"Alright."


    Looking at her adorable, dazed expression, Shanley''s heart fluttered, and a wave of tenderness washed over him. He was used to her cool, unapproachable demeanor. Seeing her this innocent and cute... was a first.


    Perhaps if she hadn''t endured so much hardship as a child, his Juniper would have always been this carefree.


    Soon, a nurse came in, drew blood, and quickly set up an IV drip.


    As the medicine began to take effect, Juniper grabbed Shanley''s hand and


    mumbled a final instruction, "Don''t drink too much. Save some for me."


    "Okay," Shanley sat by her bed, a mix of amusement and affection on his face. His voice was uncharacteristically soft. "It''s all for you."


    “Oh.” Satisfied, Juniper closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


    Once she was settled, Shanley turned to Felton and Flint, his tone turning icy. "Call and check on the other students who ate with Juniper this afternoon. And find out what''s going on with that restaurant."


    With exams so close, an incident like this could affect everyone''s performance.


    "Yes, sir." Felton and Flint immediately went to work.


    Five minutester, Felton returned, looking rather awkward. "Boss, the others are all fine."


    "Fine?" Shanley''s brow furrowed, his eyes turbulent.


    "Yes," Felton confirmed. "There were four of them. Besides Ms. Payne, the other three are perfectly fine."


    "Boss." Just as Felton finished, Flint entered the room, his voice low. "We''ve investigated the restaurant. It turns out... you should see the surveince footage.”


    Not knowing how to exin, Flint simply handed over his phone.


    The video showed Juniper, after Qadir had left to pick up the others, lifting the pot lid and taking a sip of the broth. The crucial detail was that the hourss the restaurant provided was faulty causing the sand to run through much faster than it should have. The twenty-five minutes the owner had advised was actually only eighteen. Juniper had gotten poisoned because she drank the undercooked mushroom broth.


    By the time Qadir and the others returned, the mushrooms were fully cooked, which


    was why they were unaffected. As for Ms. Payne... she was just a little too eager to


    eat.


    Flint, watching the video over


    Felton''s shoulder, almost burst out


    done.


    Shanley shot Flint a look, and the cold, murderous glint in his eyes was enough to


    make Flint instantly wipe the grin off his face.


    "You may go."


    "Yes, sir."


    Felton and Flint quickly left, and the room fell silent. Shanley sat by the bed, quietly keeping watch over Juniper.


    Later, her three brothers arrived at the hospital Hearing their sister was poisoned from eating mushrooms the expressions on their faces were priceless: To avoid disturbing he rest, they stayed for a short while before leaving.


    Just before they left, Melvin suddenly asked, "The exams are the day after tomorrow. Will Juniper be able to take them in this condition?"


    “She will,” Shanley answered before Jimmie or Harold could, his tone serious. “Let


    me put it this way: even if she took the exam while she was still poisoned, she''d get a perfect score."


    His Juniper seemed to have limitless potential. It was frightening.


    "That''s good to hear,” Jimmie said, the tension leaving his shoulders. "Going to college has always been Juniper''s dream."


    Although they had many ways to get her into any university she wanted, they wouldn''t resort to them.