"I didn't go overboard, did I?" Juniper asked.

"No, you didn't," Denzel replied firmly. "If anything, you finally clarified to Cillian and his father that you're better off without them." His gaze then shifted, falling on the thick envelope resting in her lap. "What's in there?"

"Oh, this. Edward said this was what my mother left for me. Her assets, all in my name. Apparently, no one else could touch them," Juniper stated with a small, weary chuckle. "I was shocked, honestly. I lived all these years thinking they had snatched everything away the moment she passed." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

A brief silence settled between them as she traced the weathered seal of the envelope.

"I have no idea what to do with it. Since I broke all ties with that family, taking this felt... wrong. Like I was still tethered to them," Juniper admitted, looking up at him. "But Edward insisted. He said I should keep it because it came from her."

"He's right about that," Denzel advised, his expression softening. "Your mother set all this aside for you out of love and foresight. It's not a connection to the Vittileos; it's a connection to her. So, just keep it. It's yours."

Juniper hummed in agreement. "Oh, I also encountered Prince Casaio. I think he was at the hospital to pick up some of Zilia's reports. I reprimanded him."

"Why?" Denzel questioned, his brow furrowing with curiosity.

"He told me he wanted to apologize," Juniper answered, her voice hardening at the memory.

"Why would he apologize to you?" Denzel asked, looking genuinely confused.

"My wedding was ruined because of him," Juniper replied, leaning back against the sofa. "He shared the day with Zilia, really. You were present there, right?"

"Now, I remember," Denzel admitted, a look of realization crossing his face. He remembered the tension and the way the spotlight had shifted so abruptly that day.

"After that, everything ruined. I–I couldn't take it off my mind. I'm not saying I didn't do wrong, became greedy but that single day brought a chaos to my life," Juniper muttered.

"I told him that if he ever sees me again, he should change his route. I plan to do the same for him and Dominick."

She then sighed, looking down at the envelope. "I think I was too harsh on him. He's the eldest Alpha Prince, after all."

Denzel leaned forward in his seat, his expression serious. "You were honest about what you felt, June. That's not being harsh. Prince Casaio was supposed to be a friend, a big brother to you. Instead of acknowledging how important that day was for your future, he chose to overlook your feelings. Your anger is entirely legitimate."

Juniper felt relieved. It was the first time someone hadn't tried to excuse the Prince's actions with his status or his love for Zilia.

"You see, I just want to vanish that day from my life. I hate it," she confessed, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't want to think about it anymore. It doesn't even have any meaning left." She paused, taking a deep, shaky breath to steady herself. "I—I am just worked up. Sorry for making you an unwanted listener to my story."

She lowered her head, nervously fiddling with her fingers, the exhaustion finally catching up to her. "I'll go cook dinner."

"Hey, aren't you tired from the journey?" Denzel suggested, reaching out a hand as if to stop her from getting up. "I won't be staying for dinner as I already have plans. Why don't you just order something for yourself and get some rest? You've had a long day."

"Yeah. I'll order," Juniper replied. "Thanks."

"Mention not." He rose to his feet and went to the door. He turned and said, "You can ask me to listen to you any time you want."

With that, he opened the door and walked out, leaving Juniper there.

A smile carved on her lips. "No one ever wanted to listen to me, but he does."

~~~~~

"You met Juniper!?" Dominick held his wine glass steady as Casaio poured a dark red vintage for him.

"Yes. It was an unexpected encounter," Casaio answered. "We did wrong by her, Nick. Do you realize that?"

Dominick went quiet.

"Say something," Casaio pushed, setting the bottle down.

Dominick took a long sip of the drink before finally finding his voice. "Yeah. I realize it. I never truly wanted to know what she felt; it was always about me, my family, and my priorities. When I went to see her with Gabriel, she expected a real chance from me. But deep in my heart, I never wanted to give it ever since I rejected her."

He paused, a look of bitter realization crossing his face. "The day I begged her not to mess the situation, she didn't listen to me. I admit, I was at fault from the beginning. I stood by, and I let my pride dictate our end. I couldn't do anything to save us from falling apart because, honestly, I didn't try hard enough until it was already over."

Then, he finished the wine in one long sip.

Dominick finished the wine in one long sip, the glass clicking sharply as he set it down on the mahogany table.

"I don't want to remember the past, Cas. It's better that way," he admitted. "I know I've moved on too fast, but I was unable to deny that bond even after I rejected Jeniva. My life is more messed up than anyone realizes. The Moon Goddess didn't even give me a chance to just breathe before bringing a mate into my path."

He looked at the empty glass, his reflection caught in the crystal. "I'm not saying I don't like it. I do. But I also couldn't stop myself from moving on, even when the guilt felt like it was drowning me. I just... I had to choose survival over sentiment."

Casaio watched his brother, seeing the exhaustion etched into his features. Dominick had found his mate, but the pain of what he'd left behind with Juniper clearly hadn't vanished as easily as he claimed.