Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Can Auntie Give Birth to Kitties?
Hearing the officer call for backup, Four-Eyes immediately told his men to retreat.
After finishing his call on the balcony, the officer turned and vaguely saw the silhouette of a dog.
Frowning, he hurried to the doorway, but there wasnāt a dog in sight inside the room.
All that was left was the man with the fleshy moleāa creature worse than a dog.
Renee went with Diana and her two children to the police station to give statements.
Walking out of the police station, Renee suggested, "Sis, why donāt you guys move back home for a while? The New Year is coming up, and itāll be more lively with everyone together."
Diana Jennings lowered her eyes, hesitating.
She was already content with just being able to come home for dinner occasionally.
Even if she had the nerve to move back in, it would be impossible. After all, the house was small, with only two bedrooms.
Diana and Renee used to share a room, but around their teenage years, Renee started demanding a room of her own.
Later, when Diana had an unexpected pregnancy, Dalton Jenson flew into a rage and kicked her out of the house.
Although the old saying goes that a stepmother turns a father into a stepfather, Diana knew in her heart that Rhea Dempsey had never mistreated her.
As for Reneeā
She was her own little sister. Even though they were only half-sisters, Diana had never thought of holding a grudge against her.
In her eyes, her little sister just had a bad temper and was a bit spoiled.
"Renee." Diana looked at Reneeās fair face and said softly, "I know youāre worried about us, but heās badly injured and in custody now. He probably canāt do anything."
"Sis!" Reneeās tone grew serious. "He may be in custody, but if heās bent on revenge, there are plenty of ways. Canāt you just listen to me this once?"
"But..." Diana pressed her lips together and said in a low voice, "There isnāt enough room at home."
Renee blinked, then let out a long breath and smiled. "Sis, you, Zane, and Jasmine can just sleep with me."
Diana frowned. "Iām afraid theyāll be too noisy for you."
"I like it when theyāre noisy." Renee leaned down to look at the two little ones. "Iāve been their aunt for so many years, and Iāve never even had a sleepover with them."
Diana was about to say something else, but Renee waved her hand decisively. "Sis, itās settled!"
That evening, Renee brought her sisterās family and Bella home with her.
When Rhea Dempsey saw her holding a small white dog, a sense of foreboding immediately crept into her heart.
"Renee Jennings, you..." Ms. Dempsey was about to let loose a tirade when she suddenly caught sight of the three people behind Renee. Her tense face instantly broke into a brilliant smile.
"Oh! Diana, and Zane and Jasmine, youāre here?"
Diana smiled. "Mom."
Zane and Jasmine also greeted her obediently, "Grandma."
"Aww~" Rhea Dempseyās smile was brighter than any flower. "My sweet darlings!"
After speaking, she glanced tentatively at Renee. Seeing that she wasnāt upset, she immediately pulled the two little ones into the house.
"Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Grandma will go buy it!"
Zane replied sweetly, "Grandma, Auntie already took us out to eat!"
Jasmine asked in her sweet, childish voice, "Grandma, can we play with the kitties?"
Rhea Dempsey said with a grin, "Of course you can."
"Wow! There are two kitties!" Jasmine cheered in her soft, sweet voice. "How come there are two kitties?"
Rhea Dempsey: "Your aunt gave birth to them."
Renee quietly slipped Bella in with the cats.
An expression of disbelief crossed Jasmineās little face. "Can Auntie give birth to kitties?"
Rhea Dempsey said without batting an eye, "She can. She can give birth to puppies, too. See? That little white dog is the one she gave birth to today."
Jasmine blinked her large, dark eyes, and after a momentās thought, she realized her grandma was joking with her.
"Grandma, Bella..." The little one began to tell her grandma all about Bellaās backstory.
Rhea Dempsey was listening intently when she suddenly looked up and saw Renee wheeling a suitcase in from outside.
"Whose luggage is that?" she asked.
Renee said casually, "Your eldest daughterās and her childrenās."
"My eldest daughterās..." Rhea turned to look at Diana, as if in disbelief. "For real?"
Diana nodded lightly. "Mom, we might have to impose on you for a while."
Rhea Dempsey frowned.
Dianaās hands, resting on her knees, curled slightly as her heart fluttered with unease.
āShe had been too impulsive, bringing the children back to stay when she knew the situation at home.ā
"Maybe we should just..."
"Are you being silly?" Rhea Dempsey cut her off. "How is coming back to your own home an imposition?"
"You and the kids can take our room. Iāll sleep with Renee, and your dad can sleep in the living room."
Rhea Dempsey had been frowning because she was trying to figure out how to arrange sleeping for four adults and two children.
Now it was Reneeās turn to frown. "I donāt agree."
Rhea Dempsey: "Are you trying to make me and your dad sleep in the living room?"
āUnfilial daughter!ā
Renee crossed her legs and said lazily, "My sister and the kids can just sleep with me. You donāt need to move out of your room."
Rhea Dempseyās eyes instantly widened in surprise.
Renee: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
There were some things Rhea Dempsey couldnāt say outright, so she just said, "Iām just admiring how pretty you are."
Reneeās lips curved into a smirk. "Thanks. Iāve always been pretty."
**
When giving his statement, Zane told the police officer that the Paw Patrol were the reinforcements his auntie had called.
The officer just dismissed it as childish babble.
Paw Patrol was something from a cartoon.
Besides, how could a person possibly command so many dogs?
Because it was the first time anyone had seen a dozen or so dogs attack a person, the story spread like wildfire through various chat groups, even though the case itself wasnāt major.
A group from the criminal investigation team was gathered at a barbecue restaurant for a late-night meal.
Kyle Morgan saw the case and read it aloud under his breath. "These dozen or so doggies are amazing! Iād call this a heroic act of justice!"
A colleague next to him asked in surprise, "But how would the dogs know that scumbag was up to no good?"
"Could it be someone told these dogs to attack?" Kyle Morgan immediately dismissed his own idea. "No, thatās not right. Some of them were strays. Who could possibly command them?"
Henry Stark listened quietly, his long, slender fingers wrapped around a glass as he took a sip of orange soda.
āHe thought there was one person who could.ā
Henry Stark took out his phone, opened his messaging app, and typed a few words before deleting them one by one.
He silently recited the phone number, switched to WeChat, entered the number, and sent a friend request.
ćMeanwhile.ć
Renee took out a new four-piece bedding set.
Diana came into the room after her shower and saw Renee, sweaty and struggling to make the bed, making a mess of things. She couldnāt help but laugh. "Renee, you go take a shower. Iāll do it."
Renee looked as if sheād seen her savior. "Thanks, sis! Mwah, mwah."
She made a gesture of blowing a kiss.
Diana was utterly exasperated.
After her shower, Renee sat on the sofa, eating fruit and playing on her phone, when she suddenly saw a new friend request on WeChat.
āHenry Stark?ā
She raised an eyebrow and accepted his request.
A moment later, she received a message from him.
Henry Stark: [Miss Jennings, I heard about a dozen dogs ganging up on someone today.]
Renee took a bite of her apple and smiled.
Renee: [Are you sure it was a person?]
Henry Stark: [It seems I guessed right.]
Renee: [I thought Captain Stark added me on WeChat to pay me back the consultation fee.]
Henry Stark: [I did.]
He transferred fifty thousand to her.
Renee wasnāt one for pretense; she accepted the money without hesitation.
The next day, a sum of money suddenly appeared in her bank account. The transfer memo read: Criminal Investigation Consultation Fee.
Renee stared at the fifty thousand she had received last night, lost in thought.