The awards ceremony was in a week.


    "When are you two going to announce your rtionship?" Shanley asked, a slight curve on his lips. His girl was getting absolutely trashed online, but she wouldn''t let him intervene.


    Jimmie didn''t answer, instead looking to his sister for her reaction. He wouldn''t dare make a move without her approval.


    "Let''s wait a bit longer," Juniper said, finishing her milkshake and handing the empty cup to Shanley. She leaned back in her seat, content and rxed. "Don''t bother with the onlinements for now. Just save the evidence. It''ll be useful for thewsuitter."


    This time, she was going to teach those nderers a lesson they wouldn''t forget.


    Back at Cloudscape Community, Juniper had just stepped out of the shower when her phone vibrated. It was Lue.


    “Juniper, you ditching your old friends for your new man?"


    Lue''s voice came through the speaker. She was lounging in a bar booth, one leg casually crossed over the other. Beside her, a pretty, innocent-looking girl was nervously pouring a drink, her face blushing.


    "Tomorrow," Juniper replied, toweling her wet hair, her tone rxed. "After school, at the bar.” “Just you?" Lue chuckled suggestively. "Not bringing that old man of yours for me to check out?"


    Juniper''s lips tightened. "Say he''s old one more time. I dare you."


    "Tsk, tsk. You''re not even married and you''re already this protective?" Lue clicked


    her tongue and took a sip of the wine, nearly choking.


    "When ites to spotting


    scumbags, I''m the expert," Lue


    said, turning to shoot a flirtatious


    wink at the girl beside her. With


    slightlymessy hairstyle and


    ve


    masculine clothes, coupled with deliberately manly'' gestures it was hard to tell rue''s gender. To an outsider, she simply looked like a very handsome ''man''. "Gee, thanks," Juniper said dryly. Hearing footsteps approaching the door, she quickly said, "Gotta go."


    The call ended just as Shanley walked in, happening to catch her abrupt reaction. It seemed like she had hung up suddenly because she heard himing. Whose call was so urgent that he couldn''t know about it?


    "Why is your hair still wet?" Shanley didn''t ask about the call, his focus immediately shifting to her with a slight frown.


    "I''ll go get the hairdryer." Juniper put down her phone and turned toward the bathroom.


    Shanley had never felt the urge to snoop through her phone and had no idea who was in her contacts. But in that fleeting moment, his gaze unintentionally fell on the screen, which showed her recent calls. caff from 45 seconds ago was with someone named ''Lue Langley''.


    Lue Langley? The name made Shanley''s nerves instantly tense as certain pieces of information clicked in his mind. If he recalled correctly, this was the person who had swooped in and bought the O Moulnds district for a high price, only to nttro there. Even Juniper''s apartment in Cloudscape Community was purchased by this ''Lue Langley, More importantly this was a man


    who on earth was he that even Cybeic Shadows couldn''t dig up any information on


    him? And why was Juniper talking to


    him sote at night?


    He recalled the scene just moments ago when he opened the door. The girl had definitely looked a bit flustered. Shanley''s expression darkened, a knot of panic forming in his stomach.


    Crap. Was she going to leave him?