He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 402

Leo attentively leaned in to debone the fish, then placed the clean flakes onto the old lady's plate. "Have some more, Grandmother."

The old lady looked at Juniper and nodded kindly. "You eat more too, Juniper. It's a shame Nelson took Josie on vacation. If he were here, it really would feel like old times."

Juniper choked up, a lump forming in her throat as she stared blankly at the food on her plate.

Her own home was just a few hundred yards away. She used to run over here all the time.

The old lady was right. Those were days untainted by endless scheming.

She couldn't bear the thought of leaving her.

Reggie's cooking smelled amazing, but her appetite had vanished.

She had just gone through several heartbreaking partings, and in a few months, she would have to part with the old lady as well. A suffocating wave of despair washed over her.

Yara Jenkins called just then, saying she had successfully picked up Moonlight.

Moonlight had a sweet temper and adapted easily. Whenever he was taken away, he seemed to understand that his owner was leaving. He always had a great time staying at Yara's place.

Juniper went over a few care instructions, her brow furrowing slightly as she caught the sound of a man's voice on the other end of the line.

"Yara, do you have a boyfriend?"

Yara glanced at Harrison Holt, who was still busy in the kitchen, and quickly covered the receiver. "No, it's just a friend crashing here."

But Juniper knew better. Yara was a loner at the hospital; she barely had any friends, let alone one who would crash at her place.

"Before Grandmother arrived, I had someone clean this whole place top to bottom. The roses outside are freshly planted, and the fridge is fully stocked with fresh fruit. This place is actually quite beautiful. It's no wonder she likes it."

Juniper stared at the condensation on the glass but didn't reach for it. Every instinct in her body screamed for her to maintain absolute vigilance around this man named Leo Saint—even though he looked entirely harmless. So harmless, in fact, that he easily passed for an ordinary college student.

Leo wasn't the least bit surprised. He simply sat down beside her. "I knew a little about what happened between you and my cousin, though not the full details. I was always out having fun, after all."

Juniper sensed a distinct arrogance about him, very similar to the way Nelson used to be.

She finally understood why she had felt such an overwhelming sense of wrongness the moment she laid eyes on him. The aura Leo exuded was strikingly similar to Nelson's past self—the Nelson before their sudden, devastating breakup. Back then, Nelson carried that exact same vibe. Surrounded by admirers, his arrogance was somehow entirely endearing. But Leo ultimately lacked that unyielding, rebellious streak that was carved into Nelson's very bones. Leo seemed to keep it all deeply buried.

Juniper was absolutely certain she had seen this man somewhere before.

Leo glanced at the untouched glass of water, looking slightly puzzled. "Juniper, it seems you really don't like me?"