"What the hell was that, June?" Dominick bellowed as he stord into the bedroom.
Juniper sat calmly on the bed, sipping water with slow deliberation, as if she were savoring each second of his fury. She set the glass down gently. "Don’t yell at . Your family deserved to hear the truth."
"Are you out of your mind? That was a joyous mont for Gabriel and Alie," Dominick snapped with anger. "And how dare you claim Noah isn’t a Sinclair? His father is Gabriel. You owe Alie an apology."
"I won’t," Juniper said steadily, locking eyes with him. "Why should I apologize for speaking the truth?"
"June, why are you doing this? I love you. And you’re hurting every day with this behavior," Dominick said, his voice dropping to a pained tone. "First, you spoke wrongly to Zilia, and now... Alie."
Juniper’s eyes hardened. "I also love you. But you always side with your family. All you think about is them. What did you do last night? Have you forgotten? You asked your beta not to let Gabriel work on your behalf. You chose to work remotely. You don’t prioritise ." She leaned forward slightly, her voice sharp. "And worst... you only care about your brothers and their mates. You should bla yourself, not ."
Dominick took a step closer, his voice low but edged with hurt. "What exactly did you say to yesterday? You told you wouldn’t mind if I worked remotely. That what mattered was that we were together."
Juniper’s gaze remained cold. "I was testing you. And you failed. You are mate in na only. You never showed this side of yourself before marriage. Back then, you were all sweet words and promises. But now... I see the real you."
Before Dominick could reply, a soft knock ca at the door. He opened it to find a palace maid standing there.
"The Luna Queen is waiting for Princess Juniper in her chamber," she said politely.
"Mom wants to see you," Dominick told her.
Juniper stood without a word and brushed past him. Dominick clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he watched her walk away.
’Is this truly our mate, Black?’ he asked his wolf.
’I don’t know. Even I can’t recognise her anymore,’ Black replied in a low voice deep within his mind.
~~~~~
Juniper entered the living room of the Queen’s chamber and found it empty. The air felt heavy, as if the silence itself was waiting for her.
"Take a seat," Mabel’s voice called softly from behind her. Juniper turned to find the Queen holding a wooden box, its surface intricately carved with delicate floral patterns.
"Tell , what is going on? What has been troubling you, Juniper? Ever since your marriage to Dominick, things haven’t been right between you two. And what you said earlier... it wasn’t just rude. It showed sothing you’ve been carrying in your heart for a long ti," Mabel said, her voice calm but firm.
"Your Majesty," Juniper began, "the day of my marriage was ant to be perfect. But Nick allowed Casaio to share it with Zilia. Everything changed from that day. Everything was ruined."
"And that is why you speak such harsh words to everyone. But what wrong has Alie done to you to deserve this?" Mabel demanded, her tone sharper now.
Juniper lifted her gaze, eting the Queen’s eyes steadily. "She did nothing wrong to , Mother. But she needs to hear the truth. The entire Sinclair family should. Noah isn’t the true heir of this family. He is Alex’s son. Though Gabriel killed him, that doesn’t erase the truth, Alex did leave his part behind."
Mabel studied her silently for a long mont, her eyes narrowing as she thought. ’So this is her true face. She is beyond redemption and her thoughts won’t change. She has a problem with everyone.’
"Your Majesty, did you call for ?" Zilia asked softly as she entered. "Casaio and I just returned from outside." Her gaze shifted to Juniper, and surprise flashed across her face. "You returned so early!"
Juniper said nothing, ignoring Zilia entirely.
"Take a seat," Mabel instructed calmly.
Zilia sensed imdiately that sothing was wrong. Her mind raced. Had Mabel discovered Juniper’s conversation from before?
"Mother, why did you call Zilia?" Juniper asked sharply.
"I want to know exactly what happened the day after your marriage," Mabel said firmly, her voice carrying authority. "A servant told you argued with Zilia. It’s ti I learned the truth."
Juniper’s eyes hardened. "Nothing is hidden from the Queen. I told Zilia she was a spy, and that her past could harm Prince Casaio when he takes the throne as the next Alpha King."
"And why do you concern yourself with such matters?" Mabel’s voice sharpened. "Who gave you the authority to act as though you are the Queen of this palace?"
"Forgive , Mother," Juniper replied calmly. "I only showed Zilia the truth. Truths cannot be hidden forever. Sooner or later, people will discover what she has done. Besides... I don’t believe Prince Casaio will be the perfect King."
Mabel’s expression darkened. "No one asked for your opinion, Juniper. You’re dismissed from your position as Inner Palace Head. The King has ordered it. I take that duty back to myself."
Juniper rose to leave, without uttering a word.
The Queen’s voice stopped her mid-motion. "I’m not finished yet. If you dare speak such words in front of anyone again, I will remove you from this palace... and from Dominick’s life. I an it, Juniper. In my eyes, you were always the ideal daughter-in-law... but you have failed ."
Juniper paused at the doorway, her back still turned. She spoke without looking back. "And you have failed too, Mother. I thought at least you would understand . I said nothing wrong. Think about that... alone."
With that, she walked away, giving a sharp glare to Zilia.
"Mother, you should not have told her that you would kick her out of the palace," Zilia said.
"I gave her the bait. I wonder if she takes it or not. But to save this family, I was supposed to do this. Juniper will ruin us before any of us can understand," Mabel stated with a worried gaze.
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