Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Resurrection of the Ex

Noel Lee gripped the doorknob and pushed down, only to find the door was locked from the inside.

He let out a sinister laugh and turned to get the key from the study.

Sylvia Brooks saw him take out the key on the security monitor, and her legs nearly gave out in fear.

Noel Lee inserted the key into the lock. The next second, the smoke alarms throughout the entire villa started blaring.

He jerked his head up, a flash of panic on his face.

’Damn it!’

Noel Lee was furious, regretting that he hadn’t made his move sooner!

Frustrated, he turned and left.

When he reached the villa’s entrance, Noel Lee saw two police cars heading his way.

His expression changed slightly, and a sense of unease grew within him.

’Did Sylvia Brooks call the police?’

Noel Lee quickly got into his car. Just as he started the engine, a gunshot suddenly rang out.

After firing a warning shot into the air, Dominic Archer aimed the gun at him and warned, "Noel Lee, get out of the car!"

Noel Lee glanced in the rearview mirror, then ignored him and tried to drive away.

BANG—

Dominic Archer shot out his front tire and roared, "Get out of the car!"

Noel Lee violently slammed his hands on the steering wheel, his face twisted in a ferocious grimace.

Sylvia Brooks switched the security feed to the villa’s entrance. When she saw Noel Lee get arrested, her stiff body suddenly went limp, and she collapsed weakly to the floor.

She felt like she had just survived a disaster.

Her trembling voice was choked with sobs. "Miss Jennings, I’m safe now. Thank you..."

Hearing through the phone that Sylvia Brooks was safe, Renee Jennings’s taut nerves instantly relaxed. "As long as you’re okay. I’m hanging up now."

The little birds had been nervous too. Only after she hung up did they bow their heads and resume eating their late-night snack.

Having saved a life, Renee Jennings felt an unexpected sense of accomplishment.

[System 009: Congratulations on completing the hidden mission. Reward received: Insect Dictionary, 200 points!]

Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow slightly. She stuffed her phone into her pocket, grabbed a handful of grain, and scattered it. "You all were great," she said with a light chuckle. "And so was I."

She reached out and stroked the Little Sparrow’s head.

Not far away, a pair of resentful eyes watched her from the shadows.

His rough fingers caressed the dagger in his pocket as he drew closer, step by step.

"Careful! Careful!"

"Renee, look out!"

The squeaks of mice suddenly cut through the air.

Renee Jennings turned her head and saw a strange figure walking toward her. Her heart sank.

Seeing that he’d been noticed, the person stopped in his tracks.

Renee Jennings stood up, her gaze falling on the hand he kept hidden in his pocket.

Her intuition told her he was holding a sharp object.

At that thought, Renee Jennings turned and ran.

Forgetting their snacks, the little birds all flew after her. ’What if we can help!’

"Renee! The bad guy is catching up!" a little bird cried out in alarm.

Renee Jennings frowned, forcing herself to run faster.

"Renee, the bad guy’s gone!" a little bird reported in real-time.

"Gone?" Renee Jennings didn’t stop, asking as she ran, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, we can’t see him anymore."

Renee Jennings ran a while longer, then waited in a nearby convenience store for a bit before leaving.

’Who on earth was that man?’

’Why is he targeting me?’

As she reached the bottom of her apartment building, Renee Jennings was hesitating over whether to call the police when a voice suddenly called out to her. "Renee Jennings."

She looked over, suspicious.

Under the dim yellow streetlight, a man in a black overcoat stood quietly by his car. He was tall with deep-set features.

Jaden Forrest.

’What is he doing here?’

Renee Jennings frowned. She walked up to the man and said unhurriedly, "Mr. Forrest, a proper ex is supposed to act like they’re dead. It’s not right for you to come back and haunt me like this."

Jaden Forrest: "..."

The man’s dark brows slowly knitted together. "I have something to ask you," he said in a low voice.

"What is it?" A sliver of vigilance rose in Renee Jennings’s heart.

Jaden Forrest stared at her unadorned face, his deep eyes filled with scrutiny. "Are you sure that the woman from five years ago was you?"

Renee Jennings’s heart skipped a beat as a sense of guilt quietly washed over her.

She lowered her lashes, her tone no longer as self-righteous as before. "It’s possible it wasn’t... After all, fate loves to play tricks on people..."

"Renee Jennings." The man’s voice was now tinged with anger. "Did you know all along?"

Renee Jennings: "..."

She braced herself and asked, "Why would you say that?"

Jaden Forrest squinted at her, his expression unreadable. "You just need to answer yes or no."

Renee Jennings took a deep breath and decided to come clean. "No. I knew from the very beginning that I wasn’t the person you were looking for."

"Why?"

"Because you have money, and I like money."

Jaden Forrest fell silent.

Now that the truth was out, Renee Jennings felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

"I know what I did was awful. If you want to get revenge, come after me and me alone. Don’t hurt my family or friends." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She bit her lip and added, "As for the money I took from you, I’ll find a way to pay you back."

Jaden Forrest remained silent, carefully recalling his time with Renee Jennings.

She was always coming up with all sorts of ways to get him to transfer her money.

And since he had no real feelings for her, he always chose the latter between meeting up and sending a wire transfer.

Now, learning that the woman from his memory wasn’t Renee Jennings, Jaden Forrest actually breathed a sigh of relief.

He even felt glad.

Jaden Forrest stared at Renee Jennings, his voice cold and low. "Do you know who the woman from five years ago is?"

"I don’t know." Renee Jennings shook her head. "I just happened to overhear you telling Assistant Joyce to look for someone."

Jaden Forrest’s brows furrowed, his handsome face filled with suspicion and scrutiny.

Renee Jennings blinked, putting on an expression that said, ’I’m an honest person; I wouldn’t lie to you.’

Jaden Forrest averted his gaze, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.

Before he left, Renee Jennings asked one more question. "By the way, how did you find out I wasn’t the person you were looking for?"

Jaden Forrest looked at her again, a trace of mockery in his eyes. "That Shepherd guy sent me a message saying you have terrible taste—taking so much of my money just to support some pretty boy who’d stab you in the back."

Renee Jennings: "..."

’Shepherd?’

’That damn Evan Shepherd!’

Jaden Forrest had already driven away, leaving Renee Jennings standing there, gritting her teeth in fury.

**

As the Spring Festival approached, Renee Jennings went out with Rhea Dempsey to shop for the holiday.

The mall was festively decorated with colorful lights and red lanterns hanging everywhere, full of the holiday spirit.

The mother and daughter returned home carrying bags of all sizes. Just as Renee Jennings entered her room, her phone rang.

It was a call from Michelle Fuller.

"Sweetie, want to come hang out? I want to introduce you to my future sister-in-law!"

"Future sister-in-law?" Renee Jennings held her phone, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Hank is off the market?"

"Mhmm~" Michelle Fuller laughed happily. "My future sister-in-law is gorgeous."

"In that case, I have to meet her." Renee Jennings arranged a time with her. "See you tonight."

At nine o’clock that night, a singer was on stage performing a soothing, pleasant song, while the customers below chatted freely over drinks, pleasantly buzzed.

When Renee Jennings arrived, she saw Michelle Fuller drinking a cocktail. Next to her sat a blonde girl holding a Ragdoll cat in her lap.

"Renee!" Michelle Fuller stood up and linked her arm through hers, introducing her to the blonde girl. "Lilian, this is Renee, my best friend!"

Then, she turned to Renee Jennings. "This is Lilian, Hank’s girlfriend."

Renee Jennings and Lilian greeted each other.

After sitting down, Renee Jennings suddenly heard a soft, cute voice.

"Girlfriend? More like boyfriend." The voice came from the Ragdoll cat in Lilian’s arms.