Chapter 268: Are the Morgan Family Morons or Idiots?
Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Are the Morgan Family Morons or Idiots?
Sylvia Brooks stared at Vincent Morgan and asked hesitantly, "Gone... What does that mean?"
"She passed away." Vincent Morgan raised a hand to cover his eyes. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a giant, invisible hand, and even breathing hurt. "It’s my fault she’s dead."
Sylvia Brooks pressed her lips together, her brow furrowed.
Vincent Morgan continued, "If I had brought her home without a second thought back then, maybe she wouldn’t have had that accident."
Sylvia Brooks looked at his regretful expression but felt no desire to comfort him. She just said flatly, "Life has no cure for regret."
"I know." A sob crept into Vincent Morgan’s voice. "But if I had a chance to do it all over again, I would definitely acknowledge her without any hesitation."
"Are you sure?" Sylvia Brooks’s gaze was indifferent, her tone emotionless. "If you could do it over, you’d hesitate all the same. You only feel regret now because you’ve already been through it."
Vincent Morgan’s back stiffened abruptly.
Sylvia Brooks poured wine into their two glasses and said, her tone laced with mockery, "This ’resolve’ you’re talking about now is just your guilt and self-blame talking. Even a sister who shares your blood isn’t actually that important to you. The only thing you see is personal gain."
"Summer," Vincent Morgan slowly turned his head to look at her and said with self-deprecation, "Thank you for snapping me out of it."
"I’m not trying to snap you out of anything," Sylvia Brooks said coldly. "I’m just speaking my mind."
She shot the man a sidelong glance, then picked up her glass and drank on her own.
Vincent Morgan fell silent.
After a moment, his mind gradually calmed, and he said softly, "You’re right. I was wrong when she was alive, and only now that she’s gone have I finally come to my senses... I’ll bring her body back, arrange her funeral, and have her formally recognized by the family."
Sylvia Brooks opened her mouth as if to say something, but then stopped.
’Maybe she doesn’t want to be formally recognized by the family?’
’Whatever. It’s their family business. It has nothing to do with me.’
"Take your time. I’m heading out." Sylvia Brooks put down her empty glass.
"I’ll see you out," Vincent Morgan said.
Sylvia Brooks raised an eyebrow slightly. "You’ve been drinking. How are you going to drive?"
Vincent Morgan: "I’ll have my driver come."
"No need," Sylvia Brooks said flatly. "A friend is picking me up."
Vincent Morgan paused for two seconds before asking, "Noel Lee?"
It had been a long time since she had heard that cursed name, and a look of disgust subconsciously flashed across Sylvia Brooks’s face. "He’s dead."
"Sorry," Vincent Morgan apologized quickly.
Sylvia Brooks grabbed her purse, stood up, and tossed out the two words "Leaving now" before turning and leaving the private room.
Vincent Morgan watched her back disappear, then pressed the service bell.
A staff member quickly arrived at the room carrying a bottle of whiskey. "More to drink, Mr. Morgan?"
Vincent Morgan: "Just water."
**
At one in the morning, Renee Jennings heard a system notification right after she finished her stream.
[System 009: Congratulations on completing the Level 3 hidden mission: Blessing. Rewards obtained: 50 points, 500,000 cash.]
A smile touched Renee Jennings’s lips as her mood soared.
’Looks like I should stream more often. If I’m lucky, the system will rain gold on me.’
Renee Jennings was lying in bed about to sleep when she suddenly saw Michelle Fuller post a photo in the group chat—a picture of her with Sylvia Brooks.
Renee Jennings sent three shocked emojis in a row: [When did you take this?]
Michelle Fuller: [Just now! I secretly saw Summer on a date with a handsome guy at a private club!]
Sylvia Brooks: [No, that’s my ex-boyfriend!]
Michelle Fuller: [Getting back together!]
Sylvia Brooks: [No! I just went to watch the drama. I thought he was drowning his sorrows over a girl, but I didn’t expect...]
Since the guy was Sylvia Brooks’s ex-boyfriend, Renee Jennings was now interested: [Didn’t expect???]
Seeing that she was interested, Sylvia Brooks typed out her conversation with Vincent Morgan and sent it.
’This whole story she’s telling feels so familiar...’
She hesitated before typing: [Your ex-boyfriend... his last name isn’t Morgan, is it?]
Sylvia Brooks: [How did you know?]
Renee Jennings: [...]
As the one in the know, Michelle Fuller immediately burst out cursing: [That psycho! Who is he trying to jinx? I’m speechless! The long-lost sister he’s talking about is clearly alive and well! I can’t even!]
Sylvia Brooks: [Don’t tell me his sister is... Michelle, you...]
Michelle Fuller: [That’s not it.]
Sylvia Brooks: [Then it’s...]
Renee Jennings felt both annoyed and exasperated.
’Are the Morgan Family morons or idiots?’
’They actually believed a casual rumor started by Old Hag Crawford without a shadow of a doubt?’
’Didn’t they even bother to investigate?’
’But on second thought, that family was probably happy to hear such news, so it’s normal they didn’t investigate. To them, it doesn’t matter if I’m dead or alive.’
’What kind of act was Vincent Morgan putting on in front of Sylvia Brooks?’
Renee Jennings didn’t reply further in the group chat and went to sleep in a huff.
She could have had a wonderful night’s sleep, but thanks to the Morgan Family, she had nightmares all night long.
In her dream, she was endlessly tormented by Jaden Forrest and Diana Jennings, living a life that was worse than death.
Renee Jennings woke with a start, covered in a cold sweat.
’That was too terrifying.’
She fumbled for her phone on the nightstand and saw it was only six in the morning.
Renee Jennings put her phone down, intending to go back to sleep, but even after half an hour, she was still tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
So she just got up to take Zane and Jasmine to kindergarten, considering it a way to atone for her past misdeeds and the ones she never got around to.
On the way back from the kindergarten, Renee Jennings still didn’t feel sleepy at all. She hesitated for a few seconds, then turned the steering wheel and changed her destination in the GPS—to Zenvia Wildlife Park.
’It’s been a while since I saw the tiger bros. I kind of miss them.’
Renee Jennings had a pass for free entry to the zoo. After entering, she headed for the Tiger Park, but stopped in her tracks when she saw the viewing platform was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people.
’The tiger bros are really popular.’
Renee Jennings turned and went to see the other animals.
In the Tiger Park, Rory, who was lying on a rock, felt his whiskers twitch. He shot his head up, his sharp tiger eyes fixed on the viewing platform, and muttered, "I think I smell Renee’s scent!"
By now, Renee Jennings was already looking at the giraffes, which tourists were feeding with purchased food.
She stood in front of the enclosure and took out her phone to take pictures of the giraffes.
As she was taking photos, a giraffe’s head suddenly leaned in close to her, and it exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "You smell so good! Are you hiding something tasty?"
"Me?" Renee Jennings blinked and waved her hands. "No, I didn’t bring any food with me."
The giraffe sniffed and sniffed at her insistently. "Impossible! You must be hiding something yummy, or else why would you smell so fragrant? Are you hiding it from me on purpose so I can’t have any?"
"I really don’t," Renee Jennings said, looking at it with amusement. "What do you want to eat? I can go buy it for you."
"If you don’t have any, then never mind." The giraffe shook its head, then asked, "Do you want to see me kick an antelope in the butt?"
"Huh?" Renee Jennings asked, bewildered. "Why would you kick an antelope in the butt?"
The giraffe chuckled and said with complete conviction, "Because work is boring. Gotta bully my coworkers to spice things up."