Chapter 627

"Hey, you look beat. How 'bout I give you a massage?" Juniper's voice was as soft as a drizzle.

"Nah, I'm good," Anthony shot back.

"Come on, you need it. I can't just crash at your place for free, right?" She moved behind him, her hands landing on his shoulders, kneading gently. "How's that? Just the right pressure?"

"I said no," Anthony shrugged her off.

"Don't be such a grouch; I'm just looking out for you. A hardworking guy is hot, but it can't be all work, right? Sometimes you need a woman's touch," Juniper purred, suddenly plopping onto his lap.

Anthony stiffened, a flicker of panic in his eyes, "What are you doing?"

Juniper's grin widened, her hands snaking around his neck, "What do you think I'm doing? Obviously..."

"You're a woman!"

"Yeah, I know. I've got all the right parts, maybe even better than most. Don't you wanna find out? Maybe I'm better than a guy," Juniper pressed closer, her robe slipping to reveal a deep cleavage.

"Get off."

"Nope. I'm your girlfriend now, why so shy? Do whatever you want, come on, babe," Juniper kissed him recklessly.

"Ridiculous!" Anthony yanked her off, his face burning with anger.

Juniper laughed, "Haha... still pretending to be gay. I figured you out; you're just a regular guy."

"Haha, a gay dude wouldn't be this freaked out. Am I that scary? You even pretended to be gay to dodge me. That's hilarious. You're so cute. I've never seen a guy who can't take a joke like you, haha." Juniper kept laughing.

Seeing her laugh so hard she could barely breathe, Anthony's annoyance grew, "Is it really that funny?"

Juniper nodded vigorously, "Yeah, it's hilarious. Look in the mirror and you'll see how cute you look."

A serious guy blushing, nothing could be cuter.

"You really leave me speechless."

"Who told me to like you?"

"I shouldn't have saved you. I feel like the farmer who saved the snake."

"If I'm a snake, I'm a gorgeous one. You saved me, so I'm here to repay you."

"I don't need your repayment, I just need you to disappear," Anthony said coldly. He was really fed up with her persistence.

"Disappearing ain't happening, at least not for the next three months. Since you can't get rid of me, why not enjoy it? A beauty like me doesn't come around every day," Juniper flipped her hair, looking all charming, and threw him a flirtatious glance that would dazzle most guys.

But Anthony hated the feeling of someone barging into his life and messing up his routine. It was super annoying.

He didn't want to say another word to her and headed upstairs.

"I'll be living here from now on, so take care of me. I can pay rent. Haha." Juniper laughed heartily. Nothing was more fun than making a serious guy blush.

Anthony went back to his room and took a shower, but he couldn't calm down.

He was gentle with people, but deep down, he was really lonely and liked being alone. Especially after Layla got married, he completely shut his heart off, spending every day solo. He didn't expect this peace to be shattered by someone who barged in and insisted on being his girlfriend.

Anthony slumped on the sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Juniper, she's just nuts."

He let out a bitter laugh. "Layla, if only it were you. You're probably in Samuel's arms right now, living the dream."

Even though he had moved on, it still gnawed at his heart, making the nights feel endless.

Anthony closed his eyes, Layla's cute face flashing in his mind.

Meanwhile, in the unfamiliar house, Juniper had the best sleep she'd had in ages, not even a single dream. She woke up at six, feeling like a million bucks.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw a glow she hadn't seen in forever.

Thinking about how she had wasted away for a cheating jerk, with those big dark circles under her eyes every day, felt so dumb.

Luckily, she was reborn now. She had a hunch that Anthony's appearance would bring her a fresh start. She was stoked.

When Anthony got up, Juniper had already whipped up breakfast.

"Check it out, breakfast of champions! Not bad, right? Got fried eggs, sandwiches, and milk."

"Bet you didn't expect that not only am I hot and have a killer body, but I can also cook, huh?"

"There are tons of things you can't even imagine. The more you get to know me, the more you'll see my awesomeness. You'll totally fall for me," Juniper said with confidence.

She really was a lovable girl. It wasn't just blind confidence.

Juniper thought, "Someone like me who learned to cook for Douglas was totally wasting my skills."

Anthony ignored her, fastening his cufflinks and heading out.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm talking to you. Eat breakfast," Juniper called out.

"No thanks," Anthony replied.

"I made a lot just for you. It'll go to waste if you don't eat it. How can you blow off my effort?"

"I didn't ask you to make it."

"Yeah, you didn't ask, that's why it's a surprise."

"I'm going to work."

"Going to work on an empty stomach is bad news, don't you know? Just eat a little, at least. I don't cook often."

"I said no thanks. Ms. Cooper, this is my house, please leave on your own. I hope I don't see you when I get back."

"Give it up, I'm not leaving. I'm sticking to you, so don't even think about changing places. Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I'll find you. I'm super stubborn, so instead of wasting time arguing, why not just eat the breakfast?"

"Okay, how about this, let's compromise. I'll pack it for you, and you can take it to the office, deal?" Juniper quickly packed the sandwich and milk. "Love breakfast, isn't it especially sweet?"

Anthony didn't feel particularly sweet, just particularly annoyed.

"Hurry up and take it, you're gonna be late for work," Juniper grabbed his hand, stuffing the food into it, and said enthusiastically like a doting wife, "Have a good day at work, come home early, I'll be waiting for you."

Anthony turned and went downstairs, handing the breakfast to his assistant. "Toss it."

"Huh? Yes, Mr. Eilish," the assistant replied.

Juniper stood by the floor-to-ceiling window with a glass of milk, watching the assistant throw away the breakfast, pouting. "That's too much."

But she was determined to make him accept it.

On the table, her phone vibrated. It was the tenth call from Aaron.