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Chapter 63
The slap sent Ryan’s head snapping to the side.
Cassandra gave Ryan a hard shove and pointed sharply at him. “Snap out of it! Whatever’s gotten into you, come to your senses now!”
Ryan gave a silent sigh and put some distance between them.
Cassandra said, “Mr. Scott, I think you were just possessed by something. That was terrifying.”
“Was it really that scary?” Ryan asked.
“Not that kind of scary… It just really made my skin crawl.”
He let out a soft, amused laugh. “Is that so?”
“I don’t know, but you definitely weren’t acting like your usual self.”
“What am I usually like, then?”
“You argue with me, make snide remarks, boss me around, and make my life difficult.”
Ryan rubbed his temples, a little exasperated. “So, I’m really that awful in your eyes?”
“It’s not that I dislike you, but you’re never satisfied with me. But just now… You weren’t quite yourself, and the way you looked at me… It almost felt like you actually liked me.”
He glanced up at her.
Cassandra gave a derisive little laugh. “Come on. As if you’d like me. You’re Ryan Scott, for goodness‘ sake! You must’ve been possessed.”
She glanced outside, looking around at their surroundings. They were parked in a residential area, and the car was just outside one of the villas
At this hour, it was pitch black and silent except for the occasional shrill call of a There was something a bit creepy about it.
“You should really get someone in to cleanse this place,” she said, “Who knows, maybe something really is hanging around.”
at bird.
Ryan was speechless. “You’d rather believe in ghosts than believe I might actually like you?”
Cassandra said, “I like to think I have a rational mind.”
He replied, “You don’t even have the logic of a primary schooler. Even kids know there’s no such thing as ghosts.”
She patted her chest, genuinely relieved. “Thank goodness that you’re back to normal again. That spirit finally left.”
Chapter 63
Ryan just rolled his eyes.
They went back and forth for a bit, As they bickered, Cassandra finally calmed down.
But the reality of Snowball’s death was sinking in and with the summer heat in Hannover, she needed to handle the funeral quickly.
She let out a sigh and asked, “Mr. Scott, could I have a few days off?”
“What for?”
“Bereavement leave,” she said. “I want to spend some time with Snowball.”
He nodded. “Of course. But we’ll need to wait for the authorities to do a proper post–mortem first. We need an official record of the cause of death. No matter what you decide to do in the future, that’ll be crucial evidence.”
Cassandra asked, “Didn’t you say the law still wouldn’t really punish Simon, even if we had proof that he bribed someone to poison the treats?”
Ryan thought for a moment. “Well, a dog isn’t a person, so it’s not legally considered murder. But under most state laws, poisoning an animal is a felony–level act of animal cruelty. And if it happened in a public area and put others at risk, it could also fall under reckless endangerment or public safety violations.”
“But he only poisoned the treats at home, not in a public area.”
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Ryan nodded. “If it caused serious injury or death to a person, or huge loss to public or private property, that’d be criminal responsibility. But in this case, we can pursue him for intentional destruction of property, since it’s a pet. That’s how we’ll get him.”
Suddenly energised, Cassandra gave him a big thumbs up. “You really are an expert, Mr. Scott! Brilliant!”
dog. If
“But I do have to remind you,” he said. “We can sue him, but compensation probably won’t amount to much. Like the police said, he’ll just pay for what you originally paid for you want compensation for emotional distress, that’ll have to be negotiated.
Cassandra replied firmly, “I don’t care about the money. I just want everyone to see how cruel and heartless Simon is. I’ll ask Daisy how to buy a trending topic. When the trial starts, I’ll make sure his name is posted everywhere!”
Ryan couldn’t help but smile at her. “That’s the Cassandra I know.”
She had never been the type to wallow in self–pity. If someone hurt her, she had to hit back. Putting up with injustice just wasn’t in her nature.
Chapter 64
