Juniper was fuming. Seeing him still smiling, she unconsciously applied more pressure with her hand.
"Nghh—” Shanley winced, his brow furrowing in pain. He knew this girl didn''t pull her punches.
He wisely stayed still.
The process of removing the bullet took a full ten minutes. Shanley''s face was chalk-white from the pain, and Juniper wasn''t faring much better. Large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead, her fingers trembling uncontrobly as she probed the wound.
"It''s okay," Shanley said softly, having removed the towel from his mouth to gaze at her with gentle eyes, trying to soothe her.
Juniper shot him a re, her anger ring even hotter. She couldn''t be bothered to respond.
"Clink."
The bloody bullet was finally out,nding in the metal tray with a sharp, clear sound.
Juniper wiped the sweat from her brow and began the work of stitching the wound and stopping the bleeding. Though she was meticulous, the wound would inevitably leave a scar that could never bepletely erased.
"Done."
After finishing, Juniper stripped off her gloves and turned to leave.
"Juniper, don''t go." Shanley''s expression changed. He instinctively grabbed her hand, his voiceced with a desperate humility. "Vent your anger however you want, just... just don''t ignore me."
Juniper paused, ncing back at the man. His lips were so pale they were devoid of color.
How dare he provoke Michael into attacking him? Didn''t he know how deep the hatred between Subterra Vanguard and Sigma Network ran? If Michael had been just a little more vengeful, would he even be alive to talk to her right now?
"This self-pity act... who taught you that?" Juniper pressed her lips together, but she stopped walking and looked down at him.
"Someone online," Shanley answered honestly, his voice weak with pain. "I know it''s stupid, but it was the only way I could think of to see you."
"Are you still nning on threatening me?" Juniper raised an eyebrow, sitting down beside him and letting her fingers hover near his wound.
Shanley shook his head. He wouldn''t dare.
"Sending me to Liberty Ind?" Juniper asked, a faint smirk ying on her lips.
"I''ll go," Shanley said, a corner of his mouth twitching in embarrassment. "I''ll stay there as long as you want me to."
Looking at his handsome face,
Juniper felt the emptiness that had
gued her for days finally begin to
fill Beneath her ang
a deeper
ache of heartache bloomed.
"Do you still want my Subterra Vanguard?"
"You can have my Sigma Network It''s all yours," Shanley said, grabbing her hand like a devoted puppy. had met you a few years earlier maybe..."
"A few years ago, I was only thirteen," Juniper cut him off tly. "Mr. Schwartz, you''re flirting with a felony."
Shanley was rendered speechless.
Outside the door, the five masters were getting anxious that Specter hadn''te out yet.
"What''s going on? Should we go in and check?" Michael suggested. "That bastard from Sigma Network better not be trying anything."
"I doubt it," Lue said casually, squatting nearby while snacking on pistachios. "The guy''s injured. He''s in no position to cause trouble."
"I wouldn''t be so sure," Catherine countered, her hands clenched tightly and her expression grim "It''s beem long enough to identify remains, not recognize a face."
"Let''s go, let''s see what''s happening!" The other masters agreed, striding toward the infirmary.
"I''m telling you, it''s really not necessary," Lue called out, trying in vain to stop them.
Oh, crap. She just hoped they didn''t start another fight.
Lue ran a hand through her hair and hurried after them.
"Why is it so quiet?" Michael peered through the doorway, hearing nothing.
"What''s there to hear? Let''s just go in." Worried sick, Catherine kicked the door open.
The next second, the five masters, who were in the middle of drawing their guns, froze in unison, staring nkly at the scene before them.