It was nearly dinner time when Juniper's phone rang and Dylan's name glared on the caller ID. She received the call and singsonged in a tone dripping with honey, "Hi, Supermodel! What's up?!" "Hey, Juni baby! Guess what? I'm back in Forêt-Bleue," Dylan's voice came through from the other end of the phone. "Oh, really? When did you arrive?" She asked swiftly. "Just this morning," he responded, the tone of his voice giving out his undeniable excitement. "We have a lot of catching up to do. I'm so excited. I want to celebrate. Can we meet for a drink?" Juniper switched the phone to her other ear, nodding in agreement. "Sure. Why not?" "Great. I'll send you the location." It took quite a while, but eventually, Juniper found herself at the hotel bar where Dylan was waiting for her. The moment he saw her, he squeezed her in a suffocating embrace. "Oh my God, Juni. It's so nice to see you again." Taken aback, Juniper laughed awkwardly, patting his back softly.
"Hey, time to go, miss," an officer announced, tapping the bars of Juniper's holding cell with his baton. "Your friend has posted your bail." Gradually, Juniper climbed to her feet, her movements lethargic, as the officer unlocked the cell door and swung it open, gesturing for her to exit. All her life, she'd never caused any trouble that landed her behind bars. In fact, she'd avoided being in this kind of situation like the plague. But here she was. . . behind the bars, throughout the night, for an asshole's sake. So why the hell was she smiling, so fulfilled, like a lunatic? She followed the officer to a nearby cubicle to collect her belongings, then proceeded to the front desk where Camille was waiting, her face blazing with a deep shade of red—FURIOUS as hell. Undeterred, Juniper's grin didn't fade from her face, even for a second, as she approached Camille with a playful swagger. "Good morning, Camille," she chimed, fluttering her fingers in a cheeky, taunting wave.
Juniper laughed maniacally as she stared down at Dylan's limp body on the living room floor. "Wow, Camille was right," she said, her eyes scanning between her fingers where she had hidden the sedative patch. "This stuff does work like magic." She turned her attention back to Dylan who was currently on a cab to Slumberland, exhaled, and knelt beside him. Juniper tsked, shaking her head in disappointment. "Oh, Dylan," she drawled barely above a whisper. "I thought you'd have at least ten percent wisdom within you but it turns out that you're hundred percent controlled by your dick and nothing more." She reached inside her handbag and slipped out another sedative patch from the paper bag Camille had given her earlier. Gingerly, she separated the patch from its protective wrap and applied it on the other side of his neck. She needed as much time as possible to fully accomplish her task here. She straightened on her feet, staring down at him. "Don't worry, D
A week had passed, but the memory of that kiss still lingered, refusing to be extinguished. As Cedric rode back to the Presidential hotel, fresh from the Inter-Regional Summit, he couldn't help but thank the good Lord that he had navigated the high-stakes meeting without a single misstep, despite his mind being utterly clouded by the enchanting woman who had left an indelible mark on his thoughts. Ever since that day, he tried to keep away from her and avoided being in secluded places with her. One thing he couldn't afford was rekindling what they once shared. He didn't deserve her. Juniper deserved someone who could protect her and he knew more than anyone else that person wasn't him. Chloe Clermont was his punishment for being such a coward and he was going to bear every bit of it till the end. The soft voice of his assistant, Marcel, crackled through the intercom, pulling him out of his turbulent thoughts. "We've arrived, Your Majesty." He'd been s
FORÊT-BLEUE WAS IN TOTAL CHAOS!!! Scandalous photos of Juniper and Cedric's intimate kiss in the Parisian hotel suite surfaced out of nowhere, sending shockwaves throughout the kingdom. And to make matters even worse. . . the details of their past relationship were also revealed, spreading like wildfire and drawing the attention of the entire region. The media was in a frenzy and their once-private moments were now nothing but public fodder. The public's reaction was merciless, with vicious insults hurled at them. However, the brunt of the insults was way worse on the Crown Prince's side. He was labeled all sorts of names—philanderer, serial cheater, deceiver, unfaithful, dishonest. . . the list goes on and on and on. And Juniper wasn't the least bit surprised or anxious, because. . . it was her plan after all. A smug smile overcame Juniper's features as she lounged on her bed, scrolling through the online comments that brutally criticized her and Cedric. She
"What is the meaning of this, Cedric?" Queen Catherine exclaimed, her voice stern and demanding, as she swept into Cedric's bedroom. "How could you permit yourself to become embroiled in such a situation?" Cedric breathed heavily, almost out of frustration. His day was already challenging enough. He'd just gotten back from a difficult meeting with the Royal House PR team, and the last thing he needed was his mother's added pressure. "I have everything under control, Mother. Please, do not concern yourself." "I foresaw this. . . I knew it was a terrible idea permitting that woman into the Royal Palace, or even close to you," Queen Catherine retorted, her tone inundated with disdain. "She's nothing but trouble. That she managed to track you down in Paris and thrust herself upon you is utterly unacceptable. Perhaps it is about time for me to impart a measure of discipline and decorum." All of a sudden, Cedric's hands paused in the process of pulling off his winter jacket
Chloe didn't need to ring the doorbell of Dylan's apartment twice before the door swung open and he appeared at the doorway, wearing a huge, enthusiastic smile, saying, "Hello, stranger!" But before he could even finish speaking, she brushed past him and marched inside without so much of a salutation, leaving him momentarily taken aback by her abrupt behavior. "Good afternoon to you too, Chloe," Dylan said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, as he slammed the door shut. He trailed after her into the dining room, where she had already made a beeline for the minibar. "Why are you in such a foul mood?" Chloe disregarded Dylan's question and reached straight for the bottle of vodka. She poured herself a shot and tossed it back with a swift motion. The strong liquor burned her throat, prompting a wince out of her as she gently patted her chest to ease the sudden discomfort. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dylan exclaimed, his hands swiftly snatching both the bottle and the shot-glass
Days passed after the whole scandal saga, yet Chloe was still unrest and bitter. It made her sick to see Juniper anywhere around the Crown Prince—LITERALLY—which heightened her eagerness to get her out of their lives. But there was nothing she could do about it, given the fact that Juniper was the mother of the Crown Prince's son. Hector was the only link between Juniper and Prince Cedric— and the only reason she had to put up with that sneaky bitch. If only that child hadn't existed in the first place, then getting her kicked out of the Royal Palace wouldn't have been too difficult. Just then, a lightbulb shone above Chloe's head and her lips morphed into a scheming grin. She couldn't change the past, but she could do one or two about the future. If Hector was the only connection between Juniper and the Crown Prince, maybe it was about time to sever that tie. It was almost lunchtime. If she was going to act, now was the best time. Moments later, Chloe was in the Royal kitch
Juniper paced restlessly in the hall of Camille's house, murmuring to herself. "What are we going to do? What have I gotten us into?" But nothing eased her anxiety than seeing Camille burst through the front door. "Oh, Camille! Thank God you're finally here." "What is it? What's wrong?" Camille asked snappily, her eyes searching the other woman's face. Juniper noticed the slight bruises and scratches on her face and neck, not to mention the large ruddy stain on her shirt, but there were more pressing matters. Besides, if she looked this much of a mess, her opponent must be resting in a morgue at the moment. "HIM!" she replied tersely, her finger pointing directly at the problem at hand. A horrified expression took over Camille's face as her gaze followed Juniper's gesture to the lifeless man on the floor. His wrists and ankles were tightly bound with duct tape, and a crumpled grocery bag covered his head, obscuring his face. "Did you kill him?" she asked hesitantly, h
Camille let loose a heavy sigh when her phone rang, revealing her annoying boss' ID on its screen. "Hey, I need your help," Damien's voice poured from the other end as soon as she answered the call. "What do you want this time?" Camille drawled grudgingly. "Meet in front of your house, I'll give you the deets. I'm waiting." "How do you—" And he hung up. Truth to his words, Damien's sleek sports car sat outside her gate, its polished lines gleaming in the light. And there he was, leaning nonchalantly against the driver's side door, looking all gorgeous in a tan, woolly turtleneck sweater paired with light blue ripped jeans and tan shin-length boots. In addition, a luxurious beige fur coat draped elegantly over his shoulder, complimenting his casual ensemble and accentuating his handsome features. As soon as he noticed her, Damien flashed her a million-dollar smile and took off his designer sunshade, revealing his ever-glowing jade eyes. "Hey, you," he si
It was quite a hassle to have a one-on-one conversation with the Queen due to the New Year's Feast yesterday, but now that the festivity craziness was gradually blowing over, Juniper got her chance. Juniper gave the lady-in-waiting a polite nod as soon as she permitted her to proceed into the Queen's Study. A meaningful smile took over her chocolate-tinted lips as she strode into the glamorous working space of Forêt-Bleue's monarchess. "Good evening, Your Majesty," Juniper said with a respectful bow before settling into the seat in front of her. Her gaze hovered around, taking in the splendor of the grand room. "I'm truly humbled to be granted this rare audience. I must have saved a nation in my past life. To be frank, I half-expected my request to be denied," she added with a soft chuckle, her fingers splaying across her chest. "It's really an honor to be in the presence of the Queen of Forêt-Bleue herself." Without her lifting her gaze from the documents before her,
Camille swiftly jerked her hand back, not because his head was burning like hot coals, but to escape the traitorous surge of "Mama Hen" tendencies that surfaced and made her go all soft around vulnerable people. She DID NOT want to feel that way around this complicated man. He was already dangerous enough hale and hearty, she didn't want to find out how much more dangerous he could get with that fragile expression plastered on his pretty face. "What did I say about boundaries, Damien?" She complained, her tone taking on its usual coldness. Ignoring her dismissive tone, Damien coughed raspily, cleared his stuffy nose into the napkin in his hand, and whined weakly, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I usually never get sick. I always take good care of my health." He scowled at her in feigned annoyance. "Maybe it's because I've been spending too much time with a certain frosty companion." "Or maybe because you thought it was cute to keep swimming in the wint
Juniper's voice poured out from the other end of the line, vibrating with excitement. "It's been hella hectic all day around here that I didn't get the chance to contact you earlier, but I have news for you. . ." . she paused for suspense before dropping the bombshell. "Cedric asked me to marry him." Of everything Camille expected to hear today, that was the very least of them. The Crown Prince proposed to Juniper even though the public still acknowledged Chloe as his fiancée? Does he not realize how much backlash that would bring to the Royal Family? Whatever charm Juniper had on that man was really effective. "So what was your response to his proposal?" Camille asked even though she knew the answer. Juniper's response was accompanied by an unsettling laughter, "I said yes, of course. Why would I refuse such a proposal?" "So what exactly is your plan? To be the Queen?" "No. I aim to destroy the Royal Family. To let Cedric watch as his beloved family slowly crumble to d
Chloe knew it was quite uncourteous to bother the Crown Prince this early in the morning, but she was excited to share the new idea she'd come up with for the New Year's Banquet tomorrow. She wasn't sure why the Queen had insisted she oversaw the handling of the event and made her son assist too, but she was utterly grateful. She'd been able to spend more time with him than she had lately and without a doubt, they'd enjoyed each other's company. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but from the looks of things, he was bound to bring up their marriage anytime soon. Struggling on her titanium crutches, Chloe hurried down the hallway leading to Cedric's room. She was feeling all pumped by their meeting until her eyes spotted someone departing the Crown Prince's room. She stopped in midstride, the smile on her lips and in her eyes draining instantaneously as she realized who it was. It was JUNIPER! Leaving Cedric's room, clothed in his. . . in his SHIRT?! She stood f
As a good girl with a good head on her shoulders, Juniper sucked Cedric's erection real good, slurping nonstop and keeping her eyes locked on him to capture every single reaction he made. At first, her pace was slow and lazy, but with greater excitement came a heightened tempo. . . and she gagged on him faster and deeper, just as much as her small mouth could allow. Her body begged to be touched— especially the swollen bud at her sweet cunt. It throbbed so bad that she couldn't bear it anymore. Slipping her trembling fingers down the waistband of her trousers, she greeted her clits, alleviating its craving with delightful manipulations, until she felt pleasure spread across her body like wildfire. And soon after, she was shuddering from its gratifying effect. Everything she did drove Cedric crazy. The way she sucked him so well, the way her golden eyes remained hooked on his, the way her scrumptious boobs bounced in rhythm to her movement, the way she touched herself, the
Juniper wasn't sure how they made it to the Crown Prince's Chamber but once there she realized it didn't matter, all she cared about was making crazy love with this old flame of hers. Cradled in his strong arms, Juniper entwined her legs around his hip, anchoring herself in place as he subjected her lips to an endless series of fierce and hungry kisses. Her whole body had no choice but to surrender to the urgent pressure of his lips, flaring in response as if set ablaze by an ardent desire. She didn't want to admit it, but after that sensual night in Paris, she'd longed to be kissed, touched, and penetrated to the core by this man. And she intended to get all of those today. Finally, Cedric set her feet on the ground, noticing how her legs wobbled like jelly and how reluctant she was to detach her lips from his—not that he was complaining. In fact, he felt a triumphant kick of pleasure surging through him knowing that she wasn't completely immune to him. She wanted
Juniper wasn't drunk. She'd barely even finished the fifth glass of the wine that Dylan had brought from his cellar. She'd just been acting to stop Dylan from making her chug more than she could handle. No one needed to tell her it was a mistake being actually drunk in the same space with that wily fox. Also, she'd purposely called Cedric over to Dylan's house— with two good reasons: One, to get her out of Dylan's house before she was forced to share a bed with that scum. And most importantly, to make Cedric insanely jealous. Ever since Chloe hurt her leg, she'd used her injury as leverage to snag his attention to the extent that Juniper was starting to lose her grip on him. She knew he still had lingering feelings for her, even though he tried his damnedest to hide it, and making him jealous was the only way to put him back on track. Nothing gladdened her soul more than seeing him this way, consumed by jealousy and fury, and she had every intention of fanning th