Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 1231

Juniper let out a soft sound of confusion, her eyes red and puffy. She looked entirely pitiful yet utterly adorable.

Recalling what had happened, Theia’s already pale face lost even more of its color.

"I thought he was going to take me down with him too," Theia murmured, her voice tight with memory. "When we got into the lab and I saw the completed gene modification research, I lost all hope. I only had one thought—I couldn't let this nightmare out into the world. So, I decided to end it all. I was going to force the explosive vest off and blow the entire place to kingdom come. But then..."

Her voice grew hoarse, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Corvus Thorne suddenly grabbed my hand and pressed the trigger on his own remote. That’s when I realized the ring had two buttons—one to disarm the vest, and one to detonate it."

Juniper listened in quiet reverence.

"Both buttons would lead to the same result. Once he hit disarm, there was only a three-second window to escape."

"So, he pushed you away?" Juniper asked softly.

"Yes." Theia forced a bitter smile and nodded. "He shoved me out the window."

Beneath the window was the roaring ocean. The second she hit the water, the explosion went off.

"Right before he pushed me, he said..." Theia’s voice hitched. She tried to smile, but her tone was mercilessly cold. "He said he regretted taking the wrong path and losing me. He said even if there was no romance left, we still had our bond. But none of that matters now. I despise him. By dying right in front of my eyes, he made sure he’d be rooted in my memory forever. It's truly laughable."

She rubbed her eyes, a desolate, humorless laugh escaping her lips. "He was a monster. Why would I ever want to remember him?"

"Mom." Seeing her mother's strained expression, Juniper took her hands gently. "All the terrible things are in the past. Your and Dad’s perseverance finally paid off."

The gene modification would never threaten society now. It was just a tragedy that her parents had suffered so much in the shadows, without a single soul cheering them on.

"Juniper." Theia pulled her daughter into a fierce, tearful embrace. "Our family is never going to be separated again."

"Never." Juniper blinked away her tears, her eyes meeting Shanley’s across the room. "Our family."

Shanley’s brow softened, a tender smile curving his lips.

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