Chapter 1236
[ 660 words ]
Sometime later, Luella woke up groggy and disoriented. She blinked at Jimmie, who was scrolling on his phone.
“How long have we been here? Why didn’t you wake me up?” Luella stretched, tilting her head back and exposing her long, elegant neck.
“How do you know I didn’t try?” Jimmie locked his phone, glaring at her with feigned irritation. “You sleep like the dead. I couldn’t wake you.”
“I” Luella’s legendary temper flared, but remembering that Jimmie had done her a favor, she swallowed the insult.
“Thanks,” she muttered, unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car.
She paused, turned back, and pulled a crisp $500 bill from her pocket, tossing it onto the passenger seat.
“Thanks for the ride, Mr. Famous Actor. Keep the change and buy yourself a coffee.”
“?” Jimmie stared at the money, then up at the smug, grinning “man,” genuinely questioning his reality.
Did she just treat him like a chauffeur?!
“Listen here, you—” Jimmie began, his voice dropping to a dangerous chill. But before he could finish, Luella had already sprinted into the apartment building.
Calling her a pig? No one got away with insulting her!
“Don’t let me catch you again!” Jimmie slammed a hand against the steering wheel, threatening the empty air in absolute fury.
The only response was the wind and the glaringly bright $500 bill.
***
Back at the rooftop garden.
While finally eating her dinner, Juniper admired the ring on her hand.
The band wasn’t a standard circle, nor did it have an absurdly massive diamond. Instead, the band was styled like delicate, intertwining vines. Nestled among the vines was an exquisitely crafted rose, with a brilliant, stunning diamond sitting at its
core.
“Did you design this?” Juniper asked, glancing up.
“Yeah,” Shanley replied smoothly,
expertly deboning a piece of fish for her. His tone was drenched in
adoration. “It’s small and elegant Wearing won’t get in the way of your daily life. If I gave you a massive rock, you’d feel restricted and toss it in a drawer within two days.”
Juniper smiled faintly. He knew her too well. She hated bulky jewelry.
“You’ll wear this one on your left hand,” Shanley said, before pulling a second velvet box out of his pocket.
He clicked it open. Inside sat a breathtaking, heavily designed ring featuring a truly colossal, blindingly radiant diamond.
“We’ll keep this one safe. We’ll use it for the actual wedding ceremony.”
“You really thought of everything,” Juniper said, her eyes curving into happy crescents. She smiled and fed him a sweet Dolce pastry from her dessert plate.
“So, how did you find out about my vows?” Shanley asked, still perplexed.
“Just earlier,” Juniper laughed lightly. “Next time you try to pull off a surprise, do it a little further away from me texting under the table and hiding in a private room to rehearse… I couldn’t have ignored it if I tried.”
Shanley smiled helplessly. The outcome was what mattered. It was just a shame he had wanted to give his girl an unforgettable proposat and in the end, it was unforgettable for him-proposing so poorly che couldn’t even speak.
“Next weekend, my grandparents and parents want to come over and formally visit your parents.”
“Set it up.” Between all the recent drama, Juniper was physically and mentally exhausted. She’d let the sly fox handle the logistics.
…
When the two families finally met, Silas Blackwood was recovering beautifully and was already walking with a cane.
Theia had dressed up for the occasion, wearing a pristine, bespoke silk dress. Her hair was swept up and secured with an ornate hairpin crafted by Juniper herself. She looked the picture of timeless elegance.
Having been isolated from society for so long, and knowing the legendary status of the Schwartz family, Theia was understandably nervous.
But the moment the doors opened, Miranda Zuniga rushed in, her face lighting up with a massive smile. She grabbed Theia’s hands. “My dear Theia! I am so thrilled to finally meet you!”
“Hello,” Theia blinked, managing a polite smile.
“Oh my goodness, no wonder Juniper is so gorgeous. She gets all those incredible genes from you!”
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