Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 585

Suddenly put on the spot, Shanley straightened his back, his voice laced with guilt.

"Here’s what happened…" he began, carefully omitting any mention of the Cybernetic Shadows. "I noticed someone was following Juniper and assumed it was an enemy looking to harm her. To ensure her safety, I felt I had to take drastic measures…"

"So you decided to strike first?" Melvin interjected, rubbing his still-sore wrist as he fanned the flames. "Since when does our Juniper have so many enemies?!"

"Well…" Juniper bit her lip, mumbling indistinctly, "quite a few, actually."

"What?" Ebony Fox shot her a surprised, heartbroken look, murmuring to herself, "A lot of enemies?"

Wasn't her sister just a student? Could it be that Shanley's enemies were targeting her instead? The thought made her skin crawl. Shanley was far too dangerous; he wasn't right for her sister.

"I'm kidding," Juniper said quickly, holding a slice of watermelon to Ebony Fox's lips in a placating gesture. "I don't have any enemies."

Most of them had learned to give her a wide berth after she'd dealt with them. Assassination? They’d have to be out of their minds.

"Juniper…" Ebony Fox took a bite of the watermelon, her attention shifting back to Shanley. "What is your relationship with this gentleman?"

Shanley held his breath, looking at Juniper with pleading eyes.

"Um…" Juniper poked at her own slice of watermelon, her head slightly bowed as she answered slowly, "He's my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Although Ebony Fox had suspected it, hearing her sister say the words was still a shock. The age gap was one thing, but Shanley's complicated and dangerous life was another. How could her sister, a sweet girl of eighteen, possibly handle all that? Had she been tricked? And had Jimmie and the others just stood by and watched her get snatched up?

Harold brushed a wrinkle from his jacket and cleared his throat. "Melvin's right. We can't put all the blame on you."

Finally, it was Jimmie's turn. Knowing money wouldn't work, Shanley spoke earnestly. "Mr. Tate, if someone with a questionable background was furtively approaching Juniper, wouldn't you react the same way I did?"

"…You have a point," Jimmie admitted, unable to argue. When it came to Juniper's safety, he might have reacted even more irrationally than Shanley. He really couldn't fault the man for this.

Ebony Fox's face remained grim as she watched in silence. On the way here, the four of them had made a pact to give Shanley a hard time. And now, they were all turning on her.

She was starting to suspect her three brothers had practically sold Juniper to Shanley.