Chapter 1230

"Mom-"

Staring at the sky engulfed in flames, Juniper's mind went completely blank with a loud ringing sound.

But she quickly forced herself to regain her sanity.

She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the scrapes on her legs, and limped frantically toward the inferno.

No.

Her mother couldn't be dead.

But the fire was too intense.

She tried countless times, but there was no way to break through the wall of flames.

The rain had stopped.

A helicopter touched down behind her, and Shanley sprinted toward her with long, urgent strides.

"Juniper."

The man pulled her into his arms, staring at the raging fire, sensing immediately that something catastrophic had happened.

"Mom..."

All the strength drained from Juniper's body as she collapsed into Shanley's embrace. She stared numbly at the blaze, her lips trembling violently. "Shanley, my mom is still inside."

Shanley was too stunned to speak. He looked back at Felton and Flint, who were equally horrified, and barked an order, "Get people here to put out the fire."

"Yes, Boss."

Felton and Flint exchanged a tense look and immediately started making calls for backup.

A fire this massive...

By the time the rescue crews arrived, everything inside would likely be reduced to ashes.

"There's no time." Juniper pushed Shanley away, walking toward the fire with desperate resolve. "I'm going in to find her."

"Don't do anything rash."

Shanley grabbed her from behind, pulling her tight as he tried to calm her down. "The fire is too big. Going in there is a death sentence."

Muffled explosions were still echoing from within the structure. It was on the verge of complete collapse.

"What about my mom?!" Juniper completely lost her mind, her fingers digging so fiercely into Shanley's arms that she left bloody scratch marks. "Shanley, I finally got my mother back..."

"I need to see her alive, or I need to see her body. No matter what, I have to get her out."

Tears streamed down Juniper's face, her voice completely hoarse. She looked so fragile she might shatter into a million pieces at any second.

"Juniper—"

Shanley used every ounce of his strength, barely managing to hold back the frantic girl.

"Juniper-"

Right at that moment, a familiar woman's voice echoed in her ear.

Juniper stopped struggling instantly, her neck stiffening as she slowly turned her head.

There, limping out from the side of the burning villa, dragging her battered and bruised body, was Theia, making her way toward them.

"Theia!"

Seeing her, Shanley shouted in relief. "Juniper, she's okay!"

Juniper stood frozen in place, staring at Theia as if she had lost her soul. "Juniper-"

Theia drew closer, her eyes red, calling out to her with a raspy voice.

"Mom."

Juniper took two trembling steps

forward, finally confirming it wasnet sation before breaking into

a run and throwing herself at Theia.

She wrapped her arms tightly around her mother, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mom..."

She really thought she had lost her mother all over again.

"I'm here, sweetie." Soaked to the bone and covered in scrapes, Theia gently stroked her daughter's back. "You were scared, werent you? Mom is fine."

"Waah..."

Juniper's face was completely drenched in tears, her body trembling violently. She tried to speak.

But something felt lodged in her throat, rendering her incapable of making a single sound.

All she could do was hold on with all her might, feeling the living warmth of her mother.

In the car.

Juniper held a towel, carefully and methodically drying her mother's hair.

Shanley stood outside the car, speaking quietly with Felton.

"We found Corvus's body, but no

sign of Nadia's. With an expet

that massive, there might not body left to

find," Felton reported.

"Mm."

Shanley glanced back at the car window, his expression cold and hard. "Let Jimmie know they're safe."

"Yes, Boss."

Having given his orders, Shanley opened the car door, his sharp features softening immediately. "Juniper, Theia, we're heading back."

"Alright."

Theia smiled and nodded, saying sincerely, "Shanley, thank you for everything."

"You don't need to thank me. We're family," Shanley replied, a gentle smirk tugging at his lips.

On the way back.

Shanley drove the car himself, constantly checking on the young woman through

the rearview mirror.

In all the time he had known her, he had never seen her lose control to the point of

sobbing like that. She had been truly terrified.

"Mom, what happened after you and Corvus went into the lab?"