Chapter 1243

Caught completely off guard, Shanley's neck bent as he was pulled forward.

Before he could recover, the girl tilted her head up and captured his lips.

"You're drunk."

Shanley's dark eyes widened, his voice raspy. "Juniper, do you know what's going to happen?"

"What, are you scared?"

Juniper really must have been drunk. With the alcohol emboldening her, she blurted out, "Or are you just incapable?"

*Incapable?*

That highly insulting word crashed down on Shanley's head like a bolt of lightning.

His gaze darkened, and he simply swept her up in his arms, tossing her lightly onto the bed.

The world spun.

Juniper's breath was stolen away as the man's deeply hoarse voice echoed by her ear. "You started this. Don't regret it!"

Next...

(Fade to black)

Juniper felt like a pancake being flipped over and over on a griddle.

She lost track of how much time had passed; she only knew the sky went from pitch black to the faint light of dawn.

And then.

Her head was heavy, her eyelids weighed a ton, and she lost all sensation.

When Shanley was cleaning up the "aftermath" and changing the sheets, he realized she was burning up.

She had a fever.

"Juniper..."

Shanley patted her cheek, calling out softly.

"Mmm?"

Juniper groggily opened her eyes, her face exhausted, several deep marks bruising her neck.

*Damn it!*

He shouldn't have been so unrestrained last night!

"It's okay," Shanley tucked the blanket around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

He grabbed his phone, walked out to the balcony, and called Flint.

"Flint, find a doctor and send them over. Juniper is sick."

"Juniper is sick?"

The phone belonged to Flint, but the voice on the other end was Harold's.

Everyone had been in high spirits last night and drank quite a bit.

Seeing the celebration had made Harold nostalgic about his own grand

engagement, prompting him to drink heavily.

Flint had to stay behind to help take care of him.

"What's wrong with Juniper?"

Fighting a splitting headache, Harold immediately sat up, asking anxiously. "Wait, Juniper is a doctor. She handles minor injuries and illnesses herself."

"Fever."

Shanley hadn't expected Harold to intercept the call. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stammered, "Just send a female doctor over."

"A female doctor?"

Harold paused mid-action while putting on his shirt.

He was a married man who knew a thing or two about life; he instantly understood the underlying implication.

A solid ten seconds of silence stretched over the line.

"Shanley, you son of a bitch!"

Harold gritted his teeth, dropping a threat before mercilessly hanging up: "You just wait!"

Back at the Cloudscape Community.

Shanley held the phone, glancing back at the girl with her flushed cheeks.

He was overwhelmed with regret.

Soon enough, the female doctor Harold dispatched arrived.

After the examination.

The female doctor stole a glance at the gloomy faced man, her cheeks flushing slightly as she carefully said, "It's just a common cold. I've already given Ms. Payne some fever

reducers

and her temperature is coming down."

"Mhm."

Thinking back, Shanley figured it must have been from falling into the cold bathtub

last night and not dealing with it immediately.

Combined with the exhaustion and sweating later, it had taken a toll.

"Mr. Schwartz, this is the cold

medication," the doctor said, setting

down a box of pills, and giving

patient instructions. "Three times a day, half an hour after meals."

"Also "

As she spoke, she pulled a tube of ointment from her kit, blushing so hard she didn't dare look Shanley in the eye. "This is an anti-swelling ointment. I believe Ms. Payne will need this as well.

Shanley's throat tightened, his brow furrowing deeply. "Is there anything else to note?"

"Yes."

The doctor gripped her medical bag, gathering all her courage. "Exercise some restraint."