Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 349

Shanley preened, clearly waiting for his own praise from Juniper.

“He can only teach you because you’re smart enough to learn,” Juniper said, directing the compliment back to Felton.

Felton looked at Shanley, his shoulders slumping innocently.

“What’s wrong?” Juniper asked, sensing the sudden silence as she looked up at Shanley.

“You’re right,” Shanley said, crouching beside her and gently stroking her hair. “The air quality in this lab isn’t great. I’ll have someone move these back to the house so you can look at them properly.”

“Okay.” Juniper had no objections. Confident that the plants could be saved, she clapped her hands and stood up, instinctively holding out her hand.

Shanley had already taken two steps before he realized she wasn’t following. He turned to see her standing there, hand suspended in mid-air, looking straight at him. He let out a soft chuckle, walking back to gently take her hand in his.

Juniper lowered her head slightly, letting him lead her away like a docile kitten. Habit, she thought, was a terrifying thing.

...

After a long day, Juniper was exhausted. She fell asleep in the car, her head resting on Shanley’s shoulder.

The persistent buzzing of her phone broke the quiet in the car. Annoyed, Juniper stirred, frowning as she fumbled for the phone to silence it. By a stroke of bad luck, her thumb landed on the sensor, unlocking the screen and opening directly to her messages.

The sender: Luella.

Luella: [What’s with the silent treatment?]

Luella: [Baby girl, are you that scared of me meeting Shanley?]

Shanley gritted his teeth, silently turning his gaze away as his arms tightened around her.

From the front seats, Felton and Flint had seen the messages in the rearview mirror. Seeing their boss’s miserable, repressed expression, the two exchanged a look of utter despair. A popular internet meme came to mind: I’m willing to be the side piece. Looking at their boss now…

Dear God. Was he really about to become the other man for the sake of love? It seemed highly likely!

...

Juniper slept groggily for several hours. When she finally woke up, it was five in the afternoon.

She opened her eyes and instinctively glanced at the desk in the room. Usually, Shanley would be home with her on the weekends.