Chapter 187
Felicia carefully placed Cloud on her lap. Leaving Alverton, she took only Cloud, just as she had upon arrival. With Macey gone and Romeo's dog recently whelping a litter of adoptable puppies, she'd decided to bring Cloud along. She couldn't leave him at the Fuller residence. In her previous life, crippled hands and psychological issues had led her to raise a cat, only to find it dead on her windowsill the following day—Kayla's doing.
She recalled Kayla's smug declaration: "The little cat is cute, but too bad it was unlucky enough to be yours, so it had to die." Despite complaining to Dexter and Myra, they dismissed her concerns with a seemingly gentle yet dismissive, "It's just a cat. Kayla didn't do it on purpose. If you feel bad, we'll buy you another one." Felicia never kept another pet after that.
She planned to give Cloud to Stephan eventually; otherwise, he would stay in her dorm room. On the bus, the women in the back row shared snacks and played with Cloud; the atmosphere was harmonious. Kayla and Arnold sat in the front. When Kayla heard the commotion from behind, a flicker of displeasure crossed her eyes, quickly masked by a yawn and a coquettish request to Arnold: "Arnie, I'm tired. Can I sleep for a while?" He merely hummed in response. Since their car accident, he'd become far more indulgent, catering to her every whim.
The eight-hour journey to Khogend included highway rest stops. Felicia took Cloud outside for fresh air; he ran joyfully, never straying far, occasionally rolling clumsily at her feet. She snapped several close-up photos, her mind wandering to Stephan's kiss at the hospital. Since then, she'd heard nothing—not even a call. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. It was for the best. The past was the past; they were better off apart, avoiding further complications, pretending that night never occurred.
After a sufficient rest, everyone reboarded the bus. Andrew counted heads before signaling the driver to proceed. The women beside Felicia chatted about gossip, drawing her into their excited conversation. A luxury brand video on their phones featured Abbie, a young actress newly appointed as a global ambassador. The name sounded familiar.
"A global ambassador! Such a huge opportunity for a rookie with no major work yet! Tsk... Lance is really something!" one exclaimed.
"And those recent endorsements! Other celebrities can't match her ascent!" another added.
"I heard her first movie premieres the day after tomorrow, with top-tier supporting stars. No way it flops!" a third chimed in.
"Wow, makes you wonder about her backer. Whoever supported her must have immense power and resources!"
"You guys still don't know? The backer's a big shot from Seldvale, one of the wealthiest and most powerful people!"
"Holy crap!"