Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 73: The White Shadow In The Wetlands

Nancy thought back to the news reports she’d seen about hackers and privacy leaks, shaking her head. In this day and age, true privacy was becoming a luxury.

Now that they had identified the accomplice, Officer Lou contacted his superiors to request that Stella’s assistant, Avery, be taken into custody. With the intruder subdued and the mastermind identified, the terrifying ordeal finally had a clear direction for the investigation.

After the police finished taking her statement, a female officer advised Stella to get some rest.

Stella, still clutching her rabbit, looked at Nancy on the screen. "I can’t thank you enough for today. If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd be standing here right now."

Nancy shook her head. "You're very welcome. I'm just as relieved that a life was saved." She paused, a bit curious. "But how did you think to contact me in the first place?"

Stella gently smoothed the rabbit’s fur, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I’ve actually been following you for a while. I recently took a role that requires a lot of riding, and I happened to see a clip of you communicating with animals while I was scrolling through videos. I went out of my way to get your contact info because I originally wanted to hire you as a riding coach."

A flash of embarrassment crossed Stella’s eyes. "I wanted you to talk to the horse and ask it to... be a little gentler with me."

Nancy’s expression shifted to one of realization. So that was where the connection started.

"Then tonight, the bunny suddenly went wild and wouldn't let go of my pant leg." Stella gave a helpless, wry smile. "I figured I’d test your abilities. I actually planned to take him to a pet clinic tomorrow for a full checkup just to compare notes..." Her voice trailed off as she hugged the rabbit tighter. "I never imagined this call would end up saving my life."

Nancy felt a chill just listening to it. "It’s a good thing we connected when we did."

Stella looked at her with genuine gratitude. "I heard your zoo hasn't been doing so well lately. Do you need any volunteers? I’d like to come down and help out—maybe film a vlog to help you with some promotion."

Nancy was overjoyed. The spending power of a top-tier idol’s fanbase was legendary. "Of course! You and the bunny are welcome anytime!"

After ending the call, Nancy saw her phone battery was down to 10% and the device was burning hot. She plugged it in and went to bed. Having resolved such a major crisis, she slept exceptionally well.

The next morning at 7:30 AM.

Nancy began her daily routine as the zoo director. Since taking over, she spent every spare moment treating the animals. While the reward money from the previous case was substantial, it was being spent quickly. Fortunately, the three million donated by Mandolin’s parents was enough to keep them afloat for a while.

After breakfast and changing into her work uniform, Nancy started her routine health checks. Her first stop today was the Reptile House in the Loren Zoo Wetlands Pavilion.

The pavilion was a man-made wetland ecosystem. Massive glass walls separated the visitors from the habitat, allowing for a clear view without compromising safety. Nancy, however, used the staff entrance, bringing her face-to-face with the cold-blooded residents.

"Good morning, Director Nancy!"

Jimmy, an old keeper in the pavilion, rubbed his hands together nervously, his smile a bit stiff. He remembered how he and the other veteran staff had quit in a huff when the body was found in the tiger enclosure. Standing before Nancy now, he felt a wave of shame.

Who would have thought that only three days later, Leon would reach out to ask them back to train the new staff—and with a raise, no less. Ultimately, anyone who had stayed at such a struggling zoo for so many years truly cared for the animals. But facing Nancy after the harsh words he’d said was difficult for Jimmy.

"Good morning!"

Nancy acted as if nothing had happened, waving energetically with a bright smile. She wore rubber boots as she navigated the rocks and damp soil.

In the rocky habitat, crocodiles basked lazily under the heat lamps. Water snakes glided through floating driftwood, and various lizards darted through thick patches of moss. The humid air carried a faint scent of salt and musk, punctuated by the occasional splash as a mischievous creature dived into the water.

Nancy had just finished a dental check on a saltwater crocodile nicknamed "The Glutton."

Suddenly, Jimmy came running over, looking frantic. "Director, something's wrong! We have an escapee!"

Nancy’s expression sharpened instantly. "Which one?"

Jimmy wiped the sweat from his forehead. "A venomous one! The Mangshan pit viper."

The Mangshan pit viper is a venomous species, but while they are usually green or yellow, rare genetic mutations can produce white individuals. The one at Loren Zoo was a rare white female—the crown jewel of the Wetlands Pavilion.

Nancy’s brow furrowed. "You mean Mist?"

The snake was entirely silver-white, with fangs as translucent as fine jade. She was a cold, elegant beauty among serpents, but in a zoo, beauty often came with extreme danger.