Don't Mess with the Girl with Candy novel Chapter 973

Why did he have to be so brutal?

Then again, what did she expect? This was Shanley Schwartz—the decisive, universally feared titan of Eclara City.

"The Yardley family's upbringing is really deteriorating, raising someone reckless enough to provoke my fiancée."

The moment the words left Shanley's mouth, a collective shiver ran through the crowd.

His statement carried a dual threat. First, he publicly dismantled Sheryl's fabricated "childhood sweethearts" narrative to firmly back Juniper, broadcasting to everyone that she was the undeniable future lady of the house. Second, he made it clear that because Sheryl had the audacity to slander his fiancée, he wasn't just going to punish her—he was going to crush the entire Yardley family.

To be targeted by the Schwartz Group meant the Yardley family's future was effectively over.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Schwartz."

Alarm bells rang in Sheryl's head. She snapped her gaze up, her face chalk-white as she scrambled to explain. "My words might have caused a misunderstanding."

"Mr. Schwartz really did only speak to me once. Any time I saw him after that, it was just me watching from a distance and secretly having photos taken."

Though they were in the same frame, she had never dared to actually approach him. She always stood far away and later paid editors to digitally move them closer together, creating the illusion of intimacy.

She assumed Shanley had been around countless women and couldn't possibly remember exactly when or where he had seen her. She never expected him to recall the details so sharply.

She couldn't afford the price of provoking him and bringing his wrath down on her family.

Hearing her confession, the rest of the guests practically rolled their eyes.

Childhood sweethearts? Young lovers?

They originally thought Shanley was just a fickle man tired of his old flame, but it turned out the entire thing was a one-sided, fabricated delusion by Sheryl.

No wonder the Schwartz family had never bothered to issue a public statement to clarify the rumors back then. It turned out the Yardley family wasn't even significant enough to warrant an official response. Absolute indifference was the ultimate insult.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify