Renee Jennings looked at the smug macaque, Millie, and praised her, "You’re so clever."

"Hee hee." Millie the macaque was delighted by the compliment.

Renee Jennings asked tentatively, "Since you’re so clever, you must know where Annie is, right?"

"That stupid monkey?" Millie snorted. "That stupid monkey is probably close to death."

"Close to death?" Renee Jennings frowned slightly, asking with concern, "Why do you say that?"

Millie pointed a finger at Zane Wagner. "He won’t feed Annie. He said Annie was asking for it, so he’s going to starve her to death."

Anger flashed across Renee Jennings’s face. She turned, walked up to Zane Wagner, and demanded in a low voice, "Where is Annie?"

Zane Wagner’s heart skipped a beat. He looked completely bewildered and asked, "What do you mean? Isn’t Annie right there?"

He pointed at Millie, who was next to Renee Jennings.

Renee Jennings’s expression was grave. "That’s not Annie."

"What’s with you!" Zane Wagner was panicking inside but feigned composure. "How is that not Annie? That IS Annie! If it’s not Annie, who else could it be?"

Lucas Callahan looked completely baffled. "What’s going on here?"

Renee Jennings sneered, "This is Millie!"

Zane Wagner’s pupils constricted, his mind reeling in shock.

’How does she know this is Millie?’

He swallowed nervously. "No, that’s not Millie."

Renee Jennings took a deep breath but was still seething. "The police are right here. You’d better tell the truth!"

"I... I am telling the truth," Zane Wagner stammered, his guilt palpable. "Millie is out playing. I raised them. How could I possibly not recognize her?"

Renee Jennings wanted to punch him.

She clenched her fists, turned to Lucas Callahan, and said in a firm tone, "Director Callahan, I am certain this macaque is not Annie. It’s Millie."

Lucas Callahan frowned at Zane Wagner and asked in a low voice, "What in the world is going on?"

"I don’t know," Zane Wagner said, shaking his head.

Seeing he would deny it to his dying breath, Renee Jennings turned back to Millie. "Beautiful Millie, do you know where Annie is? Can you take me to her?"

"No. I’m busy," Millie replied matter-of-factly.

Renee Jennings was at a loss for words.

She thought for a moment, then said softly, "I can take beautiful photos of you and give you delicious food."

"Really?" Millie was tempted. After a moment’s consideration, she nodded. "Alright then. Follow me."

Renee Jennings shot Zane Wagner a cold glance and followed Millie.

Henry Stark followed suit.

Lucas Callahan watched them leave, a sense of unease settling over him.

He glared at Zane Wagner and snapped, "What in the world are you playing at?"

"I’m not..." Zane Wagner retorted.

Renee Jennings followed Millie out of the quarantine room and down a long hallway, stopping at the door of a small room at the very end.

"Annie, that stupid monkey, is locked in here," Millie said, looking back at her.

"Thank you," Renee Jennings said, then with a grim expression, she slid the bolt open.

As she pushed the door open, the damp, musty smell of a pitch-black storage room hit her.

Renee Jennings turned on her phone’s flashlight and aimed the beam inside.

She scanned the room and finally spotted a small, furry figure in a corner.

Hearing the door open, the little creature cowered in fear and scrambled to hide behind a pile of clutter.

Seeing its reaction, Renee Jennings’s frown deepened, and her heart ached.

She called out softly, "Annie, it’s me."

Huddled and trembling behind the clutter, Annie heard the voice. In the darkness, a flicker of light returned to her terrified eyes.

’That voice sounds like...’

"Annie, don’t be afraid," Renee Jennings said softly again.

Annie cautiously peeked her head out.

Recognizing the person at the door, she cried out in delight, "Renee!"

Annie shuffled slowly toward the doorway.

Renee Jennings noticed something strange about the way she was walking. "What’s wrong? Is your foot hurt?"

Annie slowly moved into the light.

When Renee Jennings got a clear look at her, her eyes instantly reddened.

Macaques were petite to begin with, but Annie was even more emaciated than when Renee had last seen her. Her furry body was covered in injuries, some of which were deep, gaping wounds.

"Annie... does it hurt badly?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Annie had been in this small storage room for nearly a week.

When the beatings first started, the pain was agonizing. But over time, she had gradually grown numb.

She thought she would never see sunlight again, that she would be stuck in this pitch-black room until she died.

She had almost stopped feeling the pain, but now that Renee Jennings asked, Annie suddenly felt it all again.

She nodded, her brown eyes welling with tears. "It hurts! Renee, it hurts so much!"

"I’m taking you to a doctor." Renee Jennings bent down and scooped Annie into her arms. Turning around, she saw Lucas Callahan and said with a cold expression, "Director Callahan, you’d better have a reasonable explanation for this."

With that, she held Annie and hurried toward the veterinarian’s office.

Lucas Callahan stared at the wound-covered Annie, also in utter shock. "This..."

He whirled on Zane Wagner, his voice filled with fury. "Sunny, what in the world have you done?"

Zane Wagner stammered, unable to get a word out.

Renee Jennings carried Annie into the vet’s office, but it was empty.

Lucas Callahan hurried after her, explaining nervously, "Consultant Jennings, while we have a vet’s office here, our veterinarians are all on loan from the main zoo."

Renee Jennings’s expression was filled with urgency. She turned to Henry Stark and said, "Take Annie to the wildlife protection base."

"Okay." Henry Stark nodded. As they headed for the parking lot, he was already on the phone, telling Kyle Morgan to contact the protection base and arrange for a doctor.

Lucas Callahan jogged to keep up with them.

Renee Jennings got into the back seat, and Lucas Callahan held the car door open, saying urgently, "Consultant Jennings, rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this."

Cradling Annie, Renee Jennings replied coldly, "I certainly hope you can get to the bottom of it. Because I wouldn’t mind letting every netizen in the country supervise how Wylern Peak Forest Zoo cares for its macaques."

"That won’t be necessary." Cold sweat beaded on Lucas Callahan’s forehead. "I’ll get to the bottom of it."

"Good." Renee Jennings reached out and slammed the car door shut.

The door nearly caught Lucas Callahan’s nose. Startled, he jumped back two steps.

The car started, leaving him in a cloud of exhaust fumes.

His expression grim, Lucas Callahan turned and stormed off to find Zane Wagner.

"You’d better explain everything to me right now! Why was that macaque locked in the storage room, and why does she have so many injuries!"

"And another thing, what’s going on with Annie’s baby?!"

「In the car.」

As the car drove away from the familiar grounds, Annie turned to look expectantly at Renee Jennings. "Renee, does this mean you found Yumi?"

Renee Jennings couldn’t meet her eyes. Averting her gaze, she said, "I’m sorry... not yet."

Disappointment instantly clouded Annie’s eyes.

She hung her little head.

Seeing her like this, Renee Jennings’s heart ached even more.

She didn’t know how to comfort her.

She didn’t want to give her hope only to let her down again.

Silence filled the car.

After a long moment, Annie murmured, whether to comfort herself or Renee Jennings, "It’s okay. Everything will be okay."