Chapter 31
“Uncle Don, why are you making this seem more serious?” Zachary asked, feeling more confused than ever. “Giselle is Tony’s daughter too. There’s nothing suspicious about her background. What’s wrong with me being interested in her?”
In the past, whenever Zachary liked a woman, Donovan, his uncle would always support him, even if the rest of the family disagreed. Donovan would help him win her over, spoiling him and standing by him on any issue. But this time, Donovan’s reaction was surprisingly different.
Donovan smoked pensively, wanting to tell Zachary the truth. Still, he found the situation with that woman too complicated to explain, unable to say a word.
“She’s complex and always plotting something. You’re someone who lives without worries. You won’t be able to manage her,” he said in a low tone.
“Why would I need to ‘manage‘ her?” Zachary found it amusing. “I just like her kind! She’s different from any woman I’ve been with before! Besides, I intend to pursue her, and once I win her over, we’ll date with the intention of marriage…”
“Enough,” Donovan interrupted, unable to listen anymore. He extinguished the half–burnt cigarette in the ashtray.
“I’ve said everything I need to. I’m not wasting any more words on this.” He floored the gas pedal, speeding out of the underground parking lot. Ignoring Zachary’s objections from the passenger seat, he accelerated into traffic even faster.
After Donovan and Zachary left, Giselle relaxed alone on the couch. She replayed the arguments with that man in her head. Instead of feeling anything noteworthy, she quickly became bored and reached for her phone to play games.
She never cared about what he thought of her. At first, he was just an ATM to her. Now, he was merely a means for her revenge.
She never wasted any thoughts on complicated emotions toward him. In her world, dogs held more importance than men.
Snuggled on the couch, she cradled her dog with one arm while she became completely absorbed in an online game. This peaceful life, with just her, the house, and her dog, was her perfect state of being.
In the days that followed, an unexpected calm settled into her life.
Within just three days, every mention of Anne’s inappropriate video had been scrubbed from major online platforms, and related keywords were unsearchable. This likely required a public relations expenditure of at least five million.
However, this was no longer her main concern. What truly mattered was that the scandal had significantly strained the alliance between the Holt and Kane families, which had been her objective all along.
Moreover, Zachary brought her encouraging news. He used his connections to get the authorities to lift the ban on her pet shop, allowing it to reopen. Even though the brand’s reputation was tarnished, rebranding and starting anew wouldn’t be too challenging.
She planned to invite Zachary to dinner to show her appreciation, but he mentioned he had an urgent school issue and had to take a helicopter back to Usna. He assured her they would meet next month upon his return.
In the meantime, they stayed in touch regularly through WhatsApp.
A week went by quietly in this manner. On a weekend evening, after wrapping up her work at the pet shop, Giselle was dining out when she received a call from a zon director she knew well.
The director mentioned that several animals at the zoo were displaying unusual symptoms and requested her assistance in examining them.
With a background in veterinary medicine, Giselle was not only an investor and operator in the pet industry but also an experienced veterinarian.
Size frequently worked with zoos and animal epidemic prevention departments. Guided by her professional instincts, she couldn’t turn down the request and agreed to help.
Following dinner, she climbed into her blue Porsche Panamera, entered the zoo’s suburban address into the GPS, and raced off. It was already 7:00 pm, and the sky had tumed completely dark.
The zoo’s location in the suburbs meant she had to travel along a lengthy mountain highway devoid of streetlights, making the area pitch–black and reducing visibility significantly.
The road was deserted, with just an occasional car driving by, adding to the quiet and eerie ambiance. Giselle was accustomed to mountain driving and felt at ease, even taking a phone call while on the road.
But as she reduced her speed to handle a curve, a car behind her suddenly sped up and crashed into the right rear of her vehicle. A loud bang sounded, and Giselle’s sight went black. Her car spun out of control, hurtling toward the lake beside the road.
Chapter 32
