Evan Shepherd knew the pet hospital manager was just giving him an excuse when they said the security cameras were broken.
Spotting someone in the crowd of onlookers raising their phone to record, he worried it would affect his future "hunts" and could only leave, unwillingly.
Renee Jennings wanted to call out to him and make him pay her back.
But on second thought, Evan Shepherd probably wouldn't own up to it. 'It's better to leave professional matters to the professionals.' Hiring a lawyer to sue him would be much less of a hassle.
After leaving the pet hospital, Renee had just settled into the driver's seat when she heard someone calling her name.
"Ren—Renee, wait!"
Renee Jennings turned her head and saw Yvette Brooks hurrying over in high heels, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
Yvette Brooks didn't know Renee's full name; she only remembered Evan Shepherd calling her "Renee."
She walked up to the car door, clutching her phone with both hands. Looking through the half-open window, she met Renee's questioning gaze and summoned her courage. "My name is Yvette Brooks. Can I add you on WeChat?"
When Renee didn't respond, Yvette quickly added, "I'd like to get to know you, if that's okay?"
Renee saw a hint of apprehension on the other woman's flawlessly made-up face.
She picked up her phone from the center console and said softly, "Should I scan your code, or do you want to scan mine?"
Yvette's eyes lit up, her voice filled with pleasant surprise. "I'll scan yours!"
"Okay." Renee opened her WeChat QR code.
A few seconds later, they were WeChat friends.
"I have to go now," Renee said before starting the car and driving away.
Yvette Brooks stood there, watching until the car was out of sight before looking away.
**
Perhaps it was from slapping that mooching scumbag, but Renee Jennings was in a great mood.
Unfortunately, that good mood didn't last long.
Renee woke up from her afternoon nap to a call from Jaden Forrest, asking her to dinner the next evening.
Although Renee really didn't want any contact with him, she still agreed.
'Tomorrow night it is.'
'Tomorrow night, I'll confess to Jaden Forrest that I'm not the woman from five years ago.'
'Or maybe… just break up with him directly?'
The Magpie deliberately slowed down as it flew near Renee's home. Seeing her window open, it immediately flapped its wings and flew inside.
"Renee, your bird is here!"
It landed on Renee's shoulder and folded its wings. "Renee, are you unhappy?"
Renee tilted her head to look at it, amused. "Can you little birds tell if a person is happy or not?"
The Magpie replied, "This bird doesn't know about other humans, but this bird can sense what Renee is feeling."
"How amazing." Renee held out her hand, and the Magpie obediently hopped into her palm.
"I have something troubling me," she said. "I did something foolish before. I pretended to be someone's girlfriend."
The Magpie blinked its eyes.
Renee looked at the little creature in her palm and felt a bit ridiculous. 'I'm actually pouring out my troubles to a bird.'
The next second, the Magpie said seriously, "So, does Renee not want to be his girlfriend anymore?"
Renee raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You actually understood!"
The Magpie puffed up with pride. "Of course! I'm the smartest bird in my family."
Renee gently tapped its little head with her finger. "You really are smart."
The Magpie said, "Then Renee should tell that human to find someone else to be his girlfriend!"
"I know," Renee sighed. "But this man is terrifying. I'm afraid if he gets angry, he could destroy me."
The Magpie became very serious. "Don't be afraid, Renee! This bird will call all its family and friends to protect you! If that human dares to bully you, this bird will peck his face to bits!"
Renee actually thought that wasn't a bad idea.
But she was the one in the wrong this time, so doing that wouldn't be appropriate.
「The next evening, the sunset was as brilliant as molten gold. A vast expanse of soft, orange light spread across the sky, draping the city's skyscrapers in a veil of gold.」
Jaden Forrest had sent his assistant, Joel Joyce, to pick Renee up.
As the black Bentley moved through traffic, Renee sat in the back seat with a worried expression.
They hit a traffic jam. She looked toward the driver's seat. "Assistant Joyce, why did your boss suddenly ask me to dinner today?"
Hearing this, Joel Joyce looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Miss Jennings, wasn't this your request to President Forrest?"
"My request?" Renee was completely baffled.
Joel Joyce glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "You asked President Forrest two weeks ago to spend New Year's Day with you."
Renee: "..."
'So I brought this on myself.'
Joel Joyce escorted Renee to a private room in the Western restaurant. "Miss Jennings, I'll take my leave. President Forrest will be here a little later."
"He doesn't have to come," Renee blurted out.
A strange expression crossed Joel's face.
Renee realized she'd misspoken and quickly tried to backtrack. "I mean, if he has something urgent to attend to, it's okay if he doesn't come."
Joel Joyce said, "President Forrest will be here."
He had been by Jaden Forrest's side for many years and knew him quite well.
As long as it was a request from Renee, Jaden would do his best to fulfill it.
Joel Joyce guessed it was because Jaden Forrest felt guilty about what had happened five years ago.
Back then, he had been tricked and drugged. He'd lost his senses and, as a result, had taken Renee's innocence...
The Western restaurant Jaden booked was on the 88th floor. Renee stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, quietly looking down at the glittering spectacle of Zenvia City.
About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door of the private room.
A waiter pushed the door open, and a man in a dark wool suit strode into the room on long legs.
Jaden Forrest sat down at the table. Seeing Renee just standing there, staring blankly at him, he frowned. "Aren't you going to sit down?"
"Oh, right." Renee sat down across from him.
Jaden handed her the menu. "Order whatever you want."
Renee absentmindedly ordered a few dishes.
"Is that enough?" he asked.
Perhaps because she had something on her mind, Renee didn't have much of an appetite. "It's enough."
Jaden gave her a deep look before adding several more dishes.
When the food arrived, Renee started eating right away.
Jaden watched her, his brow slowly furrowing.
"Renee."
Melodious soft music was playing in the room. Suddenly hearing her name, Renee paused in the middle of eating her foie gras.
She lifted her gaze to him. "What is it?"
"Today," the man paused slightly before continuing, "you've been acting a little strange these past few days."
Whenever they'd eaten together before, she would always take dozens of pictures first, sometimes even asking him for help.
Renee placed the rest of her foie gras back on her plate.
She straightened her posture and looked directly at Jaden Forrest with her clear, bright eyes. "Actually, there's something I need to tell you."
The man's expression also grew serious. "What do you want to say? Marriage?"
Renee had hinted at it before.
He admitted that in the past five years, he had never forgotten the absurdity of that one night.
But the thought of marriage had never once crossed his mind.
Even when he found Renee, he felt that she wasn't right for him.
"No," Renee quickly denied, mustering her courage. "I don't want to get married. I want to break up."
Hearing this, Jaden's frown deepened. "Didn't you always want to get engaged?" he asked in a low voice.
Renee was secretly relieved that she had "awakened" before the engagement.
She explained solemnly, "That was just something I said on a whim. I've thought about it seriously, and we have to break up."
Jaden looked at her for a long time. "What is the reason we 'have to' break up?"