He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 98

Juniper offered a soft smile and sank back onto the sofa, falling silent as everyone threw themselves into the work.

Zara's inventory had nearly sold out, netting the studio tens of thousands of dollars in just a few days. Considering their initially low consignment fees, simply turning a profit this early was a massive victory.

Juniper was satisfied. At this growth rate, the studio would secure a massive, loyal customer base within a year.

Once they had that dedicated following, the money would roll in effortlessly.

She finally allowed herself a moment to breathe.

Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Dr. Vaughn.

[What are you up to?]

She recalled the words Alistair had spoken to her while bandaging her ankle, and she lowered her gaze.

[Dr. Vaughn, truly, thank you for everything.]

He replied instantly, but just with a single punctuation mark.

[?]

[I thought very carefully about what you said, and you're right.]

[?]

[Are you free sometime? I'd love to take you out to dinner in a few days. We can spend some time getting to know each other.]

She was exhausted from constantly being at Nelson's mercy, tired of being dragged into a suffocating pit of despair every time he decided to play with her.

Since she was in a decent headspace right now, exploring something new seemed like a healthy step forward.

Even though she still wasn't entirely sure if Alistair had been serious when he made his move.

The chat went silent.

Juniper started second-guessing herself. Had he really just been trying to comfort her that day?

Frowning, she began typing out a retraction.

But she couldn't figure out how to phrase it without making the situation agonizingly awkward.

Just then, Alistair called her. His tone was as warm and steady as always. "Is your leg feeling better?"

Assuming he was just trying to smooth over the awkwardness, she quickly agreed, "It's getting there."

"Juniper, do you want to grab dinner tonight?"

She felt like she was getting emotional whiplash between his texts and his calls, but she agreed anyway. "Sure. Should I text you around seven?"

"I got caught in the rain last night. It's a little inflamed."

His brow furrowed deeply. "Let me take a look at the bandages. If it needs to be redressed, I'm taking you to a clinic right now."

Through the slightly ajar door of the private room, Alistair crouched down and gently grasped her injured leg.

Because she was wearing a dress, Juniper instinctively grabbed the hem of her skirt. "It's okay, really. Another doctor already cleaned it up for me."

Alistair's expression remained perfectly professional. He gently released her ankle. "Alright, then."

The heavy wooden door clicked shut.

Down the hall, Nelson stood rigid. His fingers twitched, instinctively reaching for a cigarette before remembering he was in a non-smoking zone.

He viciously kicked at the intricate pattern on the floor tiles, though even he didn't know what he was trying to destroy.

Every muscle in his body was coiled so tight he felt like he was going to snap.

Ten minutes later, Julian Sterling and Miles Whitaker finally strolled into the restaurant.

Julian looked around suspiciously. "I knew you didn't just invite us out for a casual dinner. Since you've been back in the country, you haven't initiated a single hangout. So I started looking for Juniper—and I bet you anything she's here."

His radar for drama was entirely unmatched.