The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 212

Chapter 212

Nina said, “Simon, look! It’s cochineal bugs!

:

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“These are rare insects used for making premium pigments and lipstick. They’re not native here, and breeding them takes some serious expertise,” Nina explained, and her eyes locked onto the tiny white insects crawling on the cacti.

Simon said, “Mom was a biologist. Looks like she was the breeding specialist that Lakeview Pigments hired.

“That explains everything,” Simon added, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes. He glanced around, his gaze lingering on a small building not far away.

Although the sign on the small building had faded, the nail marks still clearly traced out the word, “Office.”

“Let’s see if there is anyone in the office,” Simon said.

Simon and Nina headed to the Lakeview Pigments office and saw that the door was wide open.

Inside, a young man with a sickly pale complexion sat in a wheelchair, sounding desperate as he apologized on the phone. “I’m really sorry! We really didn’t mean to hold up your pigment order.

“It’s my mother. She went into the mountains five days ago to search for ingredients for pigments, and we still haven’t heard from her!

“I’m begging you, please give us a few more days!”

After hanging up, the young man turned when he heard Simon and Nina, looking a bit lost. “Who are you guys? Judging by your clothes, you don’t look like customers.”

Nina stepped forward and explained, “We’re looking for the owner of Lakeview Pigments. A relative of ours used to work here, but she disappeared, and we’re hoping to find out what happened.”

“I’m Benson,” the young man said, worry etched on his face. “The owner you’re looking for is my mother, Lorelai.

“You heard me on the phone just now. She headed into the mountains five days ago to search for pigment materials, and we haven’t heard from her since.

“What is the name of the employee you’re looking for?” Benson asked,

Simon passed Benson a photo of Tanya.

Benson stared at the picture of young Tanya with a little boy beside her, then glanced at Simon, noticing his eyes were almost a mirror image of Tanya’s.

Benson froze, blurting out, “Are you Tanya’s family?”

But the surprise on his face froze in an instant, turning into a cold, stiff expression.

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Chapter 212

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Benson’s eyes narrowed sharply, as if something had just hit him. “Why are you only coming to find her now? All these years, you just let Tanya struggle on her own out there. Do you have any idea how tough it’s been for her?”

Nina felt her throat tighten, her whole body going cold. ‘What has Mom really gone through all these years?’ she wondered.

Simon took Nina’s cold hand, his thumb gently pressing against the back of her hand in a soothing gesture. He met Benson’s gaze, his voice calm and steady. “Our mother disappeared when we were just kids.

“We posted missing person notices, but then our dad died trying to save someone.

“I was the one who brought Nina up, and honestly, I just didn’t have the resources to keep searching. But all these years, I never stopped looking for our mom,” Simon said.

Simon became a cop, partly because he hoped the occupation would help him track down his mom.

Back in college, Simon begged everyone he knew, teachers, classmates, to keep an eye out. But after he got sent to a remote town police station, his connections dried up, and the trail went cold.

Benson’s words caught in his throat, his face burning with embarrassment.

Realizing how he had just snapped at them, Benson could’ve kicked himself. His voice was thick with regret. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it. Clearly, there’s more going on than I thought.”

Nina’s urgency spilled out. “Where is my mom now? Please, just tell me!”

Benson looked troubled as he explained, “Tanya left Lakeview Pigments two years ago.

“Only my mom knows exactly where she went. She told me it had to stay absolutely secret.

“Maybe you should wait until my mom gets back?” He hesitated, glancing at Simon and Nina.

Benson sighed, his face clouded with worry. “But it’s been five days and still nothing. If my legs weren’t useless, I would be out there in the mountains looking for her myself.”

Simon pressed, “Did you call the police?”

Benson nodded. “Yeah, we did.

“The police have done everything they can to help with the search, but lately, takin have been all over the mountains. Last time, an officer almost got attacked by a bunch of them during a rescue and barely made it

out,

Nina’s heart jumped into her throat at that.

Takin might look huge and fluffy, but they’re seriously dangerous, with those hard horns and all that weight, over 700 pounds.

There have been stories for ages about people getting hurt or even killed by takin. In some mountains, they’re everywhere; folks even call them the Killer King. Nina just hoped the takin on Emerald Mountain wasn’t that

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Chapter 212

savage.

Benson added, his voice heavy, “We wanted to hire a professional search and rescue team, but the factory’s finances are a mess right now, there’s no way we can afford it.

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“And now we’ve already missed a client’s order. They only gave us three days to fix things. If we can’t deliver, they might even take us to court,” Benson said.

Nina gently tugged at Simon’s sleeve and whispered, “Simon, let’s head into the mountains and try to find her ourselves.

“With the animals helping us scout ahead and keep watch, maybe we’ll be able to find Lorelai sooner,” Nina suggested.

Simon had already pulled up the map on his phone and turned to Benson. “Which mountain did your mom head into? Is there a trail locals use to get up there? We’re planning to go in and look for her ourselves.”

Benson was floored by their decision, staring at them in disbelief. “You guys are actually going into the mountains to find my mom?

“It’s Emerald Mountain. The place is a real maze, with poisonous snakes, miasma, and even the locals only dare stick to the outskirts.

“I really appreciate it, but the mountains are just too dangerous right now. The takin has been roaming all over the place lately, and you guys don’t know the terrain. Seriously, it’s not worth risking your lives…” he shook his head.

Nina’s eyes burned with resolve. “Please, let us try! We have our own reasons.

“And my brother is a cop!” She tugged Simon’s arm, blurting out,

Simon didn’t resist as Nina pulled him forward. He kept his voice steady as he told Benson, “I’m fully trained in rapids rescue and mountain rescue, got the certification.”

Nina whipped her head around to stare at Simon.

Nina wondered, ‘How many secrets has Simon been hiding from me?

‘An impressive title like that, and he managed to keep it under wraps all this time?’

As if he could read her mind, Simon’s eyes flashed with a subtle smile before he turned to Benson, his tone serious. “And my sister? She is one of the best animal communicators out there.

“With her on our team, she’ll make our search a whole lot easier.” There was a natural trust and pride in his voice,

“I get the whole cop thing,” Benson said, frowning in confusion. “But an animal communicator? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I can communicate with animals. I can ask the critters in the mountains to help us find your mom,” Nina replied, her tone calm and confident.

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