In fact, around her, Shanley was more like a clingy puppy.


    Heh. His worries had been unnecessary.


    "Go on, get back to her," Harold said with a resigned shake of his head, watching his sister crane her neck to see them. "If you stay any longer, she''ll think I''m doing something to you ande charging over here to settle the score."


    Jimmie and Melvin were easygoing enough, and he considered himself pretty reasonable... but his sister? Just thinking about her gave him a headache. “Hmm,” Shanley replied with a smile. Business settled, he returned to the car. “What did Harold say to you?" Juniper asked, staring at him intently.


    "Nothing much," Shanley said with a slight smile, his voice a low murmur. "Dr. Houston is a good brother."


    That one sentence said everything.


    Juniper nced back at Harold, who was still standing by the entrance, a wave ofplex emotions washing over her. It was true. All of her brothers were wonderful. Which was why she couldn''t let anything happen to them.


    ...


    Back at Cloudscape Community, Juniper immediately took out her case of silver needles. She began practicing the angles for the procedure over and over, referencing the scans of Harold''s head injury. The location was incredibly tricky; the slightest mistake could lead to severeplications.


    She practicedte into the night, with Shanley staying by her side the entire time, bringing her water and cutting up fruit for her. It wasn''t until the first light of dawn touched the sky that she finally set the needles down.


    "I''ve already called the school for you," he said softly. "Get some sleep this morning. I''ll take you to theb this afternoon."


    "Okay," Juniper replied without moving, her eyes fixed on him.


    "What is it?" Shanley frowned with concern. "Are your legs asleep?"


    "Yeah." After sitting for so long, her legs had gonepletely numb. She wiggled


    them slightly, feeling the sensation slowly return.


    Just as she was about to stand, Shanley stepped forward.


    "Let me carry you," he said softly.


    Juniper, who had just started to lift herself up, slowly sat back down. "Okay," she said calmly.


    In the next second, Shanley slipped his arms under her knees and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. After setting her down in the bedroom, he went to get her some breakfast.


    Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from Cybeic Shadows.


    "Boss, while we were investigating, Binary Oracleunched an


    investment scheme and took down


    severa


    of our systems." The subordinate''s voice trembled as he spoke. The losses were staggering.


    Shanley felt a surge of anger, but the thought of having sessfully found Juniper''s brother helped him push it down.


    "Also, boss-" The subordinate hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Registration for this year''s hackerpetition has begun. Should we participate?”


    "What do you think?" Shanley asked through gritted teeth as he stirred a bowl of nourishing soup.


    He had been waiting for a chance to deal with that old pervert from Binary Oracle. Perhaps defeating them would finally change his girl''s opiston of Cybeic shadows This was a critical moment in his quest for her approval; he couldn''t afford any mistakes.


    "Yes, sir," the subordinate replied. "I''ll handle it right away."


    Carrying the soup, Shanley was just about to enter the bedroom when he heard the girl''sughter.


    "That old bastard actually dared to challenge me again. He learned kis lesson didn''t he?" Juniper yawned "If thadn''t been busy, do you think those little punks would hav@gotten away unscathed?"


    Cybeic Shadows lost over a billion, and their systems were fried. She felt a deep sense of satisfaction.


    Shanley paused at the door, catching snippets of her conversation. She was cursing someone out. Old bastard? What old bastard?