?Chapter 886:


    “Take it outside and feed the stray cats and dogs,” Brenna said.


    Seeing that soup instantly stirred up memories from her childhood. During those years, the Barrett family livedfortably—maybe not rich, but far from struggling.


    Growing up as the adopted daughter, Brenna was treated more like help than family. Each day, she bnced her design work with a mountain of chores and cooking. Whenever she put together an extravagant meal, she never even got to taste it. She could only eat with the maids. Sometimes, she would steal food and suffer a severe beating when she was caught.


    Alec always looked the other way when she was being beaten. Sometimes, he even joined in and hit her. Now that she had built a life of her own and had more money than she could ever spend, Alec showed up, trying to win her over.


    Did he really believe that a couple of nice gestures could erase years of hurt? Did he think she was so easily fooled?


    As lunchtime neared, Brenna noticed her stomach grumbling. In the kitchen, a few chefs moved busily, preparing lunch. Summer Miller, one of the maids, caught sight of her standing in the doorway and came over. “Miss Harper, are you feeling hungry? We just brought in some fresh whole-grain bread this morning, and there’s a new fruit jam as well. Would you like to try some?”


    Brenna gave a small nod in response.


    Summer, who had been with the Harper family for decades and was known for her sharp eye and steady work ethic, managed the kitchen with practiced ease. Without missing a beat, Summer prepared two slices of whole-grain bread, spread ayer of fruit jam, and handed the te to Brenna. epting the food, Brenna made her way upstairs.


    Once Brenna had left, Summer stepped into the bathroom, slipped her phone from her pocket, and dialed a number.


    “Miss Rosie Harper? It’s Summer. I have something to report…” At that moment, Rosie was handling emails from various Plica branch offices, and her phone was set to speaker, resting on her desk. “Wait, Brenna didn’t turn Alec away immediately?” Rosie asked after hearing what Summer had said.


    Summer replied, “No. But as for the pork rib soup Alec brought, Brenna told Julia to feed it to the stray cats and dogs outside. She didn’t eat it.”


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    Rosie considered this revtion for a moment. “That’s helpful to know. Keep watching the Harper household and let me know if anything happens.”


    After the call ended, Rosie mulled over Summer’s words. “The Barretts have shown up at Brenna’s door before. When they lost everything, they visited Brenna several times, but she always turned them away. Now, out of nowhere, she actually met with Alec. That’s certainly unexpected.”


    Without hesitation, Rosie unlocked her banking app and transferred twenty thousand to a discreet ount. She then called Isabe.


    “Let’s meet for dinner tonight. I have something for you to do.”


    On the other end of the line, Isabe sounded like she was in a bad mood, her voice sharp. “Rosie, I already made ns tonight. You can just tell me what you want me to do over the phone now.”


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