Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 3: The Killer At The Door!

Simon stood in the doorway with several bags in hand. Freeing one hand, he reached out and touched Nancy’s forehead, then quickly pulled back.

"The fever’s gone?"

Nancy nodded blankly.

Closing the door, Simon frowned in concern. "Why are you staring like that? Don’t tell me the fever fried your brain."

Nancy’s expression stiffened. This brother of hers really had no filter.

He was dressed in a navy training jacket, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, his long legs wrapped in black utility pants. His tall frame made the cramped rental room feel even smaller.

"Come eat." He laid out hot oats and pastries on the table, then pulled out a large bag of snacks.

Nancy, starving after a whole day without food, grabbed a fork and began devouring the meal.

Watching her wolf down the food, guilt flickered in Simon’s eyes. "I’m sorry. I should have taken better care of you."

A month ago, when he first learned Nancy was his real sister, he hadn’t had the courage to reach out.

The girl he’d raised, Ginnie, had always despised him—looked down on him for being useless, for earning so little. Their relationship was reduced to him sending her living expenses every month, or paying her credit card bills when she overspent. They barely spoke otherwise.

Nancy, on the other hand, had grown up in the Summers family’s wealthy household for twenty-two years. Simon hadn’t been sure if his real sister would reject him just like Ginnie did.

Only when Ginnie slipped while asking him for ID did Simon learn that Nancy had been cast out of the Summers family.

Nancy looked up in surprise at his sudden apology.

In a tentative voice she called, "Simon."

"You don’t need to apologize. We’ve only just met. We’re not familiar with each other yet. Besides, you’re busy with work."

Hearing that his sister showed no sign of rejecting him, Simon’s tense heart eased a little. "Alright. Eat."

They fell silent again, the air a little heavy.

Simon glanced around, then got up. With brisk, practiced movements, he tidied her messy suitcase and wiped down the furniture until the place was spotless.

By the time Nancy finished eating, her tiny apartment looked brand new.

She was stunned—her brother was so good at keeping house?

She guessed that after their parents died, Simon must have relied on scholarships and part-time jobs to raise Ginnie by himself. Years of living independently had turned him into the dependable kind of brother who could manage everything.

When Nancy put down her fork, Simon swiftly cleared the table and set a device by her bed.

Nancy blinked in confusion. "What’s that?"

With a perfectly serious face, Simon said, "A stun baton the villagers use to herd pigs. It’s good for self-defense—and it’s legal."

Nancy burst out laughing. She hadn’t expected rural work to have this kind of advantage. "Trust you to think of that!"

Simon thought she might dislike something so rustic, but she didn’t mind in the least. That little moment of humor eased the awkwardness between them.

"Nancy, tell me again how you spotted Felix."

He opened a bottle of milk and set it in front of her.

Nancy hesitated. "Last night I went downstairs to take out the trash and brushed past a man. I thought he looked a lot like Felix from the wanted poster. There was something familiar about his presence. Then I remembered—three nights ago, when I was closing the window screen, I noticed someone standing downstairs staring in this direction."

Simon watched closely as she spoke, catching her eyes darting up and to the right—a microexpression of lying. But he didn’t call her out.

Nancy seemed so insecure. Whatever the reason for her lie, he would stay with her tonight.

Unable to say she’d been warned by a squirrel, Nancy made something up. "I noticed they both walked the same way. It felt like he’s been watching me these past few days."

She sneaked a look at Simon, afraid he wouldn’t believe her.

After a pause, Simon spread his jacket by the door and sat down on the floor.

"Don’t worry. I’ll keep watch here tonight. You can sleep in peace."

Nancy opened her mouth, realizing there wasn’t really anywhere for him to sleep.

Sensing her guilt, Simon reassured her. "It’s fine. I wasn’t planning on sleeping anyway."

Nancy worked on her résumé for a while, browsed job listings, then sleepiness overcame her.

After washing up, she got into bed. Simon tucked the blanket around her and handed her some cold medicine.

Exhausted from days of poor rest, she quickly drifted into a deep sleep. Simon switched off the lights.

It was past midnight when a squirrel leapt onto the windowsill, scratching at the screen with its tiny claws."Kind lady, the muffin-ner is here! He's walking upstairs!"

Nancy snapped awake instantly.

She sat up, locking eyes with Simon by the door. He’d noticed the squirrel too.

Nancy didn’t dare speak. Lowering her head, she sent him a message on her phone: "I’ve been feeding this squirrel since I moved in. It’s clever. If it’s scratching my window, something must be wrong. The killer might be coming upstairs!"

Simon read it without hesitation. Silently, he crept behind the door.

He texted back: "Hold the stun baton. Protect yourself. Leave the rest to me."

Sliding his phone away, Simon’s handcuffs glinted coldly in the moonlight.

Nancy shrank against the bed, gripping the stick until her knuckles whitened.

The room was so quiet she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Thump, thump—

Minutes stretched into centuries.

Then—zzzt.

The lock rattled faintly, like someone picking it.

Nancy’s nerves went taut!

Click. The lock gave way. The intruder had opened the door!

A shadow slipped inside—only for Simon to strike like lightning.

His strong arm twisted the man’s arm behind his back, and with a crisp snap, the handcuffs clicked shut. In the same motion, Simon slammed him to the ground.

The move was so fluid, so cinematic, Nancy’s eyes went wide with awe.

"Nancy, turn on the light," Simon commanded, pinning the intruder down.

Nancy flicked the switch.

Simon yanked off the man’s mask and cap.

The light revealed sallow skin, a bulbous nose, and a dark mole on his left earlobe. His sinister triangular eyes stared in shock and disbelief.

It was Felix—the A-level fugitive from the wanted poster!

The stun baton clattered from Nancy’s hand. She gaped at his face, blood rushing to her head.

She almost screamed. "Oh my God—five hundred thousand, Simon! We caught him! That’s half a million—we’re rich!"

Her excitement and joy completely drowned out the fear.

Though she’d grown up in a rich family, John had always kept her on a tight leash with money, spending it all on cram schools instead of letting her enjoy it. She had suffered the burdens of wealth without reaping any benefits.

And after being cast out of the Summers family, they hadn’t even paid her for the vaccine research work she’d done, leaving her struggling to get by.

She’d heard that catching an A-level fugitive would earn an officer a reward.

Nancy was practically giddy. "Does this mean you’ll get a promotion and a raise?!"