Elina stood stunned, and Jeniva looked equally taken aback, as Dominick appeared to see her off. He hadn't come empty-handed, however; he carried a gift bag that he now held out toward them.

"Here, this is for you, Elina," Dominick said, forwarding the bag to her with a polite nod.

"That really wasn't necessary, Your Highness," Jeniva interjected, her voice trailing off as she looked at the gift.

"Why?" Dominick arched an eyebrow in amusement. "It's not like I do this every other day. Your sister is like mine, too. besides, I had Kate help me choose it to make sure it was something your sister would like."

Elina was quick to take the bag before her sister could protest further. "Thank you so much! Please, don't mind my sister," she said, nudging Jeniva's arm. Jeniva simply shook her head, unable to suppress a small smile at Dominick's persistence.

Elina pulled her sister into a tight hug before finally stepping back. She offered a quick wave to Dominick before sliding into the back of the taxi. Peeking her head out the window, she called out, "I'll call you as soon as I reach the campus. Take care!"

"You too!" Jeniva waved back, watching as the taxi pulled away, moved down the street, and soon disappeared from their sight.

Turning back toward Dominick, Jeniva found his eyes already fixed on her. "My landlady has gone to her village home for a few days," she stated, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "So, you're lucky. You managed to avoid being spotted by the biggest gossip in the building."

"The taxi driver saw me, though," Dominick remarked, a playful glint in his eyes. "He might tell the others. What do you think? Is my cover blown already?"

Jeniva furrowed her brows, realizing that the thought hadn't even crossed her mind in the rush of the departure.

Dominick reached out and playfully flicked his fingers against the bridge of her nose. "I warned him the moment I booked the taxi," he stated calmly. "So, don't worry. Let's go in."

Jeniva followed his lead into the house. They swapped their outdoor shoes for house slippers, but as they moved further inside, she couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of concern. "Don't you have to work? You told me last week that the palace was buried with tasks."

"Didn't I promise you I would go out to lunch with you today?" Dominick asked, lowering himself onto the sofa chair in the living room with a relaxed sigh. "Besides, even I am allowed to take a day off sometimes."

He then held her hand gently and pulled her gently forward. Lowering her on his lap, he whispered, "I wanted to be with you. That's why I ditched the work today."

~~~~~

Denzel closed the door after Amelie settled inside and waved back at them. Gabriel left with her, leaving only Denzel and Juniper standing on the sidewalk.

"I'll drop you back to your office," Denzel offered, pulling out his keys.

"I actually took a half-day leave. I have three left... well, now two," Juniper answered with a small, contented smile. "It was fun, wasn't it? But you must have to head back to the company. Gabriel did ask you to take care of things in his absence."

"Yeah," Denzel agreed. "The major meetings are already finished, so it's mostly just paperwork now. I've actually already texted my secretary to send the files to my house instead," he asserted.

"Oh, so you'll be going straight home. By the way," Juniper began, her expression turning curious, "why did you change apartments? We used to be neighbors. I didn't get a chance to ask you before, but when you took me to your new place the day of the attack, I wanted to bring it up. It just slipped my mind at the time."

"I had been wanting to shift for a long time, but the construction on the new house still had a few loose ends to tie up," Denzel explained, a slight, apologetic grin tugging at his lips. "I'm sorry I didn't even say goodbye before I left. I suppose I was a pretty terrible neighbor," he chuckled. "But even you changed apartments."

"Yeah. I found a better one in another locality," Juniper replied.

The car was pulled up to the curb, and the usher stepped out, handing the keys over to Denzel. Denzel tipped him before turning back to Juniper.

"Get in. I'll take you somewhere," he said, his tone carrying a hint of mystery.

"Huh? Where?" Juniper asked, her brows rising in surprise. She watched as he rounded the car and slid into the driver's seat. Seeing he was serious, she opened the passenger door and settled inside, buckling her seatbelt as she looked at him expectantly.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll find out soon," Denzel replied, pulling the car away from the restaurant smoothly and merging into the afternoon traffic.

Juniper's excitement only rose as they drove, and she kept pressing him for details, but Denzel wouldn't say a word. He simply kept his eyes on the road with a playful smirk. Finally, they pulled into a lot that looked all too familiar to her.

"An amusement park? Denzel, we aren't kids!" Juniper chuckled, glancing at him with a wide smile.

"The sign doesn't say 'only kids allowed,'" Denzel answered, gesturing for her to get out. "Leave your purse inside the car so it doesn't get in the way." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

She nodded and stepped out onto the pavement. Denzel locked the doors with a quick beep of the key before leading the way to the entrance. He bought two tickets, and they stepped inside.

"Have you ever been on a roller coaster ride?" he asked, looking up at the towering steel tracks looping in the distance.

"No, never," Juniper admitted, her heart giving a small, nervous thud.

"Then we shall start from there," Denzel decided, turning to her with a challenging glint in his eyes. "Unless, of course, you're scared?"

"Of course, not!" Juniper replied promptly. "Such rides don't scare me."