Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 65: The Devil's Bargain

"I ran as fast as I could. That afternoon, I went back to the training base for a closed session, and the whole thing was weighing on my mind," Jonas explained. "I didn't have a recording or any proof, so I didn't know who to tell. After thinking it over, I decided I’d buy a box of that drug and send it to a testing lab myself."

His expression turned bitter with regret. "The next evening, after the closed training ended, I left the base to head to a pharmacy. Suddenly, I got a call. The person on the other end said my little fan, Mandy, was in critical condition and wanted to see me one last time. They said the family had taken him to the Abundance Hotel and were waiting for me."

Ryan chimed in to clarify. "That’s the young, paralyzed fan with the congenital illness we tried to contact this morning."

Jonas continued. "The Abundance Hotel was less than two thousand yards away. I was so panicked about missing Mandy’s final moments that I just took off running. To get to the hotel, I had to cut through a narrow alley. That’s where they ambushed me. When I woke up, I was in the chemical plant."

Jonas shook his head. "Looking back, I was too impulsive. I let my guard down."

"The woman who called claimed to be Mandy’s aunt, and I didn't even think to verify it."

Nancy offered a comforting word. "You're the victim here; you didn't do anything wrong. The ones at fault are those who disregard human life for the sake of profit."

Jonas gave her a grateful smile before pausing. "Once they had me at the plant, Sharon gave me two choices. First, I sign a non-disclosure agreement and never speak a word of what I heard. In exchange, she would inject me with a special drug—it acts like a performance enhancer, but it's undetectable by the World Championship tests. Only their specific lab would be able to trace it."

Nancy felt a chill. Sharon was truly heartless, willing to jeopardize the country’s sporting integrity without a second thought.

If an athlete is ever caught using performance-enhancing drugs—whether before, during, or after a competition—all their results are voided. Medals are stripped, and they face bans spanning years or even a lifetime. Even if it's discovered after they retire, their legacy is erased. It would have meant the absolute end of a career for a rising star like Jonas.

"If I ever dared to leak the secret, they would release the test results," Jonas said, a shiver running through him. "My career would be over, and I’d bring the whole swimming team down with me. The second choice was even worse—if I refused to cooperate, they were going to throw me into the acid vat."

Simon looked puzzled. "Then why did they give you eighteen hours to decide?"

"They needed eighteen hours to prepare the specific compound," Jonas said, his voice trembling. "Sharon said... the drug has to merge with the blood for twenty-four hours to bypass the World Championship screening. But their own nano-tagging technology can lock onto the drug’s signature in just eighteen."

After a detailed questioning, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Nancy finally understood why Jonas had looked so panicked leaving the sports club. He had overheard a devastating secret and was fleeing for his life after being spotted!

The tragedy was the paparazzi lurking at the back exit. Their gossip photo had inadvertently exposed him. Sharon likely didn't know who the eavesdropper was until that photo was published, making Jonas a target instantly.

What a mess!

Nancy opened her phone. The trending topics were still debating Jonas’s disappearance, with nasty rumors flying everywhere. It was time to shut those people up.

"When can the police issue an official statement about the kidnapping?" Nancy asked indignantly. "The things people are saying online are way out of line!"

"I just sent the witness statements back to the station," Simon said, his tone calming. He looked up at Jonas. "The department is already investigating Sharon and her associates. Given the massive public interest in your disappearance, the statement will be released as soon as possible—within two days."

Jonas grinned. "It's fine. The internet doesn't bother me."

Years of training had given him a deep, sun-kissed tan, making his white teeth stand out. When he smiled, his signature canines made him look bright and energetic. "Those people are just bored and have nothing better to do."

Jonas had grown up in hardship and had faced his fair share of bullying; he was far beyond caring about petty rumors.

He pulled out his phone. "Can I post a message on Twitter to let my fans know I'm safe?"

Simon nodded. "Go ahead. Just don't mention the details of the kidnapping yet. The police are still building the case against Sharon’s pharmaceutical company. We’ll lay out all the evidence when the time is right."