Chapter 1053

Juniper listened quietly, her gaze resting on Shanley's face.

Meeting his girl's eyes, the man's demeanor softened instantly. "When do you want to blow it up?" he asked, his voice gentle. "I'll have my people prep the site."

"You don't care about the cost?" Juniper grabbed his hand, blinking up at him. "If I blow the whole place to the ground, I definitely don't have the money to pay you back."

"I'd never ask you to pay me back," Shanley smiled softly. "It's all going to be yours eventually anyway. You can do whatever you want with it."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Unable to stomach the excessive PDA, Luella abruptly stood up. "I'm out of here."

"But you haven't eaten yet?" Juniper asked, confused. "Stay for dinner."

"I'm completely stuffed from all this PDA," Luella shot back sarcastically. Juniper fell silent.

"Just a moment, Mr. Langley," Shanley said, leisurely rising to his feet and handing Luella a thick folder.

"What's this?" Luella was puzzled, and Juniper had no idea what it was either. But knowing Shanley, it couldn't be anything good.

Luella flipped the folder open. Inside was a thick stack of profiles. Specifically, men's profiles. Men of all ages, all professions, covering every possible demographic.

"Last time you asked me to help you find a suitable boyfriend, and I didn't want to disappoint," Shanley said, leaning casually with one hand in his pocket. He stared at Luella with a half-smile. "Take your time browsing. Let me know which one catches your eye."

Luella flipped through a few more pages, her face turning an impressive shade of mottled red and white. If Juniper hadn't been sitting right there, she would have chucked the entire binder of weirdos right at Shanley's smug face.

"Are you satisfied, Mr. Langley?" Shanley continued. "If not, I have a backup list."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Luella ground out through clenched teeth before storming out and slamming the door behind her.

"What's her problem?" Shanley arched an eyebrow, clearly in a fantastic mood.

"Stop bullying her." Juniper tugged at Shanley's tie, a soft frown on her face. "Technically, Luella is like a sister to me. She's family."

"And...?"

"And what?"

"Her whole situation, you'll understand later," Juniper murmured. "The point is, she's under my protection. You aren't allowed to mess with her."

"Fine." Shanley pinched Juniper's nose, his tone laced with indulgence. After spending time around them, he'd already figured it out. Though Luella presented as a man he had an awfully femine energy. Especially the way she looked when she was whispering with Juniper—it was exactly how two girls acted.

Whatever. From now on, he'd just mentally categorize 'Mr. Langley' as female.

Thinking of it that way made him feel a whole lot better.

Later that evening, at the Schwartz Manor.

Juniper sat at the center of the grand dining table. On her left was Hannah, and on her right was Miranda. Both women kept serving her food until her plate was piled

high

high like a mountain She was the undisputed favorite of the

the

household.

"Juniper, sweetheart, any news on your parents?" Miranda asked softly as she ladled a bowl of soup for her.

"Yes." Juniper nodded. "They're most likely still alive. We're just trying to track down their exact location."

Hearing this, Shanley's grip on his silverware tightened. He shot her a look of pure astonishment. Hadn't he strictly ordered the Cybernetic Shadows guys to keep their mouths shut? How did she find out?

"Thought you could hide it from

me?" Catching his eye, Juniper

offered a slow, knowing smile. "Alld

had to do was look at them a little too long. I didn't even have to ask a question before those kids spilled everything."

Shanley was speechless.