Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 66: Viral Truths

Jonas gave an enthusiastic nod. "You got it!"

He turned his head, his clear, youthful gaze settling on Nancy. "Do you have a social media account? I want to tag you and show my appreciation. I heard you’re a zoo director? The whole country is watching my feed right now; it’s the perfect time to drive some traffic your way."

Nancy’s eyes widened. "Is that... is that really okay?"

Jonas shrugged. "Those liars gave me all this traffic; it would be a waste not to use it to help you out."

Nancy gave Jonas her social media handle. He clicked on her profile and saw the clarification post Leon had put up regarding the alleged parrot abuse at Loren Zoo. As he read through the details of the case, his brow furrowed.

"Your zoo is definitely being targeted," Jonas noted. "The clarification post has zero traction, and the comment section is still full of people trashing you for being heartless."

Nancy shook her head. "There’s not much I can do. A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes."

Jonas thought for a moment. "Are the squirrels and the cat still here? Let’s take a photo together! That’ll get people talking."

"The hospital doesn't allow animals inside," Nancy explained. "They’re playing under a tree in the back courtyard."

Jonas stretched his limbs, feeling energized, and headed downstairs with Nancy. The two of them posed for a photo with the Squirrel Bros and the Tabby in the shade of the hospital garden.

He quickly drafted a post, attached the photo of himself with Nancy and the animal detectives, and hit send.

Cuties Petting Zoo Indoor Pet Zoo.

Ginnie was cradling a small white alpaca, expertly striking an intimate pose for the camera. The alpaca’s long eyelashes were fluttering incessantly, and a strange white foam was forming at the corners of its mouth. Its hind legs were trembling visibly.

"Handler, wipe the alpaca’s mouth," Ginnie commanded coldly, her lips curled in a slight sneer.

The handler rushed over and wiped the foam away as quickly as possible. Ginnie immediately flashed a sweet, radiant smile for the camera, though her fingers were secretly pinching the back of the alpaca’s neck to force it to hold the pose.

The photographer’s flash strobed repeatedly. "Perfect! Excellent! This shot is going to look amazing!"

Suddenly, the alpaca’s front legs gave out. It collapsed to the ground with a pained whimper, white foam spraying across the floor.

"Ugh. Filthy." Ginnie jumped back to avoid the mess. "Where is the handler? Get this thing out of here; don't let it hold up the next set. Bring the lop-eared rabbit over. Makeup artist, touch me up."

The handler half-carried, half-dragged the distressed alpaca out of the studio, making room for the next set of animal props.

After the shoot, Ginnie reclined lazily in a lounge chair, sipping her coffee while scrolling through her phone.

"The Cuties Petting Zoo account has officially surpassed a hundred thousand followers." Ginnie waved her phone, a smug, triumphant curve to her red lips.

Her sycophant, Yolanda, hurried over to offer a compact for touch-ups. "Of course it has! All those followers are here to see your angelic face. Photos of you holding animals are out of this world; it was only a matter of time before you went viral."

Ginnie let out a cold snort, idly playing with a stray lock of hair. "Exactly. To run an animal business, you have to know how to capture the public’s attention."

She suddenly let out a sharp laugh. "Not like that idiot Nancy. Taking over a failing zoo and spending all day serving a bunch of old, weak, and disabled animals... she’s just asking for a miserable life. All she knows how to do is hide away and perform surgeries."

"She’s just a bookworm who studied herself into a corner," Yolanda added dismissively. "How could a nerd like her ever compete with a business genius like you, Ginnie?"

A flash of mockery crossed Ginnie’s eyes. So what if her leg injury had been exposed as a sham? She idly stroked her freshly done nails. Nancy was nothing more than a pathetic loser presiding over a bankrupt zoo, barely surviving alongside her broken animals.

Ginnie lifted her coffee cup with elegance, her red lips leaving a mark on the rim. She, on the other hand, was the true heiress, showered with the absolute favor of her parents and brother.

Yolanda pulled out her phone and lowered her voice. "Should we start arranging the next 'leak' about Loren Zoo? The internet loves more drama."

Smears were always more effective than the truth. A steady stream of negative news and operational failures would eventually crush Loren Zoo and drive Nancy to despair.

Just as Ginnie was about to respond, Yolanda let out a sharp gasp of disbelief. "This... this can't be possible!"

"What is it?" Ginnie frowned.

Yolanda’s fingers were shaking. "Nancy... she and her animals just found Jonas!"

"Jonas?!" Ginnie bolted upright, her coffee nearly spilling. "The swimmer who’s been trending all day? I thought they said he ran off with some rich woman!"

Ginnie scrambled to open her phone. The hashtag #AnimalDetectiveFindsJonas had already exploded, sitting firmly at the number one spot on the trending list.

Every single top topic was related to Nancy.