Chapter 28: Jane, Thank You
Chapter 28: Jane, Thank You
Jane gracefully excused herself, offering a polite bow. "I''m sorry. I have to leave for a while."
Patrick, curiosity etching his face with a slight frown, inquired, "Where are you off to? Lunch will be
served soon."
Jane''s response was sinct, "Something just came up." Without further ado, she stood and exited
the room, promptly cing a call to the veterinary hospital.
"Hello, Jane North speaking. I left a dog for treatment a few days ago. How is it now?"
The veterinarian''s reassuring voice emanated from the other end of the line. "I was just about to call
you. The dog has fully recovered."
Jane heaved a sigh of relief and responded, "That''s good to know. I''m on my way to pick it up now."
A striking resemnce between the dog in the picture Mike held and the stray Jane had rescued
began to nag at her. Additionally, the cors matched perfectly. Jane had a gut feeling that the stray
dog was none other than Mike''s long-lost pet, Dolly.
Given Mike''s visible attachment to the dog, it seemed to hold significant sentimental value. Jane
was determined to reunite them immediately.
Back at the table, Beatrice simmered with frustration. "What''s wrong with Jane? She just walked out
on all of us!"
Florence chimed in, "I can''t believe she left us all waiting for her before lunch. Who does she think
she is?"
Patrick''s eyes shifted briefly to Mike, and he intervened on Jane''s behalf, providing an exnation.
"I believe there''s an emergency at work, so she went to handle it."
Patrick feltpelled to defend Jane, even though he was unaware of the precise nature of her
urgent matter. He wouldn''t stand by while the women at the table berated her.
Beatrice, however, was unappeased. She raised her voice indignantly, eximing, "Stop making
excuses for her! What''s so important that it takes precedence over spending time with your
grandfather?"
Mike''s response veered from the others, asserting, "I''m not offended at all. Since Jane rushed to the
company to address a problem as soon as she received the news, it shows she''s hardworking.
That''smendable."
Beatrice was rendered speechless by the unexpected support from Mike. Florence, on the other
hand, grappled with her jealousy. Inwardly, she cursed Jane. Why did Mike ce such high value
on Jane when her family background and appearance paled inparison to Florence''s?
Florence concealed her true feelings and offered a feigned expression of concern. "Jane should
have informed us when she''d be back. It''s already lunchtime, and you shouldn''t go hungry, Mike;
you need nourishment for a quicker recovery."
Attempting to shift the focus, Patrick encouraged the start of the meal. "Let''s just eat." Despite the
strategic reason behind his engagement to Jane, he wouldn''t allow anyone to speak ill of her.
"Mr. Maurice, serve the dishes," Mike ordered. The butler promptly acknowledged and instructed the
servants tomence serving.
With the dishes being ced before them, Florence was determined to make amends. She picked
up a drumstick and ced it on Mike''s te, asserting, "Please have a drumstick. It''s good for your
health."
Mike, however, pushed the drumstick aside, resuming his meal without acknowledging the gesture.
Florence felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
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Observing Patrick, Florence admired his attire, his white shirt and loosened blue tie projecting an air
of ease. Even in a rxed state, he remained impably elegant. In the midst of peeling a prawn,
he managed to exude an air of nobility and perfection.
Peeling the prawn appeared to be a refined endeavor when performed by Patrick. Florence found
herself enamored, indulging in her fantasies about him. Still, she couldn''t help but ponder why he
had not reciprocated her affection despite her clear signals over the years.
In a gesture of sacrifice, Florence attempted to feed him a prawn she had peeled. Her hopes were
dashed, however, when Patrick tly rejected the offering, saying, "No need. I don''t eat what
someone else has touched." As the prawn slipped from her hand and fell to the table, Florence was
left stunned. Her pride had led her to perform the act of peeling a prawn for Patrick, only for it to be
promptly turned down. Her heart ached.
Beatrice sought to diffuse the situation, appealing to Patrick. "Don''t be harsh, Patrick. She peeled
that prawn out of kindness."
Patrick''s response was terse, as he remained steadfast in his decision. "I appreciate the gesture,
but I don''t eat food that others have handled."
As Patrick was on the brink of making a statement, his attention was captivated by a familiar figure.
He broke into a soft smile, addressing Jane with enthusiasm, "Jane!"
Caught off guard by Patrick''s sudden outburst, Florence reacted with anger, eximing, "Jane, why
did you bring a dog here? We are having lunch. Get that thing away!"
A chorus of barks filled the room as the dog began to bark and struggle to free itself from Jane''s
arms.
Impervious to the criticism, Jane bent down, allowing the dog to bound off her arms. The dog
sprang toward Mike, rubbing against him affectionately.
"Dolly!" Mike eximed, his eyes alight with joy. He looked at the dog with disbelief. Dolly''s excited
barking seemed to affirm its identity.
Mike expressed his heartfelt relief, saying, "So good to see you, Dolly. I have missed you so much!"
He lovingly stroked Dolly''s fur, tears of joy welling in his eyes.
Dolly, the long-lost pet, had finally found her way home. Patrick''s inquisitive gaze shifted to Jane.
"Jane, where did you find Dolly?"
It urred to him that Jane had just seen a picture of the dog minutes ago. How had she managed
to locate Dolly so quickly? What was the story behind this remarkable reunion?
Jane, slightly out of breath from her swift return, took a moment to catch her breath. She then
exined, "Do you recall when I was almostte for work a few days ago, and Monica nearly had
me fired?"
Patrick nodded, remembering the incident. That day, Jane had asked him for permission to leave
work early, citing an urgent matter. Monica, their colleague, had provoked a scene in the CEO''s
office, insisting Jane be dismissed for taking unauthorized leave. Ultimately, Patrick had intervened,
demanding Monica apologize to Jane.
"That morning," Jane continued, "Sherry''s car nearly collided with Dolly. I had to rush her to the vet."
And with that, the pieces fell into ce. Jane had sacrificed her work and faced misunderstandings
and gossip for the sake of rescuing a stray dog, little knowing it was the very pet Mike had lost.
Patrick''s gaze toward Jane deepened, and he expressed his genuine gratitude. "Jane, thank you."