The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 213

Chapter 213

They had to find her immediately; every second counted!

The longer Benson’s mother, Lorelai, stayed in the mountains, the more danger she was in.

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After lunch, Nina and Simon got their hands on a detailed paper map showing all the routes into Emerald Mountain. They packed up their gear, gathered their little animal companions, and set off.

The entrance to the mountain was hidden behind a village at the foot of Emerald Mountain.

They could only drive as far as an open patch of ground in the village. After that, it was all on foot.

The village was really out of the way, with houses built from mud bricks and roads that were bumpy and

uneven.

But Nina and Simon had only walked a few steps into the village when someone called out to them. “Hey, young folks, are you trying to get yourselves killed?”

Nina turned around, confused, and saw an old man from the village sizing up their stuffed hiking packs.

The old man gave them a disapproving look. “Someone died up there, and you still want to go exploring?”

Nina’s heart sank. “Someone died? When did that happen?” she asked.

“Just yesterday morning, someone picking herbs stumbled across the body,” the old man replied.

He gestured toward the mountain entrance. “The police are already up there, carrying the body down.

“They’ve got police tape blocking the entrance now. You two should think twice before risking your lives.

“Word is, the person got rammed to death by a takin! The body was mangled and covered in blood. It was a gruesome sight!

Before the old man could finish, Nina quickly thanked him, dragged Simon along, and bolted toward the mountain entrance.

‘God, don’t let it be Lorelai, Nina thought.

Nina and Simon rushed to the mountain entrance, spotting several police motorcycles parked nearby.

Police tape and barricades had completely sealed off the trailhead.

Outside the tape, about a dozen villagers had gathered, all looking pretty upset.

A burly, dark-skinned man smacked the seat of a police motorcycle and yelled at the top of his lungs.

“These rampaging beasts have already killed someone! Why aren’t the police rounding them all up?”

Before he could finish, a teary-eyed woman in an apron rushed forward. “Are we just supposed to let them

10:36 Tue, Jan 20

Chapter 213

rum wild? Do our lives mean nothing?”

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A middle-aged man in work clothes jumped in with a sarcastic tone, “The cops are just scared! Those things weigh over 700 pounds, and their horns are sharper than knives. Who’d go up there except to get themselves killed?”

Just as the crowd was getting all riled up, an old lady with gray hair lowered her voice, sounding all mysterious. “There have always been takin in these mountains, but nobody ever died before. Now all these deaths, one after another. Something’s not right.”

She nervously rubbed her hands together. “Maybe someone did something to anger the mountain spirit, and now we’re all cursed or something?”

Right away, a few people jumped in to agree.

“No wonder my family’s been so unlucky lately, even our hens stopped laying eggs!” someone complained.

“I’m telling you, I heard weird noises coming from the mountains last night.”

Nina listened as the villagers’ talk got more and more superstitious, her brows furrowing in concern.

‘Did the takin really start acting up all of a sudden?’ she wondered.

The abnormal behavior made her suspicious.

The two young police officers were surrounded by the crowd and sweating buckets. One forced a smile and said, “Folks, we brought an animal tranquilizer specialist up the mountain yesterday to try and move the takin to the Wildlife Protection Center.

“But those takin were so aggressive, they almost knocked our team out!

“We’re urgently calling in SWAT backup, so please, just hang tight a little longer.”

The other officer quickly jumped in, “We’ve already blocked off all the mountain trails. Everyone’s safety is our top priority…”

“What’s the point of all these promises?” the burly man cut in, his voice booming. “Someone’s already dead!”

Just then, two more police officers came down the mountain carrying a stretcher.

The black body bag on the stretcher instantly silenced everyone.

“Holy crap, they really brought it down! Someone’s actually dead!” someone shouted.

Panic swept through the crowd as people started screaming.

“All this talk about protecting animals, and now someone is dead! You cops better give us some answers!” The burly man’s voice shook as he roared, and it was hard to tell if it was anger or fear.

“No way! If you don’t sort this out today, nobody’s going anywhere!” the burly man yelled, his voice trembling.

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Chapter 213

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The furious villagers completely blocked the police’s path, and panic spread through the crowd like wildfire.

“Whoa, what is this, a takin fan club meetup?” Nina piped up

Nina’s clear voice sounded, and the villagers fell silent for a moment. “What do you mean by that?”

Nina skipped the argument and went straight to real danger. “All this shouting and crowding here. If we’re not careful, we’ll be hosting a stampede from the mountain!

“Those takin have been getting really violent lately, they’re probably in breeding season or guarding their young, totally unpredictable!

“The takin has crazy good hearing. Big noises like this? To them, it’s basically a challenge. You really want to test that?” She scanned the uneasy faces.

“If a whole herd of takin gets drawn down here, this entrance will be ground zero!” Nina warned.

Her expert breakdown hit harder than any comforting words.

The villagers froze, exchanging uneasy looks; their anger vanished, replaced by fear.

“Quick, get home! Lock your doors!” someone shouted.

In an instant, the crowd scattered like startled birds, bolting for their homes, afraid the takin would come storming down the mountain if they didn’t move fast.

The place went dead silent.

The lead officer let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Nina and Simon, who stood out from the crowd. “Who are you two?” he asked.

Two voices, one steady, one clear, spoke up almost at the same time.

“Hello, officers. I’m Nina, the special animal communication consultant for the Jelasburg Police Department Headquarters,” Nina said.

“I’m Simon from the Jelasburg Police Department Headquarters,” Simon added.

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