Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 678

“Mom—” Shanley couldn't help but speak up.

“What?” Miranda shot him a fierce look. “Am I wrong? If you dare lose a wonderful girl like Juniper, I’ll break your legs.”

Whatever Shanley had been about to say got stuck in his throat. He could only turn his gaze to his father, who was silently peeling shrimp for his wife, hoping for some backup.

“Dad, say something!” he pleaded with his eyes.

Hayden glanced at his wife, then quickly looked away, shaking his head at his son. “You don't dare argue with her, what makes you think I do?” his eyes seemed to say.

Shanley was speechless.

Throughout the meal, Miranda clung to Juniper, chattering away like they were long-lost sisters, with no sense of boundaries at all.

“You’ve met his grandparents, right?” Miranda asked, passing all the shrimp her husband had peeled over to Juniper.

“Juniper is the one who saved Grandpa’s life,” Shanley answered for her.

“Really?” Miranda’s eyes lit up. She was even more impressed with her future daughter-in-law now. “So you’re the young miracle worker Kent told us about?” she exclaimed.

“It was nothing,” Juniper replied with modest grace as she ate the shrimp Miranda had given her.

*Oh, my.* Miranda beamed. *She’s so polite! How can a young girl be so well-mannered?*

She looked at Juniper with an expression that said she was ready to marry the girl on Shanley's behalf.

...

After the meal, Miranda and Hayden pulled Shanley aside.

Shanley listened in silence, glancing at his quiet father and feeling a pang of sympathy for him.

“I understand,” Shanley nodded, his eyes fixed on Juniper. “I won’t let her be wronged again.”

“Good.” Miranda was satisfied. She trusted Shanley to keep his word.

Before they left, Miranda approached Juniper and pulled two checks from her purse. “Spending money. Use it however you want. Buy whatever you like. When you run out, I’ll give you more.”

Fearing Juniper would refuse, she stuffed the checks into her hands, then hurried back to the car and told the driver to go.

Juniper stared after the departing sports car, then down at the checks in her hand, completely bewildered. One was for over nine hundred million. The other brought the total to nearly two billion. Two billion in spending money?

“Just take what Mom gave you,” Shanley said, gently wrapping an arm around her waist. A soft smile played on his lips. “It’s clear she really, really likes you.”