Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 124

The next day, Saskia and the two girls were up at the crack of dawn to move. After everything was settled, she stood in the empty room, her heart a mix of emotions. She had lived in the slums for nearly twenty years, enduring the death of her husband and raising her daughter alone. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would one day leave this place for a prime piece of real estate in the city center.

“Don’t be sad, Mom,” Janet said softly, patting her shoulder. “I heard the rich fool who bought this place isn’t planning to tear it down. He’s just going to use the land to grow cilantro. You can come back and visit Dad’s memory whenever you want.”

Juniper remained silent.

“I know,” Saskia nodded, wiping away a tear. “Seeing us doing better, your dad will be at peace knowing this.”

With that, Saskia took one last, long look at their old home before getting into the moving truck.

Janet’s dad? It seemed to be the first time Juniper had heard them mention her late uncle. Janet had vaguely said before that he had sacrificed a lot for them before his tragic death. That was why Janet was studying so hard—to make her father proud.

And Wilcox? The surname echoed in Juniper’s mind. If she remembered correctly, there was a prominent family in Eclara City with the same name.

Could there be a connection? If so, how did Saskia and Janet end up in the slums?

...

Soon, the truck left Moultlands behind and arrived at Cloudscape Community, a luxury apartment complex in the heart of the city. Their new home was on the top floor. There were three units on the floor, but each was well-separated, ensuring excellent privacy.

After helping Saskia unpack, Juniper was in a hurry to get to school. As she rounded a corner, she saw a familiar figure.

“Ms. Payne, what a coincidence,” Flint said with a toothy grin.

“What are you doing here?” Juniper recognized him as one of Shanley’s men.

“Unit 1 is my boss’s temporary residence,” Flint recited, repeating Shanley’s instructions word for word. “He has a project nearby, so he’ll be staying here for a while. I can’t believe you live here too, Ms. Payne. What are the odds, huh?”

Juniper stuffed her hands in her pockets, her eyes cool beneath the brim of her cap. Her silence was unsettling.

Flint’s smile faltered under her intense gaze, and he awkwardly closed his mouth.

His boss was right. Ms. Payne wouldn’t buy the story so easily; she’d definitely give him the cold shoulder. And here he was, taking the bullet for him.

“She’s still in class,” Jimmie said, glancing at his phone. “Should be here in about ten minutes.”

“My little girl should be arriving around the same time,” Shanley said, setting down his glass. He signaled a waiter to bring some milkshakes and desserts. Juniper loved sweets, and she was probably hungry after class.

Jimmie watched him order, noticing that everything was something his sister loved. This old man was surprisingly thoughtful. He hadn’t even met her yet, but he’d already done his homework on her preferences. Not bad.

“The main reason I wanted to meet today was to ask you for a favor,” Jimmie said, his tone turning serious.

“Go on,” Shanley replied, typing a message to Juniper.

“I’m going to be busy for the next two months, and my sister’s studies are getting intense. I was hoping you could help look after her for a while,” Jimmie said quietly. “Two months at most. Once the music video is done, I’ll take over.”

“Look after her?” Shanley’s fingers paused over the screen, his dark brows furrowing. “That might be… inconvenient.”

Even if she was his friend’s sister, they weren’t related by blood. More importantly, he already had another young lady to look after; he didn’t think he could manage anyone else. Maybe it would be better to find someone else reliable to watch over her?