"You little bitch, you have a death wish!"


    The drunk man clutched his bleeding head, roaring in fury as he balled his fists and lunged at the two women again.


    Smash!


    Coralie swung her heavy designer bag in a brutal backhand, mming the hardware directly into the man''s face.


    "Argh !"


    The purse was solid, and the impact forced a pained howl from his throat.


    Before he could even recover his bnce, Coralie nted a vicious front kick into his chest,unching him backward straight into the decorative koi pond.


    Ssh!


    The dead-of-winter water was freezing. The bone-chilling cold instantly shocked the man sober. He started thrashing wildly, screaming bloody murder for help.


    "Who exactly were you calling a bitch?" Coralie crossed her arms, standing on the edge of the pond and looking down at the iling man with an unhurried, icy stare.


    "Me! I was calling myself a bitch! Please,dy, have mercy! Pull me out!" The man was shivering violently, his teeth chattering as he begged for his life.


    "Oh," Coralie replied tly. A wicked, arrogant smirk curled her red lips. "Your mouth was a bit dirty. Take your time washing it."


    The man continued to scream and thrash in the icy water until he was practically blue. Only then did Coralie pretend to run for help.


    "He was just walking and slipped right in! Ms. Payne and I happened to be walking by and saw the whole thing!"


    Two waiters rushed over, frantically dragging the unconscious, half-frozen man out of the pond.


    "Thank you so much, Ms. Payne, Ms. Quill."


    "Don''t mention it," Coralie smiled, the picture of radiant warmth. "Helping those in need is just good manners."


    Once the man was hauled away, Coralie finally turned back to look at Juniper, who hadn''t said a single word the entire time.


    Seeing Juniper staring at her with wide, quiet eyes, Coralie cleared her throat and elegantly smoothed down her messy hair. "I... took a few Taekwondo sses. Handling street trash like that is easy enough."


    Took a few sses? Yeah, I can tell, Juniper thought.


    Juniper lowered her gaze, her eyesnding on Coralie''s bare feet. "Do you want to put your shoes back on first?" she asked softly.


    Acting like a total badass while standing barefoot on the freezing pavement. Impressive.


    "Right." Coralie casually slipped her heels back on and pulled her trench coat tighter around her waist. "I didn''t scare you, did I?"


    "No." Juniper walked over, pulled a piece of candy from her pocket, and held it out. "Mango vored. Want it?"


    "Sure." Coralie took it and popped it into her mouth immediately.


    The two of them sat back down on the stone bench, resuming their aimless chatter.


    Bonding over their shared history as lonely orphans, Coralie''s walls crumbled. The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Eventually, she grabbed the wine bottle by the neck and started chugging itin sheer frustration.


    "Why can''t I keep them? Why can''t I hold onto a single person I love?"


    Coralie rested her head on Juniper''s shoulder, her eyes entirely bloodshot. Gone


    was the ruthless, decisive boss of the Westshore Casino.


    "Ms. Payne, I''m so jealous of you,"


    Coralie slurred, shaking her head as a wave of profound destion washed over her. "I''m jealous that you found your family I''m jealous


    that you have someone who doves you. I have nothing. I have absolutely nothing left."


    "The world is so unfair... it''s so fucking unfair!"


    Juniper''s initial instinct was to push the drunken woman off her shoulder, but seeing Coralie''s face streaked with tears, a sharp ache tugged at her heart.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Shanley had just finished his obligatory businessworking. He scanned the grand hall, but Juniper was nowhere to be seen.


    "Boss, Ms. Payne is out in the back garden," Felton reported respectfully. "She''s chatting with someone."


    "Someone?" Shanley unbuttoned his cuffs, his dark brows furrowing. "Who?"


    "Ms. Quill," Felton answered truthfully.


    Coralie Quill? That woman was like a lingering ghost!


    Shanley''s eyes turned instantly hostile. He took off in long, aggressive strides toward the gardens.


    Just as he rounded the corner, a


    woman''s drunken, slurred voice carried through the crisp night air.


    Jumper how are you so cute?


    seriously like you so much!


    "What exactly are you two doing?"


    Shanley stopped dead in his tracks, a terrifying, murderous aura radiating from him.


    Juniper turned her head. Shanley was standing right behind them, staring at them with eyes so dark they looked lethal.