The Fake Heiress and Her Purrfect Partner novel Chapter 98

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**Dreams Rise Again by Braxton 98**
**Chapter 98**

Nina’s excitement bubbled over like a fizzy drink as she meticulously ticked off the cases on her mental checklist. “The mansion rain-night murder case, the missing National Swim Team member, and now this tomb-raiding murder… That’s three major cases already!” Her enthusiasm was palpable, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of the chase. “Just two more cases, and I’ll finally get my sweet ride! And seven more for my dream house!”

At that moment, the aroma of the food Gordon had ordered wafted into the air, a welcome distraction from her ambitious musings.

Simon, noticing Nina still lost in her daydreams, took the food and approached her with a gentle smile. She was mumbling to herself, fingers dancing in the air as she counted.

A flicker of indulgence crossed Simon’s face as he expertly opened the food containers, revealing a feast that made Nina’s stomach growl. He carefully placed the containers in front of her, his voice low and soothing, “Stop counting, Nina.” There was a hint of concern in his tone as he handed her a fork. “Eat first. The car and the house aren’t going anywhere.”

Nina eagerly accepted the fork, her stomach protesting its emptiness, and dove into the meal with abandon. Her cheeks puffed out as she savored each bite, clearly relishing the flavors that danced on her tongue.

Simon couldn’t help but watch her with a sense of satisfaction, his heart warming at the sight of his little sister enjoying her food so heartily. It was a moment of pure joy, the kind that only an older brother could appreciate. Without thinking, he added a shiny, juicy drumstick from his own lunchbox to her bowl, his tone playful yet caring. “Slow down, or you might choke.”

Nina looked up at him, her bright, sparkling eyes reflecting sheer delight. Simon’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “Once we’ve rented that place, I’ll personally cook you a big feast every single day. Start thinking about what you want to eat now.”

The excitement bubbled over in Nina, and she nearly forgot to chew her food as she exclaimed between mouthfuls, “Really? Then I’m starting right now. My list is gonna be epic!”

Simon chuckled softly, watching her enthusiasm transform her usually composed demeanor into something almost childlike. He nodded mock-seriously, “Sure thing. Whatever you pick, I’ll whip it up for you any way you like.”

Just as they were halfway through their meal, the door swung open, and a young officer burst in, his notebook clutched tightly in his hands, disbelief etched across his face. “Mr. Vale, Mr. Reed! This interrogation was off-the-charts strange—it went way too smoothly!”

Simon and Nina exchanged curious glances as the officer continued, “You know that tomb raider they call Red Dot—the one with the red-speckled face? At first, he was all jittery and refused to say a word. We handed him a boxed lunch like usual, and the moment he took a bite, it was like he’d been hexed or something—bam! He threw the whole thing to the floor!”

The officer animatedly reenacted the scene, his gestures exaggerated. “We were just about to call him out for wasting food when he suddenly started bawling and spilled his guts like a broken faucet—there was no stopping him!”

Nina, intrigued, paused her eating and asked, “Wait a minute. What kind of meat did you guys give him in the lunch box?”

The officer slapped his thigh in exasperation. “Chicken. Scrambled eggs—a classic set. But on his very first try, he somehow picked up a whole chicken head with its eyes still wide open! And then, it was like he got possessed—he just started confessing everything nonstop!”

The room erupted in laughter, the task force unable to contain themselves. Some nearly choked on their rice, while a few others had to stifle their laughter to avoid snorting.

It all made sense now. Red Dot must have been traumatized by his encounters with chickens. Just a glimpse of a chicken head, and he was ready to confess everything, as if he were wired to do so.

Thanks to Red Dot’s unexpected confession, Nina and the others finally uncovered the truth about Leonard’s fate. This tomb-raiding crew had been fixated on Leonard for quite some time. They had stumbled upon crucial seal script symbols in a sunken ship tomb underwater and were convinced that deciphering them would unlock the ship’s hidden chamber, granting them access to even more treasure.

However, these criminals were stumped by the ancient markings. After some digging, they discovered that Leonard had published authoritative research papers on the subject years ago. Seizing the opportunity, they decided to kidnap Leonard and force him to translate the symbols for them, regardless of his consent.

They shadowed him for days, biding their time until the perfect moment arrived when he would be alone. On the night of the incident, following a heated argument with Ian, Leonard went down to the river to clear his head—providing the criminals with the window they had been waiting for.