Chapter 11

“You knew Jerrold was taking me here to cheer me up, so you came to block his way on purpose, didn’t you?” Yolanda glanced at Jerrold Lonsdale, who was parking the car, a scornful smirk playing on her lips. “Your little attempt to seduce Jerrold failed before. Are you trying for a comeback now?”
Juniper ignored her.
“Or maybe Yolanda hated how Juniper, even in her fallen state, still carried an air of detached elegance, as if she were above it all. Her taunts grew sharper. “You finally realized that with Grandpa dead, you have no one to back you up, so you’ve learned to tuck your tail between your legs? If you want to hook up with Jerrold, you should first see if you’re even worthy-”
Before she could finish, Juniper, having signed the document, spun around and grabbed Yolanda by the neck, yanking her forward. “Just because I don’t treat you like a human doesn’t mean you have to stop acting like one, does it?”
“Ah!” Yolanda’s body twisted in pain, a strangled cry caught in her throat.
“You’re right about one thing,” Juniper’s voice was chilling as her grip tightened, “Grandpa is gone, which means you people have no one to protect you anymore. So if you want to live a long life, you’d better not mess with me!”
Yolanda finally saw it then. The girl before her had changed. This wasn’t the quiet, reserved Juniper anymore. Her eyes were filled with frost and a murderous glint, like a demon that had clawed its way out of hell. For the first time, Yolanda truly believed Juniper might actually kill her.
Fear finally set in, and she whimpered, “Juniper… sis
“Let me hear you speak disrespectfully of my grandfather again, and that useless thing on your neck won’t be so safe. Understand?”
“I understand.” Yolanda’s heart hammered against her ribs as she nodded frantically.
“Then again, I don’t think that brain of yours is worth fixing.” Juniper shoved her away, wiping her fingers in disgust. “Even if it were cured, you’d still be drooling.”
With that, she stepped into the exclusive elevator to the rooftop, leaving Yolanda staring in shock.
“Are you okay?” Jerrold finally arrived after Juniper had left. He offered a few comforting words to Yolanda, but his eyes were fixed on the girl ascending in the glass elevator. He was stunned, but more than that, he was intrigued. A temper like that, paired with such a beautiful face, was more than enough to ignite a man’s desire to conquer.
Yolanda leaned against Jerrold, playing the victim. “How did my sister get access to the rooftop garden? She must have latched onto some rich man. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time.”
Jerrold frowned but said nothing.
Back when Juniper was Lemuel’s favorite, everyone speculated she would become one of the heirs to the Sherwin Group. He had tried everything to get close to her then, but the fake heiress had completely ignored him. Worse, she had privately uncovered the fact that he was an illegitimate son of the Lonsdale family. To punish the ungrateful woman, he had spread rumors that she was a social climber trying to seduce him.
Now that Lemuel was gone, she had lost her only support. Had she really stooped so low as to sell herself for money? She may be gutter trash now, but that face was still something to look at. If she came begging… he wouldn’t mind spending a little money to keep her as a diversion.
“Jerrold, what are you thinking about?” Yolanda asked, noticing his distraction.
“I was just thinking about whether we should hold our engagement party here,” he replied with a hollow smile, a clear attempt to placate her.
“Really?” Delighted, Yolanda started to walk inside, only to be stopped by the manager.
“I’m sorry, but you two have been blacklisted from Moonlight Peak. Please leave.”
“What?” Yolanda’s smile froze. “We have a reservation under Jerrold Lonsdale’s name.”
“I don’t care if you’re the Lonsdales or whoever,” the manager stated flatly. “You’ve offended our distinguished guest on the top floor. This order comes from above.”