Chapter 139

After securing the bottle, Juniper realized she might have overreacted.
“Is that bottle really important?” Qadir asked cautiously, shrinking back a little.
“Kind of,” Juniper admitted, blinking uncomfortably.
Dana had told her that Shanley had designed the bottle himself and had it custom- made. It was one-of-a-kind and incredibly expensive. For whatever reason, she didn’t like other people touching it.
“Oh.” Qadir nodded thoughtfully. A few seconds later, a gossipy grin spread across his face. “Was it a gift from someone you like?”
Someone she liked? At those words, the pen she was twirling flew out of her hand. Qadir and Queenie exchanged a look, both sensing something was up.
“Juniper, you’re blushing!” Qadir exclaimed excitedly. “So there is someone! Who is it? Who?!” Crap. The great Juniper was actually blushing! She must have another guy on the side.
Juniper’s distant brother had strictly forbidden her from dating. He’d been watching her like a hawk, trying to protect his goddess from any lowlifes, but it seemed someone had slipped past his defenses. Who was it that had stolen Juniper’s heart?
“Shut up.”
His yelling was getting on her nerves. She gave him a light kick under the desk. Qadir’s words had sent her calm heart into a chaotic flutter. So what if she liked him? He was handsome, was it a crime to find him attractive?
“Mmph.” Qadir clamped a hand over his mouth. He wanted to ask more, but just then, the proctor walked in with a stack of exam papers. The entire room fell silent. It was the Literature exam, and the tension was palpable as everyone sat up straight.
In a corner of the room, Jolene witnessed the entire exchange with a smirk.
How ridiculous! With the top-ranked student in the class sitting right there, it would be hard for Juniper not to do well.
She’d heard Salma had arranged the seating herself. She wasn’t even trying to hide her favoritism, clearly planning to protect Juniper. She’d better behave, or else…
Remembering the two slaps Juniper had given her in public, Jolene’s fingers slowly curled into a fist, her eyes filled with hate.
…
The papers were distributed, and the exam officially began. Juniper looked at the test and remembered Shanley’s promise: if she did well, he’d treat her to a delicious meal. A small smile touched her lips as she picked up her pen and began to write. Students weren’t allowed to hand in their papers early. Juniper finished the two-and- a-half-hour Literature exam in less than an hour. Done, she propped her chin on her hand and scanned the room. Everyone else was still working furiously.
Crap. It seemed she had worked too fast, and now she was bored. She made a mental note to pace herself better next time.
Out of sheer boredom, her eyelids began to droop. As long as she wasn’t disturbing anyone, a short nap wouldn’t hurt, right?
Meanwhile, Qadir was flying through the questions with newfound ease. Several of the major questions on the exam were topics Juniper had pointed out yesterday. They weren’t identical, but the core concepts were the same. She was amazing! If she could guess the questions so accurately, she must be doing well herself, right? He decided to sneak a peek at her progress. But when he turned, he saw her propped on her hand, eyes closed, sleeping soundly.
What? Qadir checked the time. It had only been an hour. Had Juniper finished already? Impossible! She must have given up!
He frowned, worried. If things went south, he’d have to ask his dad to sell off some assets and donate another building to the school. It had worked to keep him here; it could work for Juniper too.
Compared to Qadir’s panic, Queenie was the picture of calm.