Chapter 70: Raise a Dog

Since returning from the cafe, Kelvin had worn a cold expression. Sitting in the car, Chris felt the winter chill and pulled his coat tighter.

Abbie coughed softly, attempting to get Kelvin's attention. She was disappointed; he didn't react. His gaze remained fixed on his phone, his handsome face devoid of emotion. His lips were tightly pursed, as if he'd seen something unpleasant.

After a moment, he said coldly, "Take Abbie back to the Berry mansion first."

The woman beside him trembled. She didn't want to return; it was early, and she wanted to spend more time with Kelvin. Her misty eyes pleaded, but he remained glued to his phone, unresponsive.

Abbie felt a surge of unfairness. She'd moved from Foley Villa to the Berry mansion almost a week ago, yet felt like an outsider, constantly awkward. Kelvin was swamped with work; their phone calls were brief, usually only a sentence or two before he hung up. Today's meeting was her doing—she'd feigned illness to get him to pick her up, hoping for coffee. They'd unexpectedly run into Cheyenne.

Although he appeared indifferent, Kelvin was affected.

"Kelvin, I I don't want to go back."

Without looking up, he coldly asked, "The Berry family isn't treating you well?"

Abbie nodded, her voice choked with sobs. "Yeah I feel like I've been away too long. Like an outsider. They're all busy—during the day and after dinner. They don't care about me!"

Chris, driving, was surprised. He wondered how Cody would react to this.

Kelvin finally looked up, his brow furrowed. "How about I ask Chris to help you find a new apartment?"

"Huh?" She hadn't expected this. Shouldn't he take her back to Foley Villa?

Tears welling, Abbie whispered, "Kelvin, I want us to live together." Fearing his rejection, she continued, "I'm alone I don't know what else to do. I'm very lonely and bored."

"No! My apartment's too small. I'm not used to having someone around. How about getting Chris to find you a dog instead?"

Raise a dog? Abbie gasped, feeling heartbroken. She realized he'd rather she raise a dog than spend time with him. Knowing his dislike for clingy women (like Cheyenne), she choked back tears, forcing a smile.

"Okay, then I'll trouble you, Mr. Richards."

Chris suppressed laughter, keeping his hands steady on the wheel. "Miss Berry, please don't be polite. Do you prefer Pomeranians, Teddy Bears, or Huskies?"

Abbie gritted her teeth. She was unwell and couldn't be around animals. Her OCD made pet hair unbearable.

"Any will do. Thank you for your help," she said through clenched teeth.

After dropping Abbie off, Kelvin let Chris drive back to the company. Finding Abbie an apartment and a dog became Chris's new tasks. He completed them quickly but intentionally rented Abbie a suburban villa far from Kelvin, citing good air quality, greenery, and sea views for her recovery. The rent was over two million a year, but inconsequential to Kelvin if it pleased Abbie.

He chose a small, skinny, entirely black dog. Its eyes were almost invisible; from a distance, it looked like a smoked sausage.

Abbie's first impression wasn't positive. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

Kelvin, usually dismissive of pets, saw something in this dog. He crouched, petting it for the first time in his life.

"It's from my hometown," he said. "It's only a month old, easy to train."

"It looks very special!"

Abbie echoed Kelvin's sentiment, smiling gently as she reached for the pup. It shook its head, avoiding her hand and licking Kelvin instead.

Embarrassed, Abbie said sourly, "It seems to like you more."

Kelvin's phone rang. He patted the puppy before answering coldly, "What is it?"

His secretary sounded urgent. "Mr. Foley! An emergency! We need you back immediately!"

"What's going on?"

"Sir, we were to sign the Todd Group contract today, but Master Davon's assistant called; they won't be signing." The Foley Group had worked with Davon's company for over six months.

"Did they give a reason?"

"No."

"I'll be right back!" Kelvin said, standing abruptly.

Abbie and Chris were silent, sensing the urgency.

Abbie wanted to speak, but Kelvin left without a word. Chris placed his car keys on the table. "Miss Berry, the villa keys." He then followed Kelvin.

Abbie was alone in the villa, the "sausage" dog now bumping against her legs.

"Get lost!" she snapped, kicking it.

(The final promotional line is removed as it is irrelevant to the text cleanup.)