The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Chapter 161

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The hero owl floated softly down in front of Nina, it’s big, round eyes just like shiny black grapes, gazing up at her with endless curiosity.

Now, Nina finally saw what it really looked like.

It was, in fact, a tiny little collared scops owl.

His feathers were all fluffy, colored just like old tree bark-making him an absolute master of natural camouflage.

But what grabbed Nina’s attention were the two tufts on its head, sticking up and twitching with every move. Honestly, they totally looked like cat ears-super cool and almost too cute.

“Thanks a ton for tonight!” Nina said softly to the owl.

She brought out a pile of little homemade meatballs from the food bag she’d been carrying and placed them in front of her feathery friend.

“Just a little treat from me. Is there anything you want help with?” she asked warmly.

“If it’s something I can do, I’ll give it my absolute best!” Nina promised.

The owl didn’t reply right away. Drawn in by the delicious aroma of the meatballs, he leaned down, expertly tapped one. with its curved beak, then tilted his head back to gulp it down, clearly savoring every bite.

As he munched away, he suddenly grew a bit shy. His tiny claws ended up pigeon-toed, and his eyes squinted with pure happiness, as he mumbled in a whisper, “I was wondering if maybe I could find another owl special to keep me company.”

Life for little critters was super simple-just eat, sleep, and make friends. That was pretty much their whole universe.

Nina couldn’t help but laugh. Never in a million years did she think she’d be playing matchmaker for a tiny owl.

She took out her phone, opened up her notes, and asked with mock seriousness/”Okay, first things first-give me the basics. And what are your dream criteria for your future soulmate?”

The little owl puffed up its feathery chest and spoke with newfound confidence, “I’ve got a whole bamboo forest to myself!

“Unlimited bamboo shoots, all-you-can-eat mice, and just missing you to share snacks with through spring, summer, autumn, and winter!”

Nina nearly burst out laughing, but somehow managed to keep her cool.,

The owl tilted his head, thought for a bit, and then muttered a bit bashfully, “Honestly, as long as she’s a girl, that’s enough

for me.”

Nina nodded as she typed in the info. She said, “Okay, I’ve got your stats and wish list saved. I’ll keep an eye out, and when I spot the right girl, I’ll hook you up with someone special!”

The owl’s cat-like ear tufts perked right up in delight, and his tiny feet did a little happy stomp-he was bursting with happiness and anticipation.

Meanwhile, officers in protective gear used tweezers to carefully pick up the tiny syringe from the ground and sealed it tightly inside an evidence bag,

The shady-looking tall guy and Gary-the one who’d done the poisoning-were escorted separately by officers and loaded into two different police cars.

18:41 Tue, Jan 6

Chapter 161

Catching the culprit was just the beginning-getting to the bottom of the truth is what really counts.

The next morning, Nina showed up at Jelasburg Police Department Headquarters to give her official statement.

Meanwhile, Gary, the suspect in the poisoning case, was being questioned in the interrogation room.

Nina watched the whole thing unfold from behind the one-way glass.

Simon was all business. He asked, “Gary, why’d you poison the village well?”

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There were still red marks on Gary’s neck from when the tall guy had strangled him. He curled up in the interrogation chair, totally freaked out.

His voice was shaky and sounded on the verge of tears, and he just started spilling everything-half crying, half complaining.

He said, “I was just pissed off.

“Back then, we were all poor but chill. Corn and potatoes, that was enough, you know? Life was simple. But ever since those folks from the research base came to ‘help,’ they pushed us hard to plant all these cash crops.

“Now the whole village is busting our butts-from sunrise till way past sunset-no rest, just endless labor!

“I don’t wanna be this wiped out all the time!”

He got more and more worked up, his hands flailing around as he spoke.

He continued, “Everyone else in the village is making money now-building new houses, buying fancy cars.

“Every time I see them counting their cash, it feels like my heart’s being clawed at by a cat.”

Gary took a shaky breath, his eyes darting away.

He went on, “So I just thought that what if I tossed some poison into the well and wrecked all their fancy crops? They use that water to grow their stuff-once the poison hit, all those prized plants would be done for, guaranteed.

“Then we’d all be back to being broke together.”

Suddenly, he shrank back in his seat, almost sobbing as he blurted out, “That guy told me it was just some laxative! He said at worst, people might get the runs for a few days. I swear, I never thought it could kill anyone!”

Simon’s gaze was razor-sharp as he leaned in, firing off questions, “So, who exactly is this tall guy? How did you two meet? What’s his real name?”

Gary shrank back under this barrage, his eyes darting as he tried to recall. He said, “He asked me to call him Henry. I don’t actually know his real name. We’ve only been acquainted for about two months.”

As he talked, there was almost a note of nostalgia in his voice. He said, “Henry was one of a kind! He’d always buy me drinks, and if I was broke, he’d spot me some cash. He’s my friend!”

But now, it was like Gary suddenly remembered something, and his voice dropped even lower as he said, “Actually, he was always picking my brain about stuff in the village.

“Like which crops get the best yield, what new farming tricks those experts from the research base were teaching us.

“He especially liked to ask what weird or unusual plants they had growing at the base.”

Gary slowed down as he spoke, and for the first time, he began to wonder if maybe Henry’s so-called ‘loyalty’ was all just part of his plan from the very beginning.

18:41 Tue, Jan 6

Chapter 161

044

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Nina couldn’t shake the feeling that Henry-the one with the poison-was out to mess with the agricultural research base all along.

But as for digging deeper into the case, she figured Simon could take it from there.

She was still worrying about that female red-crowned crane over at the city’s wildlife rescue center. Just as she was about to head out, she rounded a hallway corner-and nearly collided face-first with someone coming the other way.

It was Alex.

Today, Alex looked every bit the professional-rocking a crisp dark suit and spotless glasses, totally pulling off the elite vibe.

Next to him stood a middle-aged man, composed and dignified in his official black jacket-one could tell right away he was a big deal.

Gordon was there too, standing by their side.

As soon as Gordon spotted Nina, he flashed a friendly smile and introduced her to the middle-aged man. He said, “Mr. Green, this is our special consultant, Nina Summer.”

Then he turned to Nina and said, “Nina, this is Mr. Cade Green from the Southeast Regional Office.”

Cade gave a warm smile and reached out his hand. He said, “So you’re Ms. Summer! The dynamic duo of Jelasburg Police Department-your reputation precedes you!

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