"Nothing," Casaio replied, his voice smoothing over as he leaned back into the seat. He decided that telling Zilia about his sudden encounter and the short meeting with Juniper wasn't necessary, it would only cloud the peace of her afternoon. "I hear Noah's voice. Is he with you?"

"Yes," Zilia replied, her gaze lingering on the boy, who was now intently examining the mechanics of the toy gun. "Amelie has gone to Gabriel's company to hand him a file he forgot this morning."

"Tell Noah I love him," Casaio said, a genuine smile finally breaking through his somber mood. He glanced out the window, noting the familiar gates of the palace appearing in the distance. He would be home shortly.

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" Zilia suggested, tapping the screen to put the phone on speaker. She leaned closer to the toddler. "Noah, your Uncle Cas is on the phone. Say hello to him. Say hi!"

She encouraged the little boy, who stopped his play for a moment, tilted his head, and finally let out an enthusiastic sound, "Ha!"

"Hello, Noah," Casaio responded from the other side, his laugh echoing through the car. "I'll see you soon, little warrior."

"Say bye to your uncle," Zilia tried making Noah imitate her.

"Ba! Ba!" Noah raised his both hands, squeezing them for a brief moment.

Both Zilia and Casaio laughed together, envisioning at the same time about their own pups.

~~~~

Amelie knocked on the door to Denzel's office and entered when he called out for her to come in. His head was down, focused intently on a file, but when the silence stretched on, he finally looked up.

"Amelie!" He stood up immediately, his surprise evident.

"Good afternoon, Denzel," she said, holding up a small jute bag. "I brought some homemade lunch for you."

"Thank you. It truly means a lot," he said, walking around the desk toward her. "And I'm sorry I couldn't make it to dinner. An urgent matter came up at the last minute."

"It's alright. I don't mind. You have your personal life, after all," Amelie stated. "Also, please forgive Gabriel if he hurt you with his words the other day. He can be a little hot-headed sometimes, but he truly cares for you."

"I'm not angry with him. I know he has his outbursts, but the fault was mine," Denzel answered, taking the bag from her. "It wasn't exactly a personal matter, by the way."

"Then?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Juniper wanted to treat me to dinner. I felt I shouldn't refuse her request," Denzel explained.

"You did the right thing," Amelie answered, though she watched him closely.

"She's suffered a lot. I mean... from her family, then her mate, and now this," Denzel said, bringing his hand to the back of his head with a sigh.

"Yeah, you're right," Amelie admitted.

She couldn't help but wonder why Denzel seemed so personally affected by Juniper's situation. It was as if he were trying to find a way to be close to her.

"You can befriend Juniper, then. More than those of us she already knows, she might appreciate having someone new around. And I'm sure by now, she's much more aware of who you are," Amelie asserted.

Denzel chuckled as he walked over to the office sofa. "What exactly are you trying to suggest?" he mused, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

Amelie turned to him, crossing her arms. "What do you think? I'm not trying to matchmake the two of you. I'm just making a suggestion." She shrugged her shoulders playfully. "And I'll keep it a secret from everyone, I promise."

Denzel smiled and shook his head, looking down at the lunch bag. "I'm not seeing her in that light, Amelie. Though... I will admit, talking to her brings me a certain sense of calm."

"Did you ever date before?" Amelie asked, letting her hands fall to her sides.

"Yes. Twice back in college. Since then? No," Denzel answered honestly.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with seeing Juniper in that light. You could at least try," Amelie suggested, moving toward the door. "I need to go now. Enjoy your lunch!" She waved at him with a bright smile and disappeared into the hallway.

Denzel settled back onto the sofa, the quiet of the office returning. He stared at the closed door for a moment before chuckling to himself again. "Should I really try that?" he mumbled.

~~~~

Juniper returned to San Ravendale in the evening. She was beyond exhausted, and all she wanted was to fall into bed and sleep until the next morning.

However, as she dragged her trolley bag into the lobby of her building, she froze. Denzel was standing near the elevators, his face illuminated by the glow of his phone.

"Denzel?"

He looked up instantly, his eyes widening in relief as they landed on her. "June!" He took a few quick steps toward her, his gaze dropping to the suitcase at her side. "Did you—"

"Yeah. I went to the capital," Juniper replied, offering a tired but genuine smile. "Do you want to come upstairs? I have so much to tell you. But what are you doing here?"

Denzel stopped in front of her, his shoulders finally dropping as the tension left his body. "I called and you didn't pick up. I thought something had happened to you. I was worried," he answered.

Juniper felt a sudden warmth bloom in her chest, cutting through her fatigue. She wasn't used to anyone waiting for her, let alone someone being worried enough to wait in her lobby.

"I'm sorry, my phone died on the flight back," she explained, gesturing toward the elevator. "Come on." The two of them entered in and shortly reached her apartment.

As she removed her heels, she went straight to the kitchen and drank water first. Juniper poured water into a glass and took it for Denzel, who was waiting for her in the living room.

"Here," she offered him water before lowering herself on the chair.

"Thanks." Denzel took a few sips before setting it down on the table.

"I met my father," Juniper began before narrating him everything that happened.