<h4>Chapter 746: Pour your kindness on me</h4>


    "Shall we move somewhere quieter?" Denzel suggested, ncing around at the busy entrance. "It’s getting too crowded here."


    Juniper followed his gaze. The weekend rush had filled the area with people moving in every direction.


    She gave a small nod.


    "Alright."


    Denzel led the way inside the shopping center. The brightly lit interior was even busier than outside, with shoppers moving between stores and the sound of music echoing from different floors.


    They stepped into a ss elevator near the center of the mall. Just as the doors were about to close, arge group of people hurried in after them.


    The small space quickly became cramped.


    The sudden push from the crowd forced Juniper a step back.


    Before she could lose her bnce, Denzel turned slightly and positioned himself in front of her, creating a small barrier between her and the pressing bodies around them.


    Juniper found herself standing very close to him.


    For a brief moment, their eyes met.


    "It’s crowded here too," she murmured quietly. "We probably should have taken the esctor."


    She turned her head slightly, and that was when she noticed something.


    Denzel’s hand was braced firmly against the ss wall beside her, keeping the crowd from pushing directly into her space.


    "It would have taken longer to reach the upper floor," Denzel said in a low voice.


    Juniper could feel the crowd slowly shifting as the elevator stopped at different floors. With each stop, a few people stepped out, and the tight space gradually began to loosen.


    Denzel finally rxed a little when the pressure around them eased.


    When the elevator reached the fourth floor, the doors slid open and both of them stepped out.


    The upper level was quieterpared to the crowded entrance below. Denzel gestured toward a café nearby, and Juniper followed him inside.


    They chose a table near the window.


    Denzel went to the counter and returned a few minutester with two cups of cappino, setting one in front of her before taking his seat.


    Juniper wrapped her hands around the warm cup.


    "So," she said after a moment, "what did you want to talk about?"


    Denzel leaned slightly forward.


    "The proposal you brought to my office the other day," he said. "I’ll be leading that project."


    Juniper nodded calmly.


    "Yes, the manager already informed our team."


    She lifted the cup and took a small sip before cing it back down.


    "But we shouldn’t discuss work here," she added in aposed tone.


    Denzel looked at her curiously.


    Juniper met his gaze, rifying her point.


    "I’m much more junior than you in rank," she said. "If someone from thepany sees us discussing official matters outside the workce, it could create unnecessaryplications for me. I don’t want that to be a problemter."


    "I’m not nning to talk about the project," Denzel said calmly.


    Juniper paused, her fingers still wrapped around the warm cup.


    "I wanted to ask how you’ve been doing."


    She slowly lifted her gaze and looked at him, confusion clearly written across her face.


    Denzel hesitated for a moment before continuing.


    "I... saw you at the team dinner the other night," he said carefully. "Some of your colleagues were gossiping about you behind your back."


    His brows furrowed slightly.


    "Don’t you think that kind of talk will only grow if no one stops it?"


    Juniper’s expression hardened immediately.


    "Why do you care about that?" she asked, frowning. "And don’t pity me."


    She leaned back slightly in her chair. "So what if they gossip behind my back?" she continued. "Do you think I’m incapable of dealing with it?"


    A short, dismissive chuckle escaped her.


    "I’m not afraid of people’s words," she said firmly. "Let them bark all they want. I don’t care."


    Denzel didn’t interrupt her.


    But as he watched her closely, he noticed something that didn’t match the fearless words she was speaking. Her hands, still resting around the coffee cup, were trembling slightly.


    "Forgive me if anything I said offended you," Denzel said calmly. "That wasn’t my intention."


    He paused briefly before continuing.


    "I only wanted to check if you’re coping well. Prince Dominick is surrounded by people who support him and look out for him... but the same can’t exactly be said for you."


    His voice softened slightly.


    "You could say I was a little worried."


    Juniper listened without interrupting, but the firmness in her expression didn’t soften.


    "You shouldn’t be worried, Denzel," she replied evenly.


    She looked straight at him as she spoke.


    "You don’t even know me that well. You’re Gabriel’s gamma... someone I barely interacted with in the past."


    Her tone wasn’t rude, but it was distant.


    "So don’t pour your kindness on me," she added. "I can manage my life perfectly well on my own." She drew a quiet breath before continuing. "And don’t feel bad for me either. I knew this was something I would have to face after my divorce."


    With that, she pushed her chair back and stood up.


    The half-finished cup of cappino remained on the table.


    "I should leave now," she said quietly.


    Without waiting for his reply, Juniper turned and walked out of the café, leaving Denzel.


    She didn’t stop until she reached a quieter section of the shopping center.


    Near one of the stores, a small bench stood in the corner of the corridor. She lowered herself onto it, leaning slightly forward as she ced her elbows on her knees.


    For a few seconds, she did nothing but breathe. Her heart was still racing from the conversation she had just had.


    "I said far more than I should have," she murmured to herself under her breath.


    She ran a hand through her hair, frustration creeping across her face.


    "He’s my senior at work... what if he fires me?"


    The thought made her stomach tighten.


    Juniper quickly opened her purse and pulled out her phone. The screen lit up, revealing a missed call notification. It was from the manager’s secretary.


    "Why would he call me?" she wondered.


    She immediately tapped the number and dialed back, pressing the phone to her ear. The line rang briefly before an automated tone informed her that the number was currently busy.


    Juniper lowered the phone slowly. "Should I go back and apologize to Denzel?" she muttered, conflicted.


    She knew she had spoken harshly.


    "I still need toplete at least three months in thispany before I can switch jobs," she whispered to herself.


    Thest thing she could afford right now was to create problems with someone as influential as Denzel.