<h4>Chapter 771: Only feed their resentment</h4>
Raidan stood motionless with a shocking gaze. He hadn’t expected such an admission of guilt from a son who usually carried himself with imprable pride.
"What are you saying?" Raidan asked.
"I didn’t live up to your expectations," Dominick stated, his gaze fixed on Noah’s small hands as they tugged at his vest. "I failed to understand what a marriage actually requires. Instead of reflecting on my own actions, I’ve spent my energy fighting with my brother, med even others."
Raidan sighed. "You could have forgiven Juniper. Why didn’t you?" He stepped closer, his expression softening with a touch of fatherly disappointment. "Casaio forgave Zilia and took the time to understand her. Look at them now. They have moved past their shadows and are finally building a family of their own."
Dominick tightened his hold on Noah, theparison stinging more than he cared to admit. He realized that while his brothers were moving forward, he was only just beginning to sort through the wreckage of the past he had left behind.
"Because Juniper never once told me the truth. She enjoyed the pain of others, and that is what made me so agitated. The love I carried for her dissipated instantly," Dominick asserted, his voice hardening as the memory of her deception resurfaced. "But I still admit that I didn’t handle the aftermath well."
Raidan watched his son, the sternness in his expression softening into something more paternal. He reached out, cing a steady hand on Dominick’s shoulder.
"You aren’t a disappointment to me, Dominick. If anything, you were simply careless and perhaps too inclined toward the happiness of others," Raidan stated firmly. "You prioritized Cas and Zilia’s peace above your own household. But when you marry, your spouse must be the most important person in your life, the one whose burdens you carry first."
The King took a slow breath, looking out over the stone railing toward the horizon.
"When I look back on it now, I realize you and Juniper were never trulypatible. There was too much hidden between you two from the start," he admitted. "She had a side to her personality that you weren’t even aware of until it was toote. It’s hard to build a foundation on secrets."
Dominick remained silent.
"I saw you with a woman on Kate’s wedding. I think I’ve seen here somewhere, but I couldn’t recognize her," Raidan suddenly switched their conversation flow.
"Ahh, that’s Jeniva Moore," Dominick replied.
"Jeniva Moore?" The name rang bells in his hand as he recalled who he was. "Isn’t that the omega sentinel whom I rewarded recently?"
"Yes, Dad. While working in Gridlock, I met her. The first time Inded there, I encountered her," Dominick stated.
"Don’t tell me you two are seeing each other," Raidan pronounced.
"Dad, she turned out to be my second chance mate. I rejected her because I didn’t want to do anything with her. Even she didn’t want herself to associate with me. But the rejection didn’t work. We ended up feeling each other’s scents and wolves again. That’s why we decided to give ourselves a chance," Dominick asserted as he briefed his father what exactly happened.
Noah babbled a few words bringing both of their attention and found he was fully focused on the buttons.
"Do whatever you want. It’s your life. But make sure you stay true to your feelings, understand a woman on a deeper level and not repeat what conspired in the past," Raidan advised him.
Dominick nodded, understanding the depth of his father’s words.
~~~~~
"Thank you, Evan. And I’m sorry for bothering you with all of this," Juniper said, pulling her hand back after a brief, professional handshake.
"It’s not a bother," Evan replied easily, gesturing for her to take a seat in the quiet corner of the cafe he had chosen for their meeting.
Juniper sat down, her gaze falling to the two cups of coffee already waiting on the table. The steam rose in thin, disappearing curls, but she didn’t reach for her drink immediately.
Instead, she smoothed the fabric of her coat over her knees, her expression guarded. She knew Evan worked closely with Dominick, and being seen with him felt like walking a tightrope between her past and a future she was still trying to secure.
"I hope the choice of drink is alright," Evan added, noticing her hesitation. "I remembered you preferred it ck."
"It’s fine," she murmured, finally wrapping her fingers around the warm ceramic. "I just didn’t expect anyone to still be looking into my affairs. I thought the divorce was the end of the story for everyone in the pce."
Evan leaned forward slightly. "Dominick doesn’t see it that way anymore. He’s realized that the fallout hasn’t stayed behind pce walls. And you two even met recently. I have looked into your matter and those people are to be punished."
Evan slid a navy blue file across the table and flipped it open, revealing a dense stack of legal documents.
"This document authorizes their formal prosecution and administrative punishment," Evan exined. "You just need to sign here."
Juniper scanned the lines of text, her finger tracing the harsh legal terms. "What exactly happens to them if I sign this?"
"They’ll be terminated immediately and cklisted from the industry for a period," Evan replied without blinking. "These people systematically vited your privacy and escted their harassment to a point where a colleague actually attempted to take your life. The consequences are justified."
Juniper lowered her gaze, the weight of the file feeling heavier than the paper itself. The Juniper from a year ago wouldn’t have hesitated; she would have signed with a flourish and savored the fallout. But the silence of her new life had changed her.
"I don’t want them punished like this," Juniper said, closing the file and meeting Evan’s startled gaze. "Stripping them of everything will only feed their resentment. It gives them a reason to keep hating me."
Evan blinked, clearly caught off guard by her restraint. "Juniper, they nearly destroyed you."
"I know," she said softly. "But I want to forgive them. I want to end the cycle here, not give them a reason to follow me into my future."