Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 40: The Trap

"I love it!"

Errol nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't expect someone from the younger generation to still take an interest in such a niche area of traditional culture."

Ginnie offered a gentle, poised smile. "Studying these things helps keep my heart at peace."

The admiration in Errol’s eyes deepened.

Ginnie turned her gaze toward Barry. "I heard you declined Nancy's services as Star's doctor. Would you consider me instead?"

Barry had been staring at Nancy, mesmerized by the sheer speed at which she was devouring her meal. As he shifted his focus to Ginnie, his gaze turned bone-chillingly cold.

Ginnie felt as though she were under a microscope. She struggled to maintain her composure. "I admit I used a synthetic endorphin analog earlier. But that was simply a preliminary step in my treatment plan—a way to build an initial bond with the dog."

She continued firmly, "I can guarantee that the substance I used is completely harmless."

Errol immediately jumped in to play peacemaker. "It’s a good thing for a young woman to be ambitious! Since you haven't found a suitable vet yet, why not give Ginnie a chance?"

Barry, however, didn't give Errol an inch of ground. He spared Ginnie a brief, dismissive glance.

"I’m sorry, but you’re already out of the running."

Ginnie’s face went pale.

Seeing this, Chandler reached into his jacket and pulled out a small box. He opened it to reveal an exquisitely crafted phoenix-patterned ring.

"Errol, does the betrothal agreement our families made all those years ago still stand?"

Looking at the ring, a wave of nostalgia washed over Errol. Years ago, when the Goodman family had been betrayed by their partners and left in ruins, the Summers family had reached out to help. The two families had formed an alliance, betrothing the Goodmans' eldest son to the Summers' only daughter.

Now, the Goodman family had far outpaced the Summers family in every metric. The politics involved were complex.

Errol glanced at Barry with a trace of guilt before nodding to Chandler. "It stands. Of course it stands."

Chandler smiled broadly. "The girl betrothed to Barry back then was Nancy, but we’ve since discovered she shares no blood relation with me. Now that the truth is out, perhaps it’s time to..."

Chandler trailed off, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Barry’s expression remained indifferent. "It is indeed time I ended the engagement with Nancy."

He turned to the assistant standing behind him. "Go draft the documents. Notify Nancy that the engagement is officially terminated."

Business alliances were protected by a series of legal contracts; ending an engagement wasn't as simple as just saying the words.

Chandler was ecstatic. He had feared that since Barry’s dog was so fond of Nancy, it wouldn't be easy to convince him to break it off. He hadn't expected Barry to agree the moment it was mentioned. He assumed Nancy must have thoroughly infuriated Barry during the consultation earlier and was now completely despised.

Ginnie suppressed her joy, her eyes fixed greedily on the phoenix ring. From now on, Barry Goodman, the head of the Goodman empire, was her fiancé. Whether she could cure the dog or not didn't matter much to her anymore—someone else could deal with that.

Barry’s announcement hadn't been loud, but every person in the ballroom heard his decision clearly.

Heads turned toward Nancy, gazes filled with schadenfreude.

Nancy, however, was currently leaning down, whispering into Star’s ear. "Star, when Ginnie is about to sit down, I want you to do this... let’s see if we can’t fix her 'broken' leg once and for all."

She acted as if the broken engagement didn't involve her at all.

Only then did Barry realize that the massive, furry dog that had been sitting at his side was gone. Nancy had somehow stolen the dog from right under his nose without him even noticing.

He tightened his grip on his silverware. For the first time in his life, a single person was giving him a massive headache—and she wasn't some titan of industry, but a frail, sickly slip of a girl.

Errol saw an empty seat next to Jacob and gestured to Ginnie. "Ginnie, why don't you sit with us? Sit over there and spend some time getting to know Barry."

Jacob glanced at the empty seat, then at Ginnie. Changing his previous attitude entirely, he stood up and walked over to her.

"Let me help her to her seat."

Chandler was flattered by the sudden one-eighty from the heir of the Sand family. Assuming Jacob had changed his tune after hearing about the new alliance, he immediately let go of Ginnie’s wheelchair.

"Thank you so much."

Jacob’s blue eyes crinkled into crescents as he gave a dazzling smile. "No trouble at all. It’s my pleasure."

Jacob got behind the wheelchair, but he didn't push Ginnie toward the table. Instead, he wheeled her into the wide, open aisle of the main floor.

Then, he let go.

At that exact moment, Nancy patted Star’s back. "Go get 'em, boy!"

"No problem!"

The guests watched in horror as Star lunged toward Ginnie like an arrow shot from a bow, letting out a thunderous, earth-shaking roar.