The Villainess's Heartthrob Script: I Can Talk to Animals

Chapter 718: Chapter 718: "Hello, Sister!

For the rest of the way, Sheryl Sawyer seemed preoccupied.

Renee Jennings noticed. When Carmen Lane suggested a boat ride on the river, Renee declined. "It’s getting a little late, and we have a flight to catch tomorrow. Let’s call it a night."

Carmen nodded. "All right. Go back and get some rest. I’ll pick you both up from the hotel tomorrow morning."

Back at the hotel, Renee asked softly, "Sheryl, what’s wrong? You seemed a little out of it toward the end."

Sheryl sat on the sofa, her fingers clenched tight. Pursing her lips, she said in a low voice, "Renee, I think I just saw Sweetie."

Renee’s eyes widened at her words, a hint of surprise in her voice. "When? Why didn’t you tell me when you saw her?"

"I..." Sheryl hesitated. "I’m not sure, actually. She just seemed so much like her. The way she talked was just like her, and she had the same red mole on the web of her right thumb."

She frowned and sighed in frustration. "But Sweetie didn’t have a scar on her forehead. I don’t know if I’m mistaken, or... if she got those scars later?"

"If that’s the case, could Sweetie have other scars...? Is she doing okay? Has she suffered a lot...?"

Sheryl’s voice started to break, and tears, like pearls from a broken string, began to roll silently down her cheeks.

Renee sat down beside her and gently patted her back. "Sheryl, is the girl you’re talking about Lucy Summers?"

"Yes." Sheryl nodded, turning to look at Renee and choking out, "I’m so scared I’ve got the wrong person..."

"Sheryl, don’t be scared." Renee gave her a gentle hug and comforted her warmly. "If she is Sweetie, that would be the best news in the world. If she isn’t, that’s okay, too. We’ll take our time and keep looking. I’m sure we’ll find her one day."

"Renee, thank you." Sheryl wiped her tears with her sleeve. "You’re right. I get so sensitive when it comes to anything about Sweetie."

Renee shook her head. "If it were me, I’d be the same. Maybe even more emotional than you."

As Sheryl calmed down, she said, annoyed with herself, "I should have paid more attention to Lucy. I didn’t even say a word to her..."

"I have her TikTok account." Renee’s lips curled into a smile. "Let me find it."

She found "The Dream-Chasing Deer" in her chat list and tapped on her profile.

The young woman shared a lot about her daily life, but most of the posts were her interactions with her dog, Lucky.

Sheryl searched for Lucy’s account on her own phone and watched all 79 of her videos.

A little after one in the morning, Renee came out to use the restroom and found Sheryl still sitting on the living room sofa, wearing the same clothes as before.

"Sheryl, you haven’t showered yet? Have you just been sitting here this whole time?"

Sheryl looked up and said softly, "Renee, I watched all of Lucy’s videos. She’s so young, but she’s already working."

"Sheryl." Renee walked over to her. "Sheryl, why don’t we cancel our flights for tomorrow? I could ask Lucy to meet us for a meal."

"Would that be okay?" Sheryl hesitated. "Won’t that scare her?"

Renee thought for a moment, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I don’t think so. Lucy seems like she can handle it."

Sheryl pursed her lips, still weighing the decision.

Renee made the decision for her. "Go ahead and cancel the tickets. I’ll message Lucy right now, and I’ll also let Henry Stark know we’re postponing our return."

After that, she remembered something else. "Oh, right, I also have to let Carmen know so she doesn’t have to rush over to pick us up tomorrow."

Sheryl looked at her, her eyes filled with apprehension. "Renee, did you message Lucy?"

"I did." Renee held the phone up for her to see.

Sheryl read it carefully and took a deep breath. "I’m already getting nervous."

Renee put down her phone and gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Don’t be nervous. Go take a shower and get a good night’s sleep so you can be at your best when you see her tomorrow."

"Okay." Sheryl nodded, then muttered, "Maybe Lucy won’t even have time to meet us tomorrow."

Renee raised an eyebrow. "Lucy already replied to me. She’s free."

"Really?" A flicker of emotion passed through Sheryl’s eyes.

Renee said, "Really. Now go take a shower. I’m having a bottle of melatonin delivered. We’ll each take one and get a good night’s sleep."

**

The next day, Renee and Sheryl arrived at the restaurant early to wait for Lucy.

Sheryl was so nervous she kept drinking water.

Ten minutes later, a waiter led Lucy to their table.

"Ms. Jennings, hi!" Lucy, her hair in a side braid, waved with a smile.

After greeting Renee, her eyes fell on Sheryl. Not knowing what to call the other woman, she offered a polite, "Hi there!"

Those two words drifted into Sheryl’s ears like a pebble dropped into the unquiet lake of her heart, sending ripples spreading through it.

Her eyelashes fluttered and her fingertips trembled. Struggling to maintain her composure, she nodded at Lucy. "Hello..."

"Lucy, please have a seat," Renee said, gesturing to the chair.

"Okay!" Lucy pulled out a chair and sat across from them, looking at Renee with wide, curious eyes. "Ms. Jennings, you said you had something important to tell me. What is it?"

"We’ll get to that in a bit." Renee handed her a menu, a gentle smile on her lips. "Why don’t you take a look and see what you’d like to eat first."

"Okay." Lucy opened the menu, and her eyes went wide at the prices. ’This is way too expensive!’

She had planned on treating them on her way over, but looking at these prices, that was going to be difficult.

’It’s fine,’ she thought. ’I’ll just have to be more frugal for the rest of the month.’

With that decided, she picked a steak, a seafood medley, a pasta dish, and an appetizer.

She couldn’t bring herself to order anything more than that.

Lucy pushed the menu back toward Renee and Sheryl. "I’m done ordering. You two see what else you want to add. It’s my treat today."

"I’m the one who invited you, there’s no way I’m letting you pay," Renee said with a smile, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, you already treated us to lemon tea yesterday."

Lucy quickly shook her head and waved her hands. "The lemon tea doesn’t count. That was nothing!"

"It’s the thought that counts." Renee added a few more dishes and ordered three drinks.

"Now I feel really bad," Lucy said, her face flushing slightly.

Renee smiled. "Don’t be. I think we were fated to meet."

"Me too!" Lucy nodded in agreement. "I can’t believe we just happened to meet in Jaelara!"

"Can I call you Lulu?" Renee asked. "And you don’t have to call me Ms. Jennings. If you don’t mind, just call me Renee."

"Of course I don’t mind!" Lucy said quickly. "How could I possibly mind? I couldn’t be happier! It would be an honor!"