Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 34: The Master Of The Wolfhound

"Son of a—!" Jacob hissed under his breath. "I’m going over there to tear her a new one right now!"

Nancy grabbed his arm, holding him back. "These people are already biased against me. They only believe what they want to see."

"If you go over there now, they won't believe you. They'll just think we’re involved and that you’re defending me blindly."

"The priority right now is giving that wolfhound a proper diagnosis."

Nancy ran a hand over the dog's tail. "A real consultation will reveal exactly who the fraud is."

"I'm waiting for my owner to come get me."

As if sensing her thoughts, the wolfhound wrapped its thick, fluffy tail around Nancy’s wrist in a silent gesture of comfort.

"My owner is an awesome doctor, and he'll make sure if you're hurt or not! I'll stay here with you until he shows up. Stay put and wait for my owner."

Nancy felt a flicker of surprise. The dog’s owner... was a doctor?

A combat medic, perhaps? Someone who walked the line between life and death?

Just as she was speculating, a deep, magnetic voice tore through the ballroom’s chatter, carrying an absolute weight of authority: "Star, come here."

In an instant, every eye in the room was pulled toward the entrance like metal shavings to a magnet.

A man stood there, silhouetted against the light. His tall, imposing frame commanded the space like a wolf king surveying his territory. Even the flawless cut of his suit couldn't hide the restless, predatory edge in his bones.

His features were sharp, as if carved from cold stone, with a high brow and deep-set eyes. Those dark eyes, which should have looked soulful, were instead chillingly distant, hardened by years of repressed violence.

As he walked forward, his broad shoulders pulled the fabric of his suit into sharp lines. His waist was lean and powerful, and the veins on his hands were visible beneath his cuffs as he moved.

His arrival sent the guests into a frenzy, everyone scrambling to get close to the titan of industry.

When Nancy finally saw his face clearly, her heart skipped a beat.

It was the "Good Samaritan" who had taken her to the hospital that day.

She leaned toward Jacob and whispered, "He’s the owner?"

"Yeah," Jacob nodded. "The dog's name is Star."

"Mr. Goodman was sent abroad years ago to serve as a combat medic—a little gift from his stepmother's schemes."

"Star was the partner who stayed by his side through the trenches. They survived the war together."

"Mr. Goodman?" Nancy had rarely been taken to high-society events by the Summers family, so she wasn't well-versed in the pedigrees of the elite.

But even she knew the name Goodman Corp.

Starting in pharmaceuticals, the massive conglomerate had dominated the financial world in just five years. From the skyline's most prominent landmarks to the top of the news cycle, the name was synonymous with power.

Nancy connected the dots. "His name is Goodman... is he an executive there?"

"No. He is the corporation."

Jacob looked at her in genuine shock. "That’s Barry Goodman, the CEO. You seriously don't recognize him? He’s the genius who devoured the market and rebuilt the fading Goodman family into a global powerhouse in record time."

Jacob couldn't help but add with a smirk, "Though, in terms of style, I’d say I’m still a close second!"

Nancy shook her head. She had no idea the man who saved her was such a heavyweight.

"I spend my life in a lab studying cases or looking after animals. I don't exactly have time for the business rags."

Recalling how she had fainted from malnutrition and caused this man to walk away from a three-hundred-million-dollar contract just to play chauffeur, Nancy felt a wave of cold dread.

She hoped he wasn't the type to hold a grudge over nine-figure losses.

She watched Barry approach, her pulse quickening.

Star, the fierce wolfhound, wagged his tail enthusiastically the moment he saw his master. Then, the dog did something unexpected—he bit down on the hem of Barry’s suit jacket and began insistently dragging him toward Nancy.

"Hey, there's someone hurt that needs your help!"

The guests parted like the Red Sea, giving the dog a wide berth. They knew that in Barry’s eyes, their entire lives weren't worth a single hair on that dog's head.

Barry reached down and ruffled Star’s fur, his voice low and gravelly. "Show me."

Wagging his tail, Star led Barry directly to Nancy.

Standing nearby, Ginnie’s fingers tightened around her skirt, her expression unreadable.

Barry was towering, easily six-foot-three. Standing beside the equally massive wolfhound, the pair radiated an overwhelming physical presence.

"You?"

Barry narrowed his dark eyes, looking down at Nancy.

The girl before him looked like a delicate sprig of mint—slender, fragile, the kind of person who looked like they’d snap if he gripped her too hard.

Barry had never had much patience for the weak.

"What’s wrong with you this time?" he asked, his tone laced with a hint of mockery.

The air around him was heavy with the scent of cold forest and a trace of something darker, an edge honed in the line of fire. Nancy felt a shiver run down her spine.

"I’m fine. It was just—"

"She was nearly hurt by the dog when it lost control."

A sycophantic voice interrupted her. Chandler, the chairman of the Summers Veterinary Hospital, pushed Ginnie’s wheelchair forward to intercept Barry.

"Mr. Goodman, I’m Chandler Summers. This is my daughter, Ginnie. She’s the one who risked her safety to calm your dog and save Nancy."

Chandler beamed, desperate to make an impression. "Ginnie is a once-in-a-generation talent in veterinary medicine. She’s actually here today by special invitation to examine Star."

Ginnie gave a modest, elegant nod from her chair.

"She’s only twenty-two, but she’s already the Chief Director of our main hospital. She specializes in animal psychology."