Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 1354

Ebony Fox opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to argue.

"I'll be fine," Juniper shrugged, a faint, reassuring smile on her face. "You all know what kind of person I am, right?"

"Juniper is with me. You can all rest easy," Shanley said, taking her hand in his.

"Alright." Silas nodded, turning to the rest of the kids. "Let's head back. Mom and I will try to see if we can hack into the old institute's IP system."

Maybe Juniper's original genetic files were still buried in there somewhere.

As long as her baseline genetic data matched her current state, they could clear her name.

The others nodded and filtered out of the room one by one.

After seeing them off, Shanley returned to find Juniper sitting at the table, absentmindedly stirring a glass of water with a spoon.

"They left?" she asked.

"Mhm," Shanley hummed in response. He stepped forward, lifted her effortlessly, and set her on the edge of the table. Planting his hands on either side of her, he lowered his head to meet her gaze, his dark eyes bottomless.

"What? Worried I'm upset?" Juniper looked up, a shallow smile lifting the corners of her lips.

"A little." He pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose, his voice incredibly soft.

No one wanted to be called a "monster."

His girl was so young, barely nineteen. She had suffered so much in her childhood, and just when things were finally looking up, this disaster struck.

If this wasn't handled perfectly, she would be burdened with that grotesque label for the rest of her life.

Anyone would feel entitled to trample on all her hard work and struggles.

"If..." Juniper stared quietly at Shanley for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "If my genes really were modified... If I really was the monster everyone says I am, what would you do?"

"Okay."

Shanley carried her to the bed and lay with her until she fell asleep.

Once he was certain she was fully under, he slipped out from the covers and moved quietly to his study.

He dialed Felton's number. "Look into a woman named Moira Saxon. She was a medical researcher at the Albia Country genetic lab."

"She disappeared eighteen years ago. Alive or dead, her whereabouts are unknown!"

"It's been a long time. She might have changed her name, or she might have passed away. This won't be easy," Shanley ordered, his voice cold and commanding. "Pause all other operations for Binary Oracle and Cybernetic Shadows. Put everyone on tracking her down."

"Whoever finds her gets a hundred million dollar bonus!"

"... Yes, Boss." Hearing that astronomical figure, Felton almost dropped the phone.