The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Simon gently tugged at Nina’s sleeve, his expression slightly flustered and uncertain. “Nina…” he began, his voice barely above a whisper.

Turning toward him, Nina offered a warm, encouraging smile that seemed to brighten the dimly lit room. “Simon, you truly deserve this,” she said softly, her eyes filled with genuine admiration.

Simon blinked, a subtle wave of emotion flickering in his clear, steady eyes. They had only known each other for a few short days, yet the connection between them already felt as close as family. In that moment, Simon thought to himself, *So this is what it means to have a bond that runs deep.*

Grant had admired Simon’s talents ever since their first meeting, but tonight had shifted something in him. Watching Simon rush fearlessly into a dark basement alone to rescue someone had made Grant wish he had a gifted individual like Simon working under his own roof.

It was hard to believe that someone as talented as Simon had ended up in this small, out-of-the-way town. Grant had his suspicions as to why, but he knew one thing for sure: a person meant to shine could never be hidden away in some remote corner. Simon’s brilliance was too genuine, too undeniable to be overlooked.

“Nina,” Grant said with a serious tone, “I don’t personally handle staff transfers, but I promise I’ll make sure your request gets passed up to the higher-ups.”

Nina’s eyes sparkled with hope at the prospect. “Thank you. We’ll be waiting eagerly for good news.”

Grant nodded firmly. “Good. Now, you, your brother, and Ms. Amber Chandler need to come with us to file a statement and go over everything that happened tonight.”

By the time Nina and Simon finished giving their statements, the clock had already struck 2 a.m. Amber’s parents kindly drove the two siblings home themselves.

When they arrived at Nina’s shabby little place, Amber’s parents exchanged glances, clearly ready to call in a construction crew to fix the entire rundown building for the people who had saved their daughter’s life. But tangled in red tape and bureaucratic rules, there was nothing they could do—not without dragging Simon into unnecessary trouble as well.

“If you ever encounter any problems, don’t hesitate to reach out to me,” Harold said, pressing his business card into Nina’s hand with a reassuring smile.

“Oh, and you’re the director at Forest Isle Zoo, right?” he added. “If I make a donation, would that be alright? Is there anything the zoo particularly needs right now?”

Nina’s eyes lit up, a flicker of gratitude shining through her tired expression. “The little animals at the zoo are almost out of food, and honestly, we haven’t been able to pay the staff lately either.”

Harold nodded with understanding. “Got it. I’ll have my assistant contact your zoo first thing tomorrow and make sure everything gets sorted out.”

With the animals fed and the keepers back on the payroll, Nina finally slept peacefully that night, her mind lighter than it had been in weeks.

Now, the real work was hers to do. She had to make the most of Harold’s generous offer and pull Forest Isle Zoo out of the red. It was time to transform it into a thriving, profitable place.

After all, she couldn’t depend on charity forever. They needed to start filling their own pockets soon enough.

The next morning, Nina sprang out of bed and began packing her things. At last, she was moving into the staff dormitories at Forest Isle Zoo.

The Squirrel Bros scrambled excitedly up to the windowsill, grabbing the bear-shaped cookies Nina had left out for them. But when they saw her packing, the sweetness of the cookies seemed to fade.

Chubby, his cheeks puffed out and stuffed full of cookies, looked up at her with watery eyes. “Nina, are you really leaving us?” His voice trembled with sadness.

Sniffling, Chubby wiped his tear-streaked, crumb-covered cheeks with Coco’s bushy tail. “Are you abandoning us? Is it because we’re always munching and eating you out of house and home?”

Right after that, Chubby let out a loud, unexpected burp.

Coco, clearly annoyed by Chubby’s theatrics, yanked his tail away sharply. “You’re the greedy one. Don’t drag me into your snacking habits!”

Nina grabbed some tissues and gently wiped Chubby’s tears away. “No way, little guy! I’m just moving into the zoo. This place is way too far, and the rent here isn’t cheap.”

She squeezed his round cheeks affectionately. “You two are my little darlings. There’s no way I’d ever get tired of having you around.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify