for today. Meeting adjourned."


    Meeting adjourned? The executives looked at each other, their faces breaking into smiles like it was Christmas morning. They usually sat through these meetings on pins and needles, terrified of being verbally eviscerated. They never imagined a meeting could end so peacefully.


    "Flint," a few of the senior managers called out as Shanley left. They rushed over to his executive assistant, who was gathering documents. "What''s gotten into the boss today?"


    "Yeah, and what''s with the bracelet?"


    "He seems to be in a great mood. Is there some good news?"


    Flint finished organizing the files and answered with solemn gravity, "The boss''s marriage proposal was a sess. The bracelet was a gift from the future Mrs. Schwartz."


    "What?" The executives'' eyes went wide, their jaws practically hitting the floor.


    Mr. Schwartz had a fiancée? But wasn''t he... into men?


    "He''ll likely be in a good mood for a while," Flint added, chin held high as he scanned the room. He offered a piece of friendly advice, "Anyone who needs to request time off, admit to a mistake, or report ack of progress... now would be the time."


    The executives stared at one another in silence. A few secondster, the quickest one to react grabbed his contract and sprinted out of the room. He had to catch the boss while he was still happy.


    "Hey, wait up!"


    The others scrambled to follow. Soon, news that a mistress for the Schwartz Group had been chosen spread like wildfire across the inte. Countless socialites were heartbroken, as were a fair number of... young man who wept in private. What happened to being immune to female charms?


    [Logically, the future Mrs. Schwartz shoulde from a familyparable to the Schwartzes. So howe there''s no news from anyone in Era City''s high society?]


    [Maybe her identity is a huge secret that can''t be revealed?]


    [Could it be... that the future Mrs. Schwartz is a man?]


    [?]


    [??]


    [???]


    [Dude above, I admire your courage, but you might want to turn off your DMs.]


    Half a monthter, Juniper received her eptance letter from Era


    University. Orientation Ed


    was in two..


    weeks.


    Queenie and J were also epted to Era, majoring in political science andw, respectively.


    Qadir got lucky and managed to get


    into the same university as Dolce


    located


    right next to Era in the university, district,


    ...


    On the first day of school, Shanley drove Juniper to the campus gate.


    "I can go in by myself," Juniper said, grabbing her bag and hopping out of the car.


    "Juniper, let me walk you in," Jimmie offered from inside.


    "I''ll do it," Shanley interjected with a frown, his voice low. "I know my way around Era University."


    "We''ll go with you," Harold and Melvin chimed in, eager to join the fun.


    The four of them bickered back and forth.


    "Stop," Juniper said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She nced at the men still in the SUV With casual air "Go home. bcan''t


    be seen with any of you."


    Her unpresentable boyfriend fell silent.


    Her unpresentable brothers were rendered speechless.