"Forgive us, Your Highness!" the reporters cried out, their voices overlapping in a desperate chorus.

These were the same individuals who had relentlessly published defamatory articles about Juniper over the past few weeks, fueling the public's scrutiny.

"It was a mistake! Please, don't send us to prison for this," a second reporter pleaded, clutching his hands as if it could protect him.

Following his lead, the remaining ten began begging for mercy, their previous arrogance replaced by terror of being imprisoned.

"You all will be imprisoned," Dominick stated. "It was made very clear during my divorce that not a single word about me or my ex-wife was to be published. Instead, the twelve of you took a royal command lightly. Is this how you choose to affect the life of a person who has already endured a terrible phase of their existence?"

He stepped closer, his presence looming over them. "Your forgiveness wouldn't bring Juniper's peace back. The pain you inflicted on her won't simply disappear because you are sorry now. That is why a three-year prison term for all of you is necessary. It is a price for the reputation you tried to destroy."

Dominick turned his back on them, his expression hardened. "Evan, call the guards. Take all of them to the prison immediately."

As the guards entered and began hauling the reporters away. Dominick looked out the window of his study. He knew this wouldn't fix the distance between him and Juniper, but he would ensure that the world finally learned to leave her name out of their mouths.

"Nick, I will inform Juniper about this," Evan said.

"Why? That's not needed," Dominick told him, his voice flat. "She doesn't need to know anything about this. Just tell me, have the videos that tarnished her been removed? And grab those content creators too. I won't spare anyone who profited from her pain."

"The team is on it. They will be captured soon," Evan replied.

"And what about the hunter who was sent to harm Jeniva? Any information on the person who hired him?" Dominick inquired, his eyes narrowing.

"Burner phones were used to mask the trail. Though we did get a lead, we need to confirm it first. Ross is already on it," Evan explained.

Dominick felt a slight relief hearing that. "You did a great job. You can leave now."

Evan bowed and walked out of the study, the heavy palace doors clicking shut behind him.

'What is bothering you?' Black, his wolf, asked from within.

'Everything I did to June,' Dominick replied silently. 'From the moment we got married. Even before that... I wasn't entirely devoted to her. I didn't want to see her truth, and that's why she never felt she could tell me. The faults lie with me. I chose to ignore them until it was too late.'

His wolf remained quiet as Dominick contemplated on his mistakes.

~~~~

Juniper scrolled through her phone, checking for a good restaurant when she stumbled upon one with a 4.7-star rating and over 100,000 reviews. The photographs showed a cozy, bamboo wooden structure that gave it a warm, inviting aesthetic even from the outside.

"I think this place will be nice for us, and it's right in the heart of the city," Juniper murmured, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

She finally stood up from the lobby chair, tucked her phone into her purse, and smoothed out her clothes.

She sent the address to Denzel and stepped out of the building to hail a taxi.

Because of the traffic, it took her too long to reach there but thankfully she was on time. Still ten minutes had left for the clock to hit sharp seven in the evening.

Walking in, she found the restaurant was bustling, every table occupied by diners chatting over steaming plates.

"Can I get a table for two?" she asked at the counter.

"You'll need to wait for thirty minutes for a table to clear," the man at the bill counter replied without looking up from his register.

"Hey!" Denzel's voice came from behind her, sounding closer than she expected.

"Denzel!" she exclaimed in genuine shock, spinning around while he glanced at the crowded room.

"I'm sorry. This restaurant is fully packed. They say we need to wait for thirty minutes for a table to get vacant," Juniper told him, feeling a bit guilty for the oversight.

"Then we should wait," Denzel answered easily, showing no signs of annoyance.

"Won't you be late? We can go to some other restaurant if you're in a hurry," Juniper suggested, scanning the street for alternatives.

"But this one is quite popular among the folks for a reason. We can take a walk for thirty minutes before returning here," Denzel replied, gesturing toward the nearby park. "The evening air is nice; it'll be better than standing in this lobby."

"Okay." Juniper booked the table first to ensure they wouldn't have to wait a second longer than necessary, and then they stepped out into the evening light.

"Did Cillian video call yet?" Denzel inquired as they began their stroll toward the park.

"Not yet," Juniper replied. She watched the other couples and families heading in the same direction, her mind still drifting back to the scene at the company lobby. She knew she probably shouldn't pry, but the question was already on the tip of her tongue. "The woman... the one who was with you earlier..."

"She's my younger sister," Denzel answered with a slight smile. "Her name is River."

"Ahh. That's a beautiful name," Juniper answered, feeling relieved for an unknown reason.

"So, are you liking it here? More than the capital?" Denzel inquired, his eyes scanning the peaceful park landscape.

"Yes. The capital is all about elite alphas, betas, and even omegas. Life is always hustling there," Juniper replied, watching a group of children play near the fountain. "I must say, here it's less about ranks and more about people."

"That's true," Denzel agreed. A comfortable silence stretched between them for a moment before he broke it. "Do you know Prince Dominick punished the reporters who wrote those wrongful articles about you?"

"No, I didn't," Juniper said, her steps faltering slightly. "How do you—"

"Evan and I were working on it. I mean... I provided the intel from this end since some reporters leaked your photos from right here in San Ravendale," Denzel explained.

"Oh."

'Why did Nick do that?' Juniper thought, her mind racing. 'What's the point of showing care now? Doesn't he have a new mate?'

"Prince Dominick is rectifying the mistakes he made with you. It's a good sign for his personal growth in the future," Denzel remarked, his tone neutral.

"Yeah, if he doesn't hurt his mate in the process," Juniper muttered, a bitter edge to her voice.

"A mate?" Denzel tilted his head, looking at her with genuine confusion.

"He already found a second-chance mate. Dominick has moved on, and so have I. I don't fucking care what he does anymore," Juniper declared, her voice rising slightly.

"There was a time when I truly wanted things to turn better between us, for him to just give me a chance. But when we spoke for the last time, I realized we were beyond repair. We were never suitable for each other."