Chapter 677

"Then don't get hurt," Anthony said, keeping it cool, hiding all his feelings inside.

Juniper sighed, "I don't wanna get hurt either, but... Anyway, it's just bad luck. You can't dodge the blame for this."

Anthony shot back, "This ain't on me, so don't drag me into it."

"I..." Juniper suddenly realized she was slipping back into their old, flirty way of talking. But now, he was her boss, and she couldn't act like that.

"Thanks for the concern, Mr. Eilish. I'm outta here." She reached for her clothes.

Anthony reminded her, "You can't wear that anymore. I'll have Terry bring a new shirt."

"No!" Juniper jumped up, panicking, and accidentally tugged at her wound. Ouch, that hurt.

"So reckless!" Anthony snapped, just looking at her made him mad. Did she even know how to take care of herself?

Juniper said anxiously, "No, Mr. Eilish. If Terry brings clothes, he'll get the wrong idea..."

Anthony cut her off, "You're overthinking it."

Juniper shot back, "I'm really not. Even if there's nothing between us, you putting medicine on my back still feels off."

"I'm the CEO. Just do what I say." Anthony didn't want to argue.

Juniper bit her lip. It was rare for him to be so bossy, but it was kinda hot.

Come to think of it, when was Anthony not hot? His charm just showed in different ways.

Anthony had just finished his call when Terry came in with a shirt.

"Juniper?"

Was this shirt for her?

Terry quickly hid his surprise.

Juniper waved her hand. "Terry, don't get the wrong idea. I got hurt, and my clothes are ripped, so Mr. Eilish asked you to bring a new one. There's nothing between us."

Anthony watched her unnecessary explanation.

"Really," Juniper added.

"I know," Terry said calmly. "Mr. Eilish, I'll be going now."

He left without asking anything.

Juniper suddenly got why Terry was the chief secretary. Besides being super capable, he knew what not to ask and what not to say. He didn't ask a single unnecessary question or take an unnecessary look. Impressive.

Anthony reminded her, "What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and change."

"Okay. Mr. Eilish, could you please turn around?" Juniper said, blushing a bit.

Anthony turned around like a gentleman.

Listening to her changing clothes behind him, he suddenly felt a flutter of excitement.

His mouth went dry.

He wasn't someone who had never faced temptation, but Juniper felt different from those other women. She could stir his heart and make him excited.

The last time he felt this way was with Layla.

The similar feeling seemed to remind him that he had already fallen for Juniper, but he had been denying it all along.

Often, the body was more honest and straightforward than the heart.

It was even more straightforward for someone as usually restrained as him. Wanting to kiss her, hug her, even completely possess her, all indicated that he liked her.

Having tried so hard to deny it before, Anthony suddenly gave up fighting with himself at this moment.

He liked Juniper; she had opened up his heart that had been frozen. Ironically, when he finally admitted it, Juniper already had a boyfriend.

Anthony thought to himself, 'Anthony, it's your hesitation, your worries, and your indecision that lead to this missed opportunity.'

He couldn't blame her; he could only blame himself for being overly cautious and overthinking everything.

Juniper asked, "Mr. Eilish, I'm done. What were you thinking about so deeply?"

"Thinking about you," Anthony blurted out.

"What? What did you say?"

"Nothing," Anthony replied quickly.

He had spoken without thinking; it was better that she hadn't heard.

That was something he shouldn't have said.

Juniper said, "Mr. Eilish, thanks a lot for today. I'll be going now."

Anthony ordered, "Take the day off and go home."

Juniper refused, "No, I still have a ton of work to finish."

Anthony asked, annoyed, "Do you want your wound to reopen?"

"It won't. You're so skilled, so it definitely won't reopen. And I promise you, I won't do any heavy lifting today. Is that okay?" Juniper raised her hand, promising earnestly.

Anthony disagreed, "Still no. If you want to work well, you need to heal first."

Juniper retorted, "But I just started at the company and already took a sick day for a fever. If I take another day off, it would be too much. I know my own condition. If I really can't manage, I won't push myself. I'm not an idiot."

"You are an idiot who likes to push yourself!" Anthony couldn't help but say. Among all the women he had met, Juniper was the most stubborn.

Anthony thought, 'Her back is already messed up, but she still wants to work. Does she think she has multiple lives to waste? Or does she want to ruin herself?'

Anthony was not someone who liked to meddle in others' affairs, but Juniper's situation concerned him greatly. Maybe it was because she wasn't just anyone but someone he liked.

'Having just faced my own feelings and confirmed that I like her, she immediately makes me angry,' Anthony thought.

Juniper pursed her lips and thought, 'Even though he's scolding me, why do I feel a strange sense of happiness and sweetness? Before, I thought it might be my wishful thinking, but now it seems he does care about me, right? And he's quite worried about me.'

However, another thought suddenly struck Juniper's mind that Anthony already had a girlfriend.

This made the joy that had just risen in her heart vanish instantly, and she even felt a bit disgusted with herself.

Juniper thought, 'I can't be happy for a man who has a girlfriend and can't feel happy because he cares about me. That's extremely wrong. This kind of thinking is dangerous and has to be nipped in the bud.'

Thinking this, she restrained her smile and said seriously, "Mr. Eilish, thank you for your kindness, but I'm fine. I'll go back to work now."

'Why does she suddenly turn cold again?' Anthony found it hard to grasp her emotions. 'Are all women this fickle?'

It felt like something was stuck in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He had a strong premonition that Juniper would increasingly affect him. He was a slow-burn person; his feelings would only grow stronger, and he would like her more and more.

Anthony thought, 'But is it too late to realize my feelings now? She already has a boyfriend; what should I do?'

As soon as Juniper went out, Mira quickly walked to her desk and asked, "I just asked you to deliver a document. Why did it take you so long? What were you doing in Mr. Eilish's office?"

Mira was usually not one to meddle in others' business, so among all the female colleagues in the office, Juniper felt she was the only normal one, willing to be friends with her. They didn't talk much but got along well.

But now, Mira's attitude seemed a bit off.

Juniper couldn't help but feel puzzled. She thought, 'Have I offended her? Why can't I remember?'