Shanley''s brow twitched. He shifted his gaze to the one person who might help him. "Juniper, save your boyfriend," he pleaded with his eyes.
Her sister was truly a special forces instructor; her re alone could kill a man. If it hadn''t been for Jimmie and the others, his men might not have even seeded in capturing her.
"Ahem." Picking up on his silent plea, Juniper put down the piece of fruit she was eating, clearing her throat to create a diversion.
Ebony Fox''s head finally turned. The moment her eyesnded on Juniper, her expression softened into one of gentle warmth. "I''m Ebony Fox. Your fourth sister," she said.
Being so ustomed to a cold demeanor, showing tenderness felt a little awkward. "I''m sorry for appearing and then running off the other day. I didn''t frighten you, did I?"
Juniper looked up, meeting Ebony Fox''s gaze. Her longshes fluttered.
Ebony Fox swallowed, asking cautiously, "Was I too intimidating? Did I scare you?"
"No." Juniper shook her head. She gently took Ebony Fox''s hand, a small smile ying on her lips. “Sis, your nose... it looks just like mine.”
Her nose? Ebony Fox touched her own nose, and then it dawned on her. What had Juniper called her? Sis? The wave of happiness was so sudden and overwhelming that Ebony Fox just sat there, a faint smile blooming on her cool features.
“Juniper, you remember me?" she asked in disbelief. After all, Juniper was only three when she got lost.
"I didn''t at first," Juniper said, her eyes sparkling, her voice clear and pleasant. "But seeing you again brought it all back."
"Really?" Ebony Fox leaned closer, her fingers tentatively touching Juniper''s hair. Her voice was uncharacteristically soft. "I didn''t realize my little Juniper had such a good memory."
Then, remembering the gift she had prepared, she pulled a small box from her coat. "Open it."
Juniper opened the box to find a bank card inside. A ck card, the kind that was issued in limited numbers globally and required a nine-figure deposit to even qualify for.
"I wasn''t sure what you liked..." Ebony Fox watched her sister, her voice slightly hoarse with emotion. "There''s a little money in there. Buy whatever you want."
"Is this your life savings?" Juniper asked, her voice low and certain as she ran a finger over the card.
“No,” Ebony Fox said with a faint smile, quickly dispelling her sister''s worries. “I started working early. I''ve saved up quite a bit over the years."
Working early? Those two simple words pierced Juniper''s heart. On the way to the restaurant, Jimmie had told her about what happened to the sister. After the shipwreck, she had been sold on the ck market and eventually ended up in the Amazon Rainforest. She She had fought tooth and nail, shedding blood and tears, to climb to her current position. Juniper knew exactly what kind of ce the Huntsman Institute was.
hac
“Okay,” Juniper said. She had wanted to refuse, but meeting her sister''s expectant
gaze, she managed a small smile. “Thank you, my sister."
"You''re wee." Ebony Fox breathed a sigh of relief and couldn''t resist pinching her sister''s cheek. It
was so soft and squishy, just like
she remembered from when they were children.
From his corner, Shanley watched them, his brow furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. He''d never even pinched Juniper''s cheek like that. He was jealous.
"So, you''re also the head instructor for the military training at Era University?" Juniper asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. "If so, why didn''t youe see me sooner?"
At the mention of that, the warmth vanished from Ebony Fox''s face. She shot a cial look at Shanley.
"You''ll have to ask the gentleman
across from us," she said, her tone sharp. "Every time I got close, his men would appear out of nowhere, guarding you like I was a criminal. If
I hadn''t been fast on my feet i might not be alive right now." Content"
"I''m sorry," Shanley said, his voice low. It was all he could say.