That was like grinding Shanley''s face into the dirt.


    "Ahem, let''s just find someone else," Shanley interjected quickly, his expression strained. He couldn''t let Jimmie expose him. He had just started winning the girl over; if she found out he was the person she despised, his romantic prospects would be shattered.


    “Huh?” Jimmie was utterly confused. "If not Cybeic Shadows, then who?"


    "Binary Oracle," Juniper mumbled through a mouthful of orange. "They''re faster, cheaper, and more importantly, they''re actuallypetent."


    "Gotta catch the flight. We''ll talkter," Jimmie said, and then he hung up.


    Shanley stared at Juniper, his face a mask of indescribable frustration. So she thought he''s ipetent? All because of one botched investigation that took a little longer than expected. He couldn''t believe she held such a grudge. Not only did she reject Cybeic Shadows, but she also wanted to hire his mortal enemy.


    “Juniper, you know about Binary Oracle?" Shanley asked, his lips tightening as he continued to feed her orange.


    "Of course," she said, still simmering with resentment and seizing the opportunity to vent. “I even know about a garbage group like Cybeic Shadows, so why wouldn''t I know about Binary Oracle? I heard that atst year''s hackingpetition, Binary Oraclepletely wiped the floor with them."


    Shanley''s face grew darker with every word, but Juniper was on a roll and didn''t notice.


    "And another thing..."


    "Juniper," Shanley said, taking a deep breath topose himself and gently cutting her off. "It seems you really dislike Cybeic Shadows."


    "You got that right," she confirmed with a defiant flick of her eyebrows.


    "What if..." Shanley paused, using a napkin to dab a bit of orange juice from the corner of her mouth. "What if the leader of Cybeic Shadows was standing right in front of you? What would you do?"


    Juniper''s head snapped toward him,


    her clear eyes instantly filling with a murderous glint. "I''d twist his head off," she said her voice tow a and deliberate, "and use it as a ser


    batt. Every single day."


    "What a savage little thing,” he thought, bewildered. What heinous crime had hemitted to provoke such a violent reaction? Any thought of revealing his identity vanishedpletely.


    "By the way," Juniper said, her mood much improved after her rant, "what were you going to tell me earlier?"


    "Nothing important," Shanley replied with a wry smile. "I just wanted to say that if anyone ever bullies you again, don''t get angry. Let me handle it."


    "Really?" Her eyes lit up.


    Shanley was the wealthiest man in Era City, with immense resources. Cybeic Shadows was also based here. He could genuinely be a huge help "Just wait," she thought I find his headquarters and make that old fossil kneel and call me Grandmaster."


    "Of course," Shanley said, leaning closer until his face was just inches from hers. "I told you I''d protect you for a lifetime."


    A lifetime? The words sent a jolt through her, and her heart began to race. But then


    she remembered... she was supposed to leave him soon.


    The thought plunged her back into gloom. After a moment of silence, she stood up and ran upstairs. A few minutester, she reappeared, looking at Shanley with an innocent expression. "The lock on my bedroom door is broken."


    Guess she couldn''t pack her things, could she?