<h4>Chapter 779: Won’t let you leave</h4>
Juniper gripped her phone, her gaze fixed on a pair of children chasing each other near the fountain. "If Prince Casaio wants to apologize to me, then you don’t need to," she said, her voice sounding tired but remarkably steady.
"Why? I will stay in guilt if I don’t," Casaio replied, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing through the office on the other end. "Honestly, I always was."
"It doesn’t matter anymore," Juniper replied, a small, sad smile touching her lips. "Everything involved with Dominick has finishedpletely. Recalling a past I once shared with him... It just doesn’t hold weight anymore," she affirmed.
"June, I still need to apologize to you personally. You’ve gone through so much since the separation. You were even attacked because of the bitterness that grew among your colleagues. I know a lot happened in the past. You were upset that Zilia received approval from everyone around her immediately, while for you, things went so differently."
His voice carried a heavy regret that made Juniper close her eyes.
"How could I have been epted? I hurt Idris, a boy who wasn’t at fault. I was selfishly ambitious," Juniper said. "The person I truly needed an apology from, I have already received it. I’ll hang up now."
Before Casaio could respond, the line went dead.
Casaio stood in the center of his office, staring at the darkened screen of his phone. He realized then that Juniper wasn’t looking for a grand royal reconciliation; she had finally found her own closure by admitting her own mistakes and receiving an apology from Dominick.
~~~~
Aisha looked at the elegant silver bracelet she had chosen for Karmen, a soft smile ying on her lips as she imagined it resting against his wrist. It was sophisticated yet understated, perfectly suited to him. She nodded to the salesdy, requesting it be gift-wrapped.
After sliding her credit card back into her wallet and taking the small, velvet-lined bag, she stepped out.
"Shall I go to his house?" she murmured to herself, ncing at the bustling street.
Despite living in the city for some time now, she had never once stepped foot in his private residence.
He had shared the address with her months ago, but she had always hesitated, preferring their neutral meeting spots or the pce grounds. She checked her watch; it was still early enough for an afternoon visit.
"A celebration needs more than just a gift," she decided, her eyes catching the sign of a nearby high-end bakery.
She went into the shop and picked out a fresh, creamy cheesecake, the box tied with a delicate silk ribbon. With the gift bag in one hand and the cake in the other, she hailed a cab.
As the car pulled away toward his neighborhood, Aisha looked up at the high-end, luxurious building. The security was tight; the guard carefully verified her identity before allowing her to enter the marble lobby. Stepping into the golden elevator, she pressed the button for the 25th floor and leaned back against the mirrored wall, her heart racing.
The doors slid open, and she stepped out into a quiet, carpeted hallway. She quickly located the first door and pressed the doorbell.
When the door finally swung open, her face lit up. "Karmen!" she eximed, her joy mirroring the sudden shock on his face.
"Aisha?" Karmen stood there, momentarily stunned, before regaining hisposure and weing her inside.
As she stepped out of her shoes and into a pair of soft house slippers, Karmen closed the door behind them. "You didn’t mention you wereing," he said, his voice a mix of surprise and mild concern.
"I wanted to surprise you," Aisha answered, clutching the cheesecake box. "I apologize if I’ve troubled you."
"Don’t apologize. I only meant that I would have picked you up myself," Karmen replied, leading her toward the living room. He reached up to rub the back of his neck, looking slightly sheepish. "And... I would have cleaned up the mess."
He gestured toward therge ss coffee table, which was buried under a mountain of documents and files– some shut, others syed open with handwritten notes scrawled in the margins.
Aisha immediately set her things down and knelt on the soft rug to help him gather the stray papers. "You were clearly working on something important. I really have disturbed you," she noted, her eyes catching theplex diagrams on the pages.
"It’s just rted to an uing project," Karmen insisted, though he moved quickly to stack the most sensitive files. "Nothing that can’t wait for a surprise visit from you."
Karmen reached out, pulling her into a warm embrace. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice dropping to a soft whisper near her ear. "I like the fact that you visited me. And now, I won’t let you leave."
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. Aisha smiled, her fingers tracing the line of his cheek before she leaned in to kiss him. Karmen reciprocated instantly, his smile widening as he deepened the kiss, drawing her closer.
Aisha eventually pressed her hand against his chest, gently creating a bit of distance. "I brought cheesecake for us," she said breathlessly, gesturing toward the bag she had set down.
He finally let go of her, though his gaze remained fixed on her face. As she set her shoulder bag on the ss table, she nced around the spacious apartment. "Where is the kitchen?"
Karmen led the way, and Aisha’s eyes widened as they stepped into the space. The modr kitchen was a masterpiece of modern design, dark cabry, high-end integrated appliances, and a polished marble ind that caught the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. It looked more like a showroom than a ce where someone actually cooked.
"It’s beautiful, Karmen," she murmured, cing the cheesecake box on the cool marble counter. "Do you actually use all of this, or is it just for show?"
Karmenughed, reaching into a cupboard for two dessert tes. "I make coffee. The rest is mostly for decoration, but I think after we get married, they will be useful."